William Frederick Dennis
William Frederick Dennis (1844-1889) of W. F. Dennis and Co
1880 of 101 Leadenhall Street, London, E.C, stood for election to the Iron and Steel Institute
1889 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM FREDERICK DENNIS was born at Hythe, in Kent, on 24th December 1844.
After being educated at New Ringswood School, near Bath, he was articled to Messrs. Lloyds Fosters and Co., of Wednesbury, where he spent six years, passing through the various shops and departments.
On leaving, he was employed in connection with the superintendence of the erection of Willesden Junction railway station; and subsequently, in order to gain a more diversified experience, he obtained employment with Messrs. R. and C. Goldthorpe, card-wire manufacturers, of Cleckheaton.
In 1869 he went to London, and started an agency in the city, removing into larger premises as the business extended. He was afterwards joined in partnership by his brother, Mr. Arthur Dennis, and founded the firm of Messrs. W. F. Dennis and Co.
As a business man he was one of the first to foresee the position which Germany was likely to attain as a commercial and manufacturing country and even when German productions were comparatively unknown in England he paid numerous visits to the manufacturing centres on the continent, and carried out large contracts with most successful results. As an engineer he invented the wire netting machine known by his name, by means of which wire netting is manufactured on a novel principle, direct from bobbins of hard bright steel wire, without the use of spools.
He was also the inventor of a tubular telegraph pole, which is a combination of wrought and cast iron and is so constructed that it can be erected with great facility.
He died at Eastbourne of heart disease on 10th December 1889, in the forty-fifth year of his age.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1883.
1890 Obituary [2]
WILLIAM FREDERICK DENNIS was born at Hythe, in Kent, on 24th December 1844. After being educated at New Kingswood School, near Bath, he was articled to Messrs. Lloyds, Fosters, Si Co., of Wednesbury, where he spent six years, passing through the various shops and departments.
On leaving Wednesbury he was employed on the erection of Willesden Junction railway station. He afterwards obtained employment with Messrs. R. & C. Goldthorpe, card-wire manufacturers, of Cleckheaton. In 1869 he went to London and started an agency in the city.
He was afterwards joined in partnership by his brother, Mr. Arthur Dennis, and founded the firm of Messrs. W. F. Dennis & Co. The deceased appears to have been one of the first to foresee the position which Germany was likely to attain as a manufacturing country, and even when German productions were comparatively unknown in England, he paid numerous visits to the manufacturing centres on the Continent, and carried out large contracts with most successful results.
He acted as agent for one of the largest iron manufacturing firms in Germany - that of Messrs. Felten & Guilleaume of Cologne - and did a great deal to have the wire industry of that country further developed. As an engineer he invented the wire-netting machine known by his name, by means of which wirenetting is manufactured on a novel principle, direct from bobbins of hard bright steel wire, without the use of spools. He was also the inventor of a tubular telegraph pole, which is a combination of wrought and cast iron, and is so constructed that it can be erected with great facility.
He died at Eastbourne of heart disease on 10th December 1889, in the forty-fifth year of his age.
He became a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1880.