Hon. Charles and Hon. Clere Parsons

A pencilled inscription verso in a period hand identifies the sitters as ‘Hon. Charles Parsons / Do. Clive Parsons.’ [The 'do' stands for ‘ditto’ meaning ‘Clive’ was also an Honourable.’]

Born on 13 January 1854, the Honourable Charles Algernon Parsons was the youngest son of the Irish astronomer, naturalist and engineer William Parsons, from 1841 the 3rd Earl of Rosse, who was President of the Royal Society from 1848 to 1854.

Originally educated at home by tutors, Charles eventually read mathematics at Trinity College, Dublin and at St John’s College, Cambridge, graduating from the latter in 1877 with a first. He subsequently joined the Newcastle-based engineering firm of W.G. Armstrong as an apprentice, before moving in 1884 to Clarke, Chapman and Co., a firm of ship-engine manufacturers based near Newcastle. Here, he developed a turbine engine which he utilised to drive an electrical generator, which he also designed, thus making possible cheap and plentiful electricity. In 1889 he found C.A. Parsons and Company in Newcastle to produce turbo generators to his design. He was knighted in 1911 for his achievements in the field of power generation.

Sir Charles Algernon Parsons died, aged 76, on 11 February 1931, on board the steamship Duchess of Richmond off the coast of Jamaica while on a cruise with his wife.

The other boy in this portrait is problematic. The identification verso is probably a misspelling of ‘Clere,’ since the Honourable Richard Clere Parsons was the next oldest of Lord Rosse’s four sons.

Born on 21 February 1851, The Honourable Richard Clere Parsons also attended Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with an MA. He died on 26 January 1923.

Photographed by Hannah and Kent of Brighton.