Dr Sebastian de ferranti
He was an extra-ordinary man - an inventor - a genius
A pioneer in the early history of electricity
The father of the modern electricity distribution system.
A pioneer in the early history of electricity
The father of the modern electricity distribution system.
It was through his work that electricity became available to everyone and wasn't just a luxury for the rich and powerful.
He brought about the transmission of cheap electricity for the use of us all, through his vision of the use of strong AC electricity, produced in the sort of large power stations in use today all over the world.
He saw how we could all have cheap, clean, safe electric lighting in our homes.
He saw how electricity could also be used in many other ways in our homes.
Because of him coal fires were replaced with clean, cheap electric fires
Hot water was produced effortlessly with electricity.
and also electric cookers and fridges, electric washing machines and irons and vacuum cleaners etc.
One of his main aims was to improve the drudgery of domestic life for women.
But - What was the world of Sebastian de Ferranti’s childhood like?
The more fortunate homes might have had piped gas lighting.
But most would have had only paraffin oil lamps or candles.
Cooking would have been done on a coal range.
Hot water would have been provided by a coal range
Heating would have been coal fires
Items such as kettles and irons where heated on the coal range
The vacuum cleaner was a brush
The fridge was a cupboard on the cold side of the house - with a vent to the outside - called a larder
and the washing machine and dishwasher was yourself, your mother or a maid
Electricity had been invented but not applied. No-one had found a suitable way of doing it
Sebastian Ferranti was not like the rest of us. Early on his head master understood this.
He later wrote
“That he was an original genius soon became perceptible. It was no use trying to make him, during his spare time, follow the usual horary. He forced us to let him have full scope for his ingenuity, and we willing assigned him a room where all by himself he could work at the practical problems exercising his budding genius”
But before starting this story it is important to understand what stage electrical development had reached before Ferranti left school.
There was no supply of electricity - No electric sockets in the walls of your house to plug your gadget into.
The small amount of electricity used - was generated in the place it was used - using small generators - and using DC - direct current. The places doing this were a very few select promenades, piers and harbours - where it was used for lighting (arc lamps - the predecessor of the incandescent light bulb)
The whole idea of the general use of electricity for lighting was up in the air.
Only a few years before, no meters capable of measuring current were known; and consumption was estimated rather than measured
Anyone wanting electric lighting really had to have their own generator.
Ferranti thought that idea crazy
In his mind he could see that there was a MUCH better method.
He believed in
AC (alternating current),
Generated in Large Powers Stations,
Transmitted at a High Voltage,
and then
Transformed to a lower voltage for safe use at it's destination (using transformers).
This is the system now used everywhere in the world.
However – when Ferranti first proposed it, he was considered by many to be crazy – it was thought to be impossible and dangerous
It was different to the accepted way of doing things in America at that time, where the DC route had been advised by Edison.
But
Edison was wrong.
And, against huge odds, Ferranti proved himself to be right.
He brought about the transmission of cheap electricity for the use of us all, through his vision of the use of strong AC electricity, produced in the sort of large power stations in use today all over the world.
He saw how we could all have cheap, clean, safe electric lighting in our homes.
He saw how electricity could also be used in many other ways in our homes.
Because of him coal fires were replaced with clean, cheap electric fires
Hot water was produced effortlessly with electricity.
and also electric cookers and fridges, electric washing machines and irons and vacuum cleaners etc.
One of his main aims was to improve the drudgery of domestic life for women.
But - What was the world of Sebastian de Ferranti’s childhood like?
The more fortunate homes might have had piped gas lighting.
But most would have had only paraffin oil lamps or candles.
Cooking would have been done on a coal range.
Hot water would have been provided by a coal range
Heating would have been coal fires
Items such as kettles and irons where heated on the coal range
The vacuum cleaner was a brush
The fridge was a cupboard on the cold side of the house - with a vent to the outside - called a larder
and the washing machine and dishwasher was yourself, your mother or a maid
Electricity had been invented but not applied. No-one had found a suitable way of doing it
Sebastian Ferranti was not like the rest of us. Early on his head master understood this.
He later wrote
“That he was an original genius soon became perceptible. It was no use trying to make him, during his spare time, follow the usual horary. He forced us to let him have full scope for his ingenuity, and we willing assigned him a room where all by himself he could work at the practical problems exercising his budding genius”
But before starting this story it is important to understand what stage electrical development had reached before Ferranti left school.
There was no supply of electricity - No electric sockets in the walls of your house to plug your gadget into.
The small amount of electricity used - was generated in the place it was used - using small generators - and using DC - direct current. The places doing this were a very few select promenades, piers and harbours - where it was used for lighting (arc lamps - the predecessor of the incandescent light bulb)
The whole idea of the general use of electricity for lighting was up in the air.
Only a few years before, no meters capable of measuring current were known; and consumption was estimated rather than measured
Anyone wanting electric lighting really had to have their own generator.
Ferranti thought that idea crazy
In his mind he could see that there was a MUCH better method.
He believed in
AC (alternating current),
Generated in Large Powers Stations,
Transmitted at a High Voltage,
and then
Transformed to a lower voltage for safe use at it's destination (using transformers).
This is the system now used everywhere in the world.
However – when Ferranti first proposed it, he was considered by many to be crazy – it was thought to be impossible and dangerous
It was different to the accepted way of doing things in America at that time, where the DC route had been advised by Edison.
But
Edison was wrong.
And, against huge odds, Ferranti proved himself to be right.