Today I researched two engineers who appear to have been all but forgotten. And yet, they invented major devices to make ships go faster and the other was also a pretty smart businessman. I feel it my duty to rectify that in some small way.
John Rapson
As far as I can tell, he came from Cornwall. In 1812, he was living in Penryn, working as a millwright and brass-founder. He applied for a patent for a device to stop carriages rolling downhill. This was to replace the lump of timber traditionally used to save the horses from gravity. Then, in 1836, he invented a new gearing mechanism which allowed axles to turn without using a universal joint.
At some stage he moved to Poplar, London, where he came up with a brilliant idea to make ship steering much better. This was in 1839 and he came to the attention of the Admiralty, who installed the device in their Formidable class of battleships.
I’m afraid that’s all I have about John though he may have been born in around 1781 and was probably dead by 1861.
Hermann Hirsch
Originally from Germany, Hermann was very interested in making ships faster. He was possibly a shipwright, working in London, when, in 1860 he patented a new design for a propeller that had both “…variable choral pitch (camber) and variable radial pitch.” That means it turned through different planes to increase speed through the water.
Five years later, he designed a propeller for the SS Periere, originally a steamship that was eventually turned into a four masted sailing ship.
Hermann seems to have been pretty canny with his designs. Not only did he take out a patent in the UK, but he also had them in Belgium, France and the US, giving him comprehensive international protection.
He didn’t just design propellers. He also developed better shipbuilding methods which, in 1873, were applied to the building of the SS Paun-ting. This ship was built in New York, though he was still living in Britain.
He was still developing his propeller ideas in 1880 and his shipbuilding ‘principles’ were still being followed.
So, two engineers who made a difference and have slipped out of sight like the ships they improved. Well, hopefully I’ve saved them from absolute obscurity.
Great at least someone has given them a bit of history and we have read it,maybe their families will read about them in the future.
love mum x
Funny you should mention that…
I’m researching my partner’s family history, and Hermann Hirsch was her great-great-grandfather’s brother. I haven’t yet managed to find a picture of him. The family memoir I have doesn’t have much about Hermann beyond “he was an engineer, moved to London, invented the first ship propeller”. That would’ve been a big deal in my family, but the Hirsches were a talented lot.
Good to see him being remembered here.
Best wishes from Wales,
nic
Hi Nic. Have you tried these people? http://access.cjh.org/home.php?type=extid&term=1361925#1 there’s an email address at the bottom. They might have a photo they can scan.
Gary
I spent a good chunk of yesterday browsing through that collection, which I think I found in the same Google search as brought me here. Rosetta Hirsch wrote the memoir we have in translation. There’s a couple of pages of family trees in the CJH collection, and a copy of Hermann Hirsch’s Will in his beautiful handwriting. I’ve just noticed a mistake in the CJH description of the collection (Rosetta’s father was Joseph, not Hermann) so I’ll drop them a line about that.