Howard Grubb in St Albans

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Howard Grubb in St Albans' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Howard Grubb in St Albans' page
Photo: Illustrative image for the 'Howard Grubb in St Albans' page
The Great Johannesburg Refractor
By David Kidd

During World War One the famous Dublin telescope maker Howard Grubb moved his business to St Albans in the interests of national security. The historic works were only in St Albans for a few years, as in 1925 the business was bought by Charles Parsons and moved to Newcastle, but while they were at St Albans Grubbs built one of their greatest telescopes, the twenty six and a half inch Johannesburg refractor. Work on the telescope started in Dublin in 1909 and it took fourteen years to complete. The first picture shows the telescope assembled in the works in St Albans for testing before it was shipped to South Africa. The second picture shows the telescope at Johannesburg. Other telescopes made by Howard Grubb at St Albans include the forty inch Simeiz reflector for the Soviet Union. The third picture shows the Simeiz reflector assembled at St Albans for testing. Howard Grubb had an international reputation and made telescopes of all sizes for customers all round the world. Grubb Parsons survived in Newcastle as one of the worlds leading telescope makers until 1985, and the Johannesburg Refractor completed at St Albans was one of the greatest telescopes built by the business in its one hundred and fifty year history.The pictures are taken from the company photograph albums which are held by the Tyne and Wear archives in Newcastle.

This page was added by David Kidd on 22/05/2011.

Comments about this page

My late aunt Agnes Ryan (nee Hudson,1886-1968) told me her husband John Ryan and father-in-law Bernard Ryan worked for Sir Howard Grubb at his factory in Observatory Lane, Rathmines, Dublin.They continued working for the Company when it moved to St.Albans. They later returned to live in Dublin. When I was a teenager in the 1950's she related a story to me that her husband was testing a periscope in a submerged Royal Navy submarine during WW1 in the Mersey Estuary when all the lights failed. He was somewhat troubled about this as it was his first experience in a submerged sub. I believe another aunt Margaret Hudson may also have worked for the company in St. Albans but lack any evidence to substantiate that claim.I would dearly love to know when exactly Grubb's moved to St. Albans and where exactly my aunt and uncle lived at that time. If you can assist me I would be most appreciative.

By Vivian Paul Farrell
On 02/02/2012

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