The Antler  -  September 2006

Canadian Makes
The First Wireless Radio Transmission

Click Here To See The Schematic Drawings Recreated By Dr John (Jack) Belrose As Well As Listen To A Recreation of Fessenden's First Voice Transmission

REGINALD AUBREY FESSENDEN

This article was produced by the Fessenden Project Team in Campbeltown
- Duncan McArthur, Duncan McMillan, William Durrance, and Col. Hector MacNeal of Lossit  -
was written in March 2006 and also appears on the Historic Kintyre website
(though not with the website links added here)

"My first introduction to Fessenden was sometime in the 1950's whilst collecting gulls eggs near the Inneans. I remember asking "what were the gigantic concrete structures near the Gauldrans ? "

The answer was either "they were something to do with the war" or "something to do with the nearby airfield." This answer seemed to satisfy me at that time....

"Next meeting was in the late 1980's - whilst sitting in a dentist's surgery in Wick I picked up 'The Scots Magazine'  and  there in front of me was an article adorned with a photo of the site in 1906, including one of the mast. Having a career in Electronics in Civil Aviation, this article always remained at the back of my mind.

"Many years later whilst on the internet, I searched for the name Fessenden and was presented with, all I can say, was a bewildering amount of information about a man I felt I should have known more. This internet find led me to the web-site of Dave Riley in Marshfield/Brant Rock - the location of the site in USA mirrored by Fessenden's Machrihanish station.

"I sent a few comments to Dave and by return found that he had been in correspondence with former Campbeltown Provost Duncan McMillan. This was about the site and in particular how to raise the profile of Fessenden, especially as it was approaching the 100th anniversary of the site and his achievements. Since then we've been involved in much work with the Laggan and Campbeltown Community Councils, TV and Radio interviews both here and across in Massachusetts, plus had much newspaper coverage again here and in Massachusetts.

"This work still goes on. however will be ending at Christmas 2006,  hopefully"  -  Duncan McArthur

A FINAL ASSESSMENT

Reginald Aubrey Fessenden was born in Lakeside Drive, Knowlton, Brome County, Quebec, in 1866. His  descendents were from Kent and his father, an Episcopalian Minister, headed a well respected family.

Reginald's father expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Reginald however, from an early age, didn't agree and as his grandfather said "this lad is of finer clay".  In fact Reginald is quoted as saying "my parents despaired of me".

Reginald would close his eyes and dream of being able to send voices around the world without wires, to which his  mother said "there's no future in that." Reginald's idea of the voices were spawned from attending lectures by Alexander Graham Bell and conversations with his Uncle Cortez - a Physics teacher, also well respected.

From an early age Reginald appeared to show a most logic and intuitive mind. At 15, he entered Trinity College School where he excelled in maths and was always the head of his class. At 17, he left to become the Head of Whitney Institute in Bermuda where he met his beloved Helen, later to become his devoted wife.

Helen said of his upbringing "he came from a loving house plus all his relatives had strong traits in medicine, law and held a strong belief in the Diety".

Reginald left Bermuda and worked for Thomas Edison soon being promoted to be his Chief Chemist. Whilst with Edison, he devised the still used method of heat sealing the base of the glass bulb envelope, whilst still maintaining the wires in a vacuum through the base.

Fessenden also pioneered the use of cheaper filament metals making the bulbs much more affordable to the public.

(continue)