Dr Robert Mullineux Walmsley

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(1854–1924) was a British electrical pioneer. He was one of the first to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical use of electricity in the working world.

Life

He was born near

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in 1854, the eldest of nine children. He studied Sciences at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

graduating BSc in 1882. He began teaching physics in London then took on a post as assistant Demonstrator to Prof Ayrton at

Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the southeastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manorialism, Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man c ...

Technical College. He then worked under Prof Silvanus Thompson, receiving a doctorate (DSc) in 1886. In 1890 he went to

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

as Professor of Electrical Engineering at

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...

. In 1891 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were

Francis Grant Ogilvie Sir Francis Grant Ogilvie CB FRSE (8 August 1858 – 14 December 1930) was a Scottish educator, museum director, and scientist. Birth, parentage and early career Ogilvie was born in Monymusk Monymusk () is a planned village in the M ...

William Henry Perkin Sir William Henry Perkin (12 March 1838 – 14 July 1907) was a British chemist and entrepreneur best known for his serendipitous discovery of the first commercial synthetic organic dye, mauveine, made from aniline. Though he failed in trying ...

, Alexander Bruce, and Sir

Byrom Bramwell Sir Byrom Bramwell FRSE FRCPE (18 December 1847 – 27 April 1931) was a British physician and medical author. He was a general physician, but became known for his work in neurology, diseases of the heart and blood, and disorders of the endoc ...

. In 1895 he was living at 5 Seton Place in the Grange district in south Edinburgh.edinburgh Post Office directory 1895 In 1896 he relocated from Edinburgh to

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

Polytechnic Institute in

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell ( ) is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...

as its very first principal. The college later evolved into

City, University of London City, University of London was a public university from 1966 to 2024 in London, England. It merged with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London in August 2024. The names "City, University of London" an ...

. He was struck by a vehicle on a London street near his home in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

on 12 June 1924 and never regained consciousness. He died in

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on 14 June 1924.

Family

In 1896 he married Emily Victoria Hicks.

Publications

* ''Electric Current: How Produced and How Used'' (1894) * ''Transatlantic Engineering Schools and Engineering'' (1904) * ''Engineering Colleges and the War'' (1915) * ''Electricity in the Service of Man'' (1921) * ''Modern Practical Electricity''

References

1854 births 1924 deaths Academics of Heriot-Watt University British electrical engineers British physicists Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People associated with City, University of London Scientists from Liverpool {{UK-engineer-stub