John William Fletcher
John William Fletcher (1834-1910)
1910 Obituary [1]
JOHN WILLIAM FLETCHER was born on April 24, 1834.
In the early fifties he joined the service of the Electric and International Telegraph Company, and, prior to the transfer of the telegraphs to the State, he was in charge of the Chester and Holyhead section.
When the transfer took place, he was one of those who elected to enter the service of the Railway Company, and then continued in charge of the North Wales district until the year 1876.
At that time he was appointed Telegraph Superintendent of the Northern Section of the London and North-Western Railway Company; and some two years later he was appointed chief telegraph superintendent and engineer of that Company, which position he held until his retirement in June, 1903.
In 1872 he joined the Society of Telegraph Engineers and, until his death, he was a member of this Institution. He was one of the earliest contributors to the Journal, having in the year 1873 written an Original Communication on "Lightning Protectors" (vol. ii. p. 296). He was also a member of the Conference of Railway Telegraph Superintendents and Engineers from its inception until his retirement, and was President of the Conference in 1892.
He was the inventor and patentee of numerous and varied appliances for the economical and safe working of railways; and the efficient state of the electric telegraph system of the London and North-Western Railway Company is sufficient evidence of his skill and ability as telegraph engineer.
He died on July 11, 1910.