Captain Ronald Augustus Scott and the Acton Electric Light and General Engineering Works by D. C. Knights

The paper describes the professional work o f one o f the IEE’s Victorian members, Captain Ronald Augustus Scott, and the company that he owned: the Acton Electric Light and General Engineering Works. Scott’s work during the latter years ofthe 19th century was at the forefront o f technology in supplying arc searchlights, generators and switchboards for military and naval use. He later diversijied into the novelfield ofthe projection of advertisements onto the sides of buildings, a concept that has again been in the news in recent times. Unfortunately, he became insolvent and his business collapsed.

aptain Ronald Augustus Scott was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire in 1857, the son of Montague Scott, solicitor and grandson of C Dr. Scott, a designer of medical apparatus.

Ths paper describes the activities of Captain Scott over a brief period between 1887 and 1895, during which he was the owner of a large workshop manufacturing switchboards and searchhght equipment in Acton, West London. He supplied considerable quantities of this equipment, whch was used to equip two newly built cruisers for the Navy in 1893 and two retired ships moored in the River Dart, w h c h were the forerunner of the Dartmouth Naval College. Looking back over 100 years, it has been possible to build up a picture of an inventive engineer, with ideas well beyond h s time, but one who apparently lacked commercial awareness and who was engaged in some less honourable practices. Nothmg is known of his early years other than that he was the chdd of a professional person, was educated privately and then went on to ‘Dollar’ University. Beyond the period of this paper Scott again disappears 6-om view.

The works in Acton was of a considerable size for

THE “F.O.S.” PORTRAIT GALLERY.

X ~ I . 3Ci.--O.iPT,\IX EOXALD SCOTT, F.O.S. “hltliou$i, as fnr :LS this coimtry is coiicerned, clectricity is

hnt still in its iiifiiicy, tlie hero of this week‘s B.0.8. Gallery citii lay chiin t o Iiaviiig coiisillcrably dovc~lopeil it in Eiiglaii~l iiiiriug the Iiist few years. Ylic title of Eiizlisli Ntlisoii, altlloiiyh self-bestowed, is qiiite apliropriate. If :my of ow renders doobt it , let tlirni nlq(y to Cnlitniii Iloiinlil Scott hiiliaelf. It his

Fig. 1 (from Ally Sloper’s Half-Holiday, 16th June 1894, p.192)

Captain Ronald Scott FOS, the ‘English Edison’

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Table 1: Navy ships supplied with lighting equipment by Scott

Ship Britannia

Hindostan

Devastation Hero Mersey Severn Magicienne Marathon Grafton Gibraltar

Built Type Notes 1860 First Originally named Prince of Wales.

rate ship Renamed Bntannia in 1869 and moored at Dartmouth as Training Base. Sold in 1916.

Part of Fisgard Training base in 1905 Sold in 191 6. 1841 Second Moored with Britannia at Dartmouth in 1864.

1871 Battleship Sold in 1908 1871 Turret ship Sold in 1907 1885 Cruiser Sold in 1905 1885 Cruiser Sold in 1921 1888 Cruiser Sold in 1905 1888 Cruiser Sold in 1905 1892 Cruiser Sold in 1920 1892 Cruiser Sold in 1923

rate ship

the time. I t was manufacturing equipment of some quality, to judge from reports in the respected journal The Engineer, and Scott won a Silver Medal at the Crystal Palace exhibition in 1892. Reports in the local newspapers give some insight into Scott’s social activities and his generosity to the local people.

Scott’s experiments in projecting advertising on the walls of public buildings, a concept revived in recent years, brought him to the attention of the press and he was caricatured by E0.S. in Ally Sloper’r Hd&f-Holidny 011 16th June 1894 (Fig. l), the caption implying that Scott had been describing hiniself as the English Edison and was eccentric and very precocious in his habits.

The Acton Electric Light and General Engineering Works

From 1887 to 1889, Scott occupied premises at 331 K n g Street, Hammersmith, where he manufactured electrical apparatus. By 1888, these premises were proving too limited for the volume of coinnlissions then being received, so the ‘Elms’, a large house and

Table 2: Scott’s patent applications that were granted

estate on the Uxbridge Road in Acton (West London), was acquired; in the grounds Scott constructed, to hls own designs, the workshops of the Acton Electric Light and General Engineering Works. The records of the Institution of Electrical Engineers show Scott’s address as the ‘Elms’, Acton from 1891 to 1894; as Pembridge Lodge, Richmond in 1896; and as Messrs. A. Scott & Co., Queensbury Works, Friars Lane, Richmond in 1897-8.

The prenlises in Acton were equipped with many machine tools driven from overhead shafts powered by a 12 hp gas engine. This was replaced by a small steam engine, which was in turn replaced by a 100 hp Davey, Paxman and Co. steam engine and multi-tubular boiler. During the last six months of 1892, additional machinery, valued at A l O O O , was added, including a substantial niilling machine. The niain workshop had a n area of 10 000 ft’ (929 in’), above which was a smaller shop of 1200 ft‘. There was also a draftsman’s ofice, an accumulator room containing a very large set of storage batteries, and a foundry, built in 1891/2 and capable of casting several tons of work each week. The business was initially hnded by Scott’s own capital of A900 and loans of A1060 from Mr. Farquharson and A3306 from Mr. Breeks, the latter being secured against rights to Scott’s patents.

In 1891, the works employed eight qualified work- men and some 65 pupils for whlch premiums ofA150- were paid. It is clear that Scott was using these pupils as a source of cheap labour, as in 1891 he was successfully taken to court for breach of contract over the lack of

Patent Date number 13478/1885 6.11.1885 Electric switchboards for putting a number

of sources into connection with any one of a number of circuits. With W. T. Goolden and A. P. Trotter.

11853/1886 17.9.1 886 Electric searchlight, particularly referring to the heat resisting felt backing to the mirror, and the remote control of position through electromagnetically operated clutches.

11901/1887 2.9.1 887 Incandescent electric lamp holder.

16805/1892 20.9.1892 Portable electric searchlight. Accumulator-

16806/1892 20.9.1892 System for projecting images on distant operated light for vehicles.

bodies by means of a heat resisting stencil mounted within the projector, between the arc light and the mirror.

16806Al1892 20.9.1 892 Water cooled projection stencil relating to the previous item, and consists of forming the object hollow, or of tubing and arranging for water to be circulated. Renumbered from 12041/1893

Agent’s address: 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster

311 King Street, Hammersmith

311 King Street, Hammersmith Acton Hill

Acton Hill

Acton Hill

training being given to a Mr. Uniacke and was required to pay damages of A120. This pupil’s ‘training’ consisted alniost entirely of minding a machine making brass screws for a period of nine months. Six of the employees left in 189112 to become electricians with the P&O Steam Navigation Company. Despite these setbacks, by 1893 the works was employing 150 people, malung it one of the largest employers in what was then a largely rural area.

Ronald Scott manu- factured switchboards for

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ships and electrical generating sets to power searchlights of his o\vn design. These were supplied to R. A. Cronipton C;- Co., the Royal Navy, Royal Yachts and to the Indian 11506/1 886 9.9.1886 Insulation of switches and other governments. Under a conti-act to supply Scott’s patent switchboards, on 14th January 1893 the works supplied two of the largest s\\itchboai-ds ever delivered to the Admiralty for use on thc ships Gihdror and Grqfiorr, then newly built. Scott provided 1700~1890 31.1.1890 Arc lamps. Jointly with C. N. Russell the equipment for lighting ships (Table 1) 2660/1890 throughout the Navy, including the 3271,,890 Devmtatiorr, A\dc~.wy, Scvori, Hcro, M q i r i - eirric, .\dmrhorr, Brirorrriia and Hirrhtari. 12904/1891 30.7.1 891 Holders for electric lamps

When Scott became an IEE member in 2971/1893 19.6.1893 Projecting images on distant bodies January 890, a citation w a s 10753/1894 2.6.1894 Projecting images on distant bodies against h is application: ‘Because as a government Contractor, he has carried out several The equipment manufactured at Acton was demon- important inmllations of electric light strated a t a number of public exhibitions. In Septeniber for the Admiralty, and has had four of his inventions 1890, Scott installed a searchlight on the roof of the taken up by the govei-nnient and placed on the Electrical Engineering Exhibition in Edinburgh. Two establishment’ dynamos were installed, one driven by a 9 hp Priestman

Scott applied for a numbei- of patents relating to oil engine, the other by the Machinery Hall counter sexchlights \\:liich \vert: granted, see Table 2. A shafting. The dynamos were of the inverted horseshoe numbei- of other ,ipplications were mnde, see Th le 3, type, m d achieved good in;ignetic insulation by the LISC

Charles Ne\vton I<ussell, who was Electrician to the switchboards were exhibited for llaval use, mounted 011

works, also made a number of applications for patents slate and pn-n1etaI panels; these offered the facility to himself, in addition to thow made jointly with Scott, connect three dynamos to any of six searchlights and all relating to conduit and junction boxes. R~issell was were capable of carrying up to 400 A. Arc extinction admitted as a n Associate Member of the Institution of was achieved by the rapid movement of a pivoted Electrical Engineers in 1888, his application being switch blade through 90 degrees, and through the use sigied by Scott and giving his address as Scott’s ofspring arcing contacts. The main contact was a face- Electrical Works, Acton Hill. Subsequent to his to-hce contact without any wiping action. A movable involvement with Scott, he became a municipal contact on the switch arm allowed selection of the

Table 3: Scott‘s patent applications that were allowed t o lapse

3.1.1 887 18.1 .la88

Electric telegraph and indicator apparatus Junction box for electric conductors

Joint box and safety cut-out. Jointly with C. N. Russell

19.2.1 890 Socket for electric lamps 1.3.1890 Dynamo-electric machines. Jointly with

C. N. Russell

74/1887 791/1888 12409/1888 28.8.1888 Controlling carbons in arc lamps 20090/1889

hut ,lllo\\;ed t o IJpse. ofgllll-nl~~t~ll supporting fi;llllcs, I’ositivc ; I n d I1eg;ltivc~

*.

engineer with Shoreditch Local Authority. appropriate source of supply (Fig. 2) .

Fig. 2 Naval switchboard (from The Engineer, 17th July 1891, p.52)

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I I

Fig. 3 Generating set and improved projector, 1892 (from The Engineer, 20th May 1892, p.431)

The Royal Naval Exhibition held in July 1891 had exhibits of Scott’s switchboards and two 24 inch, Adnliralty Pattern, 27 000 candle-power searchlight projectors. The particular feature of these searchlights was the focusing of the arc-light beam by means of ;I mirror in the form of a section of a hollow sphere of high-quality glass, producing a whiter bean1 of light than the products of other manufacturers. The mirrors were mounted in a gun-metal frame and packed with heat-resisting felt to prevent moisture affecting the silvering. The demonstration was powered by an ‘Actwell’ dynamo of Scott’s manufacture and capable of generating 150 A at 80 V when driven at 280 rev/min by a 15 hp Davey-Paxnian steam engine.

Scott the person

Scott lived the life of a gentleman attending niany social functions, including dinner ar the Guildhall. His manner and appearance were always those of a wealthy person, and he was always known by his military rank, although only a volunteer.

Scott was a member of the West London Rifles from about 1877 until at least 1895 and is reported to have been a fair shot. O n 26th October 1889, he became a Second Lieutenant and on 13th December 1891 achieved the rank of Captain (one of eight in the battalion), although he is recorded as having passed the school ofinstruction for a higher rank. By 1898 he had

Table 4: Scott‘s membership of societies and institutions

ceased to be an oficer. The West London Rifles were based in Kensington and were officially known as The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 4th (West London) Volunteer Battalion and included the 14th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps.

Scott was a member of a number of professional societies, see Table 4, although this may in some instances have been for social rather than acadenuc reasons.

Scott was generous to the people of Acton. He used his searchlight to illuminate the exterior of the local church in March 1889. O n 11th January 1890 he arranged a party for 200 poor children; dinner was. served in the works, which was decorated for the event and Mr. W. J. Thomas, solicitor of Park Road North, gave a magic lantern show. The Rev. Dunn spoke to the children and presented each with a bun, an orange and a new penny as they left.

Members of Scott’s staff formed the Arc Musical Society, which held a smohng concert in the Mill Hill Tavern on 13th March 1890. The Works’ Annual Sports event was held in poor weather on 28th June 1890 in the grounds of the Elms and in December of that year Scott invited local people to skate on his pond, which was lit by electric light after dusk.

Application of searchlights

In March 1892, at short notice, Scott arranged to provide searchhghts in con- nection with night manoeuvres

Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Associate 1885, Member 1890-1905 Of the London Rde Brigade at Member of the Royal institution (1893) Elstree. A 25 000 candle-power Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, 1890-1 895 light was developed using a

mirror to Scott’s patent design. Fellow of the Zoological Society [of London] 1889-1 894 Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society Royal United Services Institution (1892) The searchlight, set up on West London Rifles (1877-1895) ground ankle-deep in mud, Imperial Institute (1 893) ensured the defeat of Major

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Marshall’s attack, just as he was certain of victory. Scott also arranged for the use of a searchhght in mock battles on Horsenden Hill in Ealing (west London). The searchhght was powered by accuniulator batteries. Scott constructed a waggon to transport this apparatus with the light mount- ed on the driver’s seat, and a mechanism to allow the acc- umulators supplying the lanip to be withdrawn.

At a major exhibition at the Crystal Palace in May 1892, Scott denionstrated his genera- tors and searchlights (Fig. 3). Particular interest was shown in the possibility of signalling over long distances between ships at sea by projecting a vertical beam of light. To test the visibility of the light a searchlight was set up on the roof of the palace and turned on at 9 p.m. each night of the exhibition. The beam is reported to have been projected 25 ndes froni an elevation of 60 feet. Power was generated by a dynamo capable of providing 150 A at 60 V, to the design of Mr. C. N. Russell, electrician to the Company. The dynamo was driven by a 25 hp Davey- Paxnian steam engine. An experiment at this exhibition demonstrated that if a second spherical mirror, with a diameter of 24 inches and a focal length of 16 inches, was placed 100 yards away in the beam of light from one of the projectors,

Fig. 4 Long-distance advertising in Trafalgar Square (from The Westminster Budget, 28th September 1894, p.561)

then the heat generated at the focal point of the mirror was sufficient to ignite paper.

Scott ventured into using his searchlights to project advertising on to the sides of buildings. O n Sunday evening, May 19th 1894, electric sign throwing was shown from the roof of Messrs. Lombardi 6 Co.’s prenlises at 13 Pall Mall East. Water-cooled stencils were projected by searchhght on to Nelson’s Colunin and the upper part of Charing Cross Station. The lettering or signs on plates were inserted in the focus of

*Captain Scott’s ideas have received further attention recently with the displaying of artistic pictures of a television star on the walls of the Houses of Parliament! There is also a more serious, and longer term scheme being implemented in Croydon. The Croydon: Skyline project is to be unveiled in the millennium, and aims to display colour and images on the buildings of the town.

the reflector, with the electric arc light being a little beyond the focus; this arrangement projected a sharp image, whilst protecting the plate from damage from the intense heat. Sir Augstus Harris fitted one of Scott’s searchlights on the roof of the English Opera House when it reopened as the Palace Theatre (the Drury Lane Theatre).

Tlic Westriiirister Biidgct sent a reporter to Acton to interview Scott on the use of electric sign throwing as an advertising medium for their issue of 28th September 1894. Scott had been using his projector to display advertisements* onto Nelson’s Colunm, the ofices of The Royal Humane Society, the tower of St. Martin’s Church and the front ofThe National Gallery (Fig. 4). Scott described himself as the engineer and managing director of the Long Distance Advertising Syndicate. He described testing his projector by

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projecting a portrait of the Prince of Wales on to the tower of Acton Parish Church from a structure in the grounds of the Elms, which the local councillors compared with the Eiffel Tower when discussing its construction. Advertising was displayed in Trafalgar Square fiom 8 p.m. to midnight, when many people were on their way home fiom work, however the An absolute discharge was refused because ‘the projection of signs on to clouds was censored by bankrupt’s assets are not of a value equal to 10s in the prominent members of the Salvation Army. The pound on the amount of his unsecured liabilities; and equipment was also demonstrated in Cardiff, and Scott that he had continued to trade knowing himself to be proposed that his equipment be used at insolvent’. Scott had formed a limited other locations in London and in cities company under the style Ronald A. and seaside locations throughout the Scott Limited in July 1894, which took country. over the assets and debts ofthe business.

bankrupt to the Official Receiver within 14 days of m n g said account; that upon the required consent being given Judgement may be entered by this Court for the sum of A540 together with Al-10s for the costs of the Judgement.’

The dual role Receivership

Scott was a shareholder and acted as manager of the company. The receiver of Scott and the - - ,

company was is reported as comparing the dual role ofMr. Scott and the Company as being Scott ran into financial problems during

1894. In addition to kvo major loans like the strange sirmlar to ‘The strange case ofDr. Jekyi (with interest) he owed some A3832 2s and Mr. Hyde’, it not being possible to to 120 smaller creditors for goods case of identify the separate identities of Mr. supplied in connection with the Scott and the Company. There business. Although assets in excess of Dr- Jew11 and appeared to be no other directors or

secretary or documents beyond the Mr. Hyde Memorandum and Articles of

A10 000 were claimed, the total owing exceeded this by A337 at this stage. On 6th December 1894 a receiver was appointed, who ran the business with Scott’s assistance (for which he received A5 per week) until May 1895, after which the business was practically closed. A receiving order was made against Scott on 9th July 1895 at Brentford Court as a result of a petition filed on 15th June by a creditor under section 4-1(G) of the Bankruptcy Act 1883. An adjudication was made against Scott on 16th July. The first meeting of creditors was held at 3 p.m. on 7th August in the Official Receiver’s Office at 95, Temple Chambers, Temple Avenue and a public examination held at 2.15 p.m. on 17th September in Brentford Town Hall.

An application was made for a debtor’s discharge at a hearing held in Brentford Town Hall at noon on 28th February 1896. An order was made on the application for Qscharge on 26th June 1896 as follows:

‘Discharge granted subject to bankrupt consenting to Judgement being entered against h m by the Official Receiver for A540 to be paid out of h s future earnings after acquired property and income, viz: after setting aside a yearly sum of A350 for the support of himself and his farmly, the bankrupt shall pay the surplus (if any) of such earnings and after acquired property and income to the Official Receiver and until the said sum of A540 be paid; that the bankrupt shall file on or before the 1st January and the 1st July in every year, or withn 14 days afterwards until the said A540 be paid, an account of h s earnings, after acquired property and income for the previous halfyear and verify the same by &davit and furnish copies of each account and affidavit to the Official Receiver; and that the surplus payable under this order shall be paid by the

Association of the Company. Scott claimed that he left all his financial

affairs to his solicitor, Mr. Reeves, who failed to attend any of the initial hearings, and that it was he who was responsible for the state in which Scott found hmself!

From 1899 to 1905 Scott is s d noted as being a member of the IEE, but no address is recorded in h s membership record. He was removed fiom the register on 31st July 1905, almost certainly for the non- payment of subscriptions.

Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the assistance of the Acton History Group in locating sources of information.

Sources

The primary sources used in preparing t h s paper were the IEE archves, Patent Office records, and contemporary issues of The Engineer (26th September 1890, p.245; 17th July 1891, p.52; 26th March 1892, p.252; 20th May 1892, pp.430-2; 25th May 1894, p.436), The Acton and Chiswick Gazette (30th March 1889; 18th January 1890; 21st January 1890; 5th July 1890; 27th December 1890), The London Gazette, The Westminster Budget and Ally Sloper’s HaFHoliday.

OIEE:2000

The author works in the field of electric railway engineering. He has interests in local history and the history of electrical engineering which are brought together in this paper. He is an IEE Fellow. He can be contacted at W. S. Atkins Rail Ltd., 171 High Holborn, London W C l V 7AA, UK. Email: dcknight@iee.org

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