image of Harry Gridell Matthews, inventor

Time Line

1880
 
March 17th
Born Winterbourne, Gloucestershire.
1888
Starts at Mrs Webb's School, Alveston, South Gloucestershire.
Circa 1893
Attends Merchant Venturers' College.
1896
Apprenticed to a Bristol electrical engineering firm.
1899
Joins Baden-Powell South African Constabulary and serves in the Boer War.
1902
Invalided home from South Africa and becomes consulting engineer for Lord De La Warr. Makes first radio broadcast from the Kursaal in Bexhill-on-Sea. Researches possibilities of wireless-controlled torpedo.
1904
Marries Katy Williams.
1907
Transmits speech by radio waves from the roof of the Kursaal, Bexhill-on-Sea where he establishes a radio station.
1909
 
November
Files 1st patent: 'Improved Means for Effecting Telephonic communication Without Connecting Wires'.
December
Files 2nd patent. 'Improved Automatic Righting Device for a Flying Machine'.
1910
 
March
Raymond Phillips files patent: 'Improvements in or connected with the Controlling of Aerial Vessels by Wave Transmitted Electricity'.
April
Grindell Matthews Wireless Telephone Company Ltd formed to develop and market the Aerophone.
May
London Hippodrome demo of wireless-controlled flying model airship, operated by Mr Phillips
July
Becomes a member of the Royal Institute of Great Britain.
1911
 
May
Files 3rd patent: 'Improvements in telephone instruments'.
August
Files 4th patent: 'Improvements in Wireless Telephony'.
September
Attempts radio communication between Beachley Pier to Old Passage Ferry Inn, a distance of three miles.
 
Establishes a radio link between two French villages, a distance of 670 miles.
 
Plans to sell the aerophone to the public.
 
World first was made at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff when Matthews makes radio contact with aeroplane in flight.
October
Plans to transmit speech a distance of 40 miles.
1912
 
January
'Voice of the North Sea Ghost'.
 
Sets up transmitting aerial on roof of Western Mail and Newport and Cardiff linked together by wireless telegraphy and wireless telephony.
February
Transmits the first-ever wireless press message from Newport to the Western Mail buildings in Cardiff.
 
Transmits a radio broadcaster to a Daily Express reporter a distance of 110 miles from the Black Rock (River Severn) to Dalston in Hackney, London.
March
Files 5th patent: 'Improvements of high frequency waves'.
 
Wireless transmission between two cars in motion.
 
Gives a demonstration of his wireless telephone to Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Colonel Seely, Secretary of State for War.
July
Demonstrates Aerophone to King George V at Buckingham Palace.
 
Refused licence by British GPO to transmit between Britain and France.
 
'Marconi Scandal' becomes public knowledge.
 
With finance from the Grindell Matthews Wireless Telephone Company, sets up two radio broadcasting stations: one in Northampton and one at Letchworth in Hertfordshire
1914
 
January
Plans radio transmission of speech from Newfoundland, Canada across the Atlantic.
April
Grindell Matthews Wireless Telephone Company Ltd goes bankrupt.
 
Closure of Northampton and Letchworth experimental radio stations.
 
First experimental trial of a boat controlled by a searchlight at Edgbaston, in Birmingham.
 
Collaborates with Dr Edmund Edward Fournier D'Albe.
 
Collaborates with Lord Fisher to construct an aerial torpedo to provide defence against Zeppelins.
 
Fatal accident results in the aerial torpedo project being shelved
1915
 
October
Agreement signed between government and Matthews for the trial of Dawn.
 
Selenium tested under four different conditions.
December
Demonstrates Dawn on Penn Pond in Richmond Park, London. Awarded £25,000.
 
Works on wireless operation of mine exploder, bomb release mechanism and torpedo control.
1916
Changes his name by deed poll to Harry Grindell Grindell.
1917
 
January
Writes to the Ministry of Inventions saying that 'I have recently devised a means of locating enemy submarines in a simple, rapid and effective manner'.
March
Trials his submarine detection apparatus in Portsmouth Harbour.
March/May
Second trial at New Passage in Bristol, England.
June
Third trial at Barry, Wales.
 
Matthews travels to Cherbourg, France, to continue his work with submarine detection.
September
Inquiry held into the events that took place during the trials at Barry.
1918
Government drops Matthews' work on submarine detection.
1919
First experiments with recording sound carried out at New Passage Hotel.
1921
Moves to 2 Harewood Place, Hanover Square, London.
September
Records an interview with Sir Ernest Shackleton using his new camera.
1922
 
August
Files patent for 'Improvements relating to Photographic Sound Recording'.
1923
 
June
Patents device 'Electric Gas-discharge Tube for Photographic Sound Recording'.
1924
The Death Ray, 'The Most Startling and Breath-Taking Motion Picture Ever Made!' Shown at several London theatres.
March
Matthews and Captain Edwards visit the Air Ministry and speak to Wing Commander Bowen and Major Lefroy regarding why he can't give a demonstration of his electric beam.
May
Questions asked in the House of Commons about the 'death ray'.
 
Matthews demonstrates his electric beam to government at Harewood Place.
 
Further questions asked in the House of Commons about the 'death ray'.
 
Matthews in Lyon.
October
Patent No. 606 260 filed for 'Projection à distance Phénomenès invisibles de haute fréquency électrique'.
 
Matthews makes the first of several journeys across the Atlantic to America to promote his talkies, 'death ray' and Luminaphone. Meets Lady Edison.
 
Death Ray film released in America in October 1924.
1925
 
February
Sails from New York to Europe aboard the Acquitania. 'Famed inventor of "Death Ray'''. Plans to return to America permanently and set up a lab in New York.
 
Meets American divorcee Olive Waite. Returns to Europe.
September
Marries Olive Waite in Scotland, returns to New York. Sets up a workshop in New York lab.
1926
 
March
Files patent GB272606: 'Improvements relating to Optical Projection'.
1927
Second 'movie' of 'death ray' released in Britain by Pathé.
1928
In Long Island, New York.
1929
 
May
Employed in America as consulting engineer for Warner Brothers
1930
 
May
Contract with Warner Brothers ends.
July
Returns to England
August
Sells the rights to his Sky Projector to a company called 'G.M. Sky Projector'.
September
Is a director and consulting engineer of 'G.M. Sky Projector'.
 
Olive Waite divorces Matthews.
 
Files patent for 'Improvements Relating to Apparatus for Producing Musical Sounds'.
1931
 
September
Receives bankruptcy order.
October
Matthews' creditors hold first meeting.
December
Submits his Statement of Affairs to bankruptcy court.
1932
 
January
Luminastra set up.
 
Matthews' public examination at High Court of Justice, Bankruptcy Buildings, Carey Street, WC2.
May
Patents Sky Projector in France
December
Takes out second patent for improved version of Sky Projector.
1933
Makes acquaintance of P.E. Cleator who established the British Interplanetary Society.
1934
 
March
Declared bankrupt.
May
Constructs Tor Clawdd.
1935
Helps build a 'Flying Flea'.
Begins work on 'Aerial Torpedo' to defend cities.
1936
 
October
'Travel by Rocket in 10 Years', article written by Matthews for the Daily Mail.
1937
 
July
Luminastra Company dissolved.
1938
 
January
Marries Ganna Walska.
1941
Visits 10 Downing Street, London to meet with officials to discuss Aerial Torpedo.
September 11th
Collapses and dies from a heart attack.