Sir Ambrose Fleming (Jubilee of the Valve)

Abstract

November of last year (1954) saw the fiftieth Anniversary of the invention of the radio valve. It is fitting therefore to recall the life and work of its originator, John Ambrose Fleming, particularly stressing the way in which his work, converging in many fields, prepared him to make the invention, by which his name is best known. Ambrose was born at Lancaster on 29 November 1849, the eldest of seven children. His father, the Rev. James Fleming, was minister of High Street Congregational Chapel in Lancaster for eight years from August 1845. The family moved to London in 1854 when he became minister of Kentish Town Congregational Chapel, which position he held until his death in 1879. His grandfather on the mother’s side was John Bazley White, of Swanscombe, Kent, who had a large family of sons and daughters. He was a pioneer in the manufacture of Portland cement. From him Ambrose may have inherited something of his original turn of mind, for early in this century Mr White built his own house entirely of cement. One of his mother’s sisters became well known later as the founder of the Ranyard Mission. Early in his life Ambrose exhibited a mechanical turn of mind, interested in things rather than persons. When about ten years old he went to a private school tor boys where he found the geometrical drawing lessons of absorbing interest. At eleven years of age, he had set up his own workshop at home, where he made models of engines and ships. Ambrose entered University College School, Gower Street, in 1864 where he did well in mathematics, but was at the bottom of the classes in Latin. In spite of this he passed the London Matriculation when only 17 years old. Entering University College in 1867 he studied physics under G. Carey Foster and mathematics under de Morgan. After two years at College he had to leave in order to replenish the exchequer.