MORITZ IMMISCH ~ 1838-1903 ~

VICTORIAN INVENTOR & PIONEER ~ ENGINEERING & INVENTION ELECTRIC MOTORS, DYNAMOS, ETC.

. "The World has lost one of the earliest Pioneers in the development of Electric power. A born Inventor; his mind teemed with ideas. Ahead of his time" ~ As stated in one of the obituaries (Electrical Review, 25th September 1903) about MORITZ IMMISCH (Inventor & Pioneer) Engineer, Manufacturer and Company Managing Director.

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Moritz Immisch was born 'Karl Moritz Immisch' on 12th March 1838 in Niederschmon (near Querfurt, Germany) - the son of August Christian Von Immisch (& Anna Regina), of Thuringia, Germany. After graduating from university he moved to London in the early 1860s, and later married a young English lady Emma Welch at St John's Church, Marylebone, London, in 1876.

It is in connection with the "Immisch" motor and the early development of electric power that his name is chiefly remembered, although records of the patent offices of Europe and America show he had thought out (more or less) thoroughly a considerable number of practical problems. As a prolific inventor he filed over forty patents between 1881-90.

Originally he had started by making his name among the chief watch and clock manufacturers, and in 1872 had won the baroness Burdett-Coutts's prize for a thesis on the isochronism of the balance spring. Entitled "The Balance Spring" the thesis was subsequently published in book form. Moritz Immisch's talented mind, however, was neither fully occupied nor stretched in this limited work. Like others with great skill in instrument making, he became enthused by the opportunities presented by the new discoveries in electricity. It was thus his experiments in electricity, magnetism and general physics which soon attracted friends and capital.

About 1880 he entered into a business partnership with fellow-countryman Fritz Hubel, along with several British backers who found the necessary capital to extend the scope of his experiments. A small electrical works were opened at Malden Crescent, Kentish Town, and the "Immisch Motor" was gradually evolved, and won medals at the Inventions Exhibition of 1885, the Antwerp International Exposition of the same year, and at various subsequent exhibitions. From thence to 1891 the firm seemed on the high road to success. The works were full of pioneer orders for dynamos and motors for use in running plant machinery for electric light, power transmission, pumping and hauling in mines, electric trams, electric launches, etc.

At this point it should be mentioned that Immisch's increasing reputation led to numerous people seeking his advice. Among those were Magnus Volk and the future Earl of Albermarle. Magnus Volk sought his views and advice over experiments to create an electric horseless carriage in 1887. [Earlier in 1883 Volk had received acclaim for building an electric railway along the sea front at Brighton]. By contrast Viscount Bury, son and heir of the 7th Earl of Albemarle, contacted Immisch over experiments with electric trams and launches. [It is perhaps interesting to note: while Immisch, Hubel and Volk were originally from Germany, Viscount Bury's (Van Keppel) family were originally Dutch, arriving in England in 1688.]

Viscount Bury had for some time been interested in electric powered trams, trains, and underground trains in London, and had discussed the possibilities with Thomas Edison in the 1870s while in the US. On his return to England he formed the Westminster Electric Traction Company and became involved in the Electric Traction Syndicate. The Syndicate's initial project involved converting Brighton & District Tramways to electric operation (and later other tram lines were also converted). In doing this they were supplied with Immisch Motors, which a few years later led to the Syndicate and Immisch's business being formed into one company named 'The General Electric Power & Traction Company" (in 1890).

By this time Immisch and Viscount Bury had already turned their attention to developing battery electric motor boats and launches. Immisch had built and was running a fleet of electric launches on the Thames, and among his fleet he had commissioned the building of the largest passenger electric launch in the world (run with an Immisch Motor) named "Viscountess Bury". [The launch remained in use for over a century - Current owner is the Viscount Bury Trust].

By 1889 the fleet of seven electric launches and five electric-recharging stations on the Thames were in great demand and profitable. At the same time Immisch's company had in one year doubled the output of electrical plant for lighting and power transmission. Also it was supplying pumping and hauling plant to collieries in various parts of the country, and was responsible for the trams on Barking-Canning Town route being converted from horse to electric power.

As already mentioned Moritz was a prolific inventor, filing over forty patents between 1881 and 1890, five of them covering designs for propellers and shafts. He was making motors for all kinds of application and won medals. His advertisement in the 1889 Electric Directory (Blue Book) mentions "Motors for Locomotives, Tramcars, Launches, Fans, Lifts, Cranes, etc., wound to any tension" and proudly states "Only medal ever awarded for Electrical Haulage, Newcastle, 1887".

Sadly for Immisch's company the costly attempts to foster electric traction led to financial difficulties. The firm was ahead of the times, and after suffering various vicissitudes of fortune the Malden Works were closed, and Moritz retired from manufacturing work. Afterwards he would appear publicly only as a director of the Immisch Electric Launch Company, of which he was the founder - The first eletric hire boat company in the world. His fleet of electric launches had continued to grow, and his company continued establishing a network of hire facilities and re-charging stations - 20 by the time of his death - later reaching 100 between Oxford and Teddington.

In the Electrical Review's obituary it concluded - 'As an employer, his decease will be regretted by the many men who passed through the Malden Works, and who - scattered all over the world - will think kindly of this large-hearted burly man, unapproachable today, yet ready tomorrow to appreciate merit'...'The World has lost one of the earliest Pioneers in the development of Electric power. A born Inventor; his mind teemed with ideas... He was ahead of his time'.

Although Moritz was originally German and raised in the German church, his English wife Emma was an Anglican and their children (who were born in England) were British subjects and members of the Church of England. It thus came as no surprise that Moritz himself became eventually a British subject after being officially naturalised in 1896.

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by John Wilkins

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REFERENCES:

'The Electrical Review' ~ vol.53. no.1348, sept.25, 1903 ~ Obituary. Also between 1880-1903 many articles and reports on his work and inventions, and his published letters.

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'Electric Boats on the Thames 1889-1914' by Edward Hawthorne, 1995 Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd; ISBN 0-7509-1015-1 :

- Whole chapter devoted to Immisch ~ Chapter 2: "Moritz Immisch - Pioneer", pages 14-29.

- Also references on page 5 (Introduction), page 117; and Appendix: 'The Immisch Fleet' pages 197-199.

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The Royal Society of Arts ~ listed as a Fellow/Member in 1884 ~ Obituary appeared in the Journal of the(Royal) Society of Arts, Volume 51 (1902-1903), page 892 - published 1903 : quote - "One of the earliest pioneers in the development of Electric power".

Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 1904, page 237 ~ Obituary.

'Proceedings of the Institution of Electrical Engineers' (journal), 1899, page 394 ~ references.

'The Electrical Engineer', 1893, page 570 ~ references.

'British Biographical Index' [D-I],K.G. Saur 1990, page 985 ~ references.

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'The Times' (newspaper), London -

25 Dec 1888 (p.11) - The "Viscountess Bury "largest electric pleasure.boat launched by Mrs Immisch, in the presence of Viscount Bury & Moritz Immisch

29 Nov 1889 (p.3) - Immisch electric motor invented for pumping and hauling in mines.

8 Aug 1889 (p.8) - Immisch system for electric cars and trams.

2 June 1890 (p.14) - The "General Electric Power & Traction Company", directors Viscount Bury and Moritz Immisch (of Moritz Immisch & Co Ltd) 22 Nov 1894 (p.12) - Company business had over capitalised - Winding-up company

15 Mar 1907 - Olympia Motor Exhibition - Immisch Launch & Boat Company engines for motor boats.

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LINKS for Victorian inventor MORITZ IMMISCH - link 1

LINKS for Victorian inventor MORITZ IMMISCH - link 2

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