William Reid (1798-1869)
William Reid (1798-1869) telegraph engineer
c.1798 Born in Scotland[1]
Married Jane.
c.1824 Birth of son William Reid in Glasgow
c.1828 he moved his family to London[2]
c.1829 Started work on his own account (his later description of his role was as an engineer)
1829 Birth of son Robert Nicol Reid in London; William was an engraver[3]
1833 Birth of son James in London
1839 of 25 University Street, Tottenham Court Road, London[4]
c. 1839 Focussed on electric telegraphs, in which field he made several improvements over the following years; the business later became Reid Brothers, Engineers.
1843 of 25 University Street, Tottenham Court Road, London, a smith and engineer[5]
1845 of 25 University Street, Tottenham Court Road, London, a smith and engineer[6]
1851 Exhibited at the Great Exhibition
1851 William Reed 53, Engineer, lived in Tottenham Court Road, with Jane Reed 48, Jane H Reed 28, William Reed 26, Helen W Reed 23, Robert N Reed 21, Mary A Reed 19, James Reed 17, Matilda Reed 15, Hannah Reed 12[7]
1854 Proposed as an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers[8]
1856 Telegraph Instrument manufacturer, of 25 University St, and 3 Thornhaugh Mews, Tottenham Court Road, London[9]
1860 of 25 University Street, London University, London WC[10]
1861 William Reid 63, retired engineer, lived in Hampstead, with Jane Reid 58, Jane Hotson Reid 38, Mary Ann J Reid 29, Matilda M Reid 25, Hannah Reid 22, John Reid 19[11]
1869 William died in Hampstead, aged 72[12]; in 1871 Jane was recorded as a widow living Hampstead[13]