Richard Collett

Richard Collett (c1825-1903)

1872 Joined the Society of Telegraph Engineers

1903 Died. 'Mr. Richard Collett, of Harlesden, who died on the 6th inst. at the age of 78, was born at Fairford, Gloucestershire, and joined the electrical staff of the Atlantic Telegraph Company in 1857, when the first attempt was made to lay a cable across the Atlantic. Under Dr. Whitehouse be assisted in the experiments which followed at Devonport. He was on board the Agamemnon when the cable was laid in 1858, and remained at Valencia in change of the station, though communications with Newfoundland soon ceased, till 1860. Mr. Collett was appointed by the Indian Government superintendent in charge at Singapore of the Rangoon and Singapore cable; but, that cable not being laid, he entered into an agreement with Messrs. Glass, Elliott and Co., now the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, to assist in laying the Malta and Alexandria cable, and was in charge at Alexandria when that line was opened for traffic. He assisted on board the Great Eastern at the laying of the cable in 1866, when he was appointed traffic manager to the Atlantic Telegraph and Anglo-American Companies jointly. From 1873 till 1878 he was secretary to the Brazilian Submarine Company. He was one of the original members the Society of Telegraph Engineers, now the of Electrical Engineers.'

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