Thomas Parker

 

THOMAS PARKER 

Thomas Parker was born on December 22, 1843, in Coalbrookdale, England, and died on December 5, 1915, at the age of 71, in Ironbridge, England.

As a professional, Parker is known as an electrical engineer, inventor and industrialist, but his reputation has led to innovation in lead-acid batteries, electric generators and the manufacture of large-scale electric vehicles. Parker also has the honour of founding the world's first electricity transmission company.

Parker was born in Lincoln Hill, Coalbrookdale, to a moulder, Thomas Wheatley Parker.

Parker received his early education at a local Quaker Society school and soon began his career as a moulder with his father, Attended an international exhibition in London in 1862 as a representative of the Coalbrookdale Company and was impressed by the new technology on display.

Later that year he moved to Birmingham to expand his moulding experience. After a short stay in Birmingham, he moved to Staffordshire Potteries, an industrial area in England, Where he married Jane Gibbs, daughter of Lewis Gibbs, an engine driver, in 1866, and moved to Manchester, England, the same year, where he studied chemistry under the influence of the famous British chemist Henry Enfield Roscoe.

Later, in December 1867, he moved to his hometown of Coalbrookdale, where he initially worked as a supervisor, and was soon appointed by the company as a chemist in the electroplating department, based on Parker's qualifications.

In 1876, with the help of Philip Weston, a mechanic working for the Coalbrookdale Company, he invented the first modern steam pump and recorded the first invention of his life, This invention was awarded a medal.

While working in the electroplating department, Parker replaced the lead-acid batteries used in chemical processing with his invented electric generator. Parker named his invention Dynamo.

At the same time, the Coalbrookdale Company began producing Parker-invented kyrle Grate, recognizing kyrle Society's the harmful effects of the smoke from coal, Parker was later awarded a silver medal in 1881 at an exhibition on Parker's invention of Kyrle grate.

Lead-acid batteries developed by Gaston Plante in 1882  parker were better developed than ever before. In June of the same year, Parker and Paul Bedford Elwell innovated electric generators.

 

Later, in October of that year, Parker moved with his family to Wolverhampton for business, and with Paul's participation in Wolverhampton, he began making acid-lead batteries. By 1883, the company had begun manufacturing dynamos generators.

Parker and Paul's business expanded as demand for Dynamos generators from Trafalgar Colliery and Manchester Edson Company to light up the mine increased, Later, in 1885, the company developed the first electric-powered tram for England, and soon another such tram was piloted in Birmingham, But instead of running directly on electricity, this tram was powered by batteries, and some electric vehicles were also developed.

During the three-year period from 1884 to 1887, Paul and Parker invented a number of electrical instruments. In 1887, Parker discovered the method of separating phosphorus and chlorate by electrolysis.

In 1889, the electric construction company, which manufactures electrical appliances, bought other electrical appliance companies, including the Elwell-Parker Company, In 1893, the Elwell-Parker Company was re-established in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and in the same year, due to some complications, the company was transformed into an Electric Construction Company.

 

The following year, in 1894, Parker resigned from the company and founded Thomas Parker Limited, a company that manufactures electrical appliances. ۔

In 1899, He moved to London, leaving his own company, Thomas Parker Ltd., and remained in London until his retirement in 1908. During his stay in London, he worked for the Metropolitan Railway Company as a Consultant Engineer.

In 1904, Parker invented a smokeless combustible fuel called the Coatile. Parker's invention was later awarded the Gold Medal in 1936.

In 1908, he bought the local ironworks industry in the town of Medley, England, and with his son Charles founded a company called Court Works Limited.

Parker died of a mental illness in 1915 and was buried with the local church in Medley.

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