Marconi
Hamptons for many years was known as the Marconi Athletics And Social Club, many local residents still know the centre by that name.
The Marconi family have a long association with the area. Born on 25 April 1874 in Bologna, Guglielmo Marconi was the second son of a wealthy Italian landowner and an Irish mother.
He studied physics and became interested in the transmission of radio waves. He began experiments in Bologna and the distance for transmission and reception of signals was increased from originally across a room, to down the length of a corridor, to from his house over into the fields and he eventually succeeded in sending a radio signal over a distance of 1.5 miles. Success was indicated originally by waving a hankerchief and later progressed to the firing of a gun.
In 1896 Marconi moved to England and patented his system of telegraphy using Hertzian waves. Progress was made over many more experiments achieving distance of 7 miles over Salisbury Plains, then a new record of 8.7 miles over the Bristol Channel.
In 1897 Marconi registered his telecommunications and engineering company in Chelmsford. Marconi's "Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company" was formed and he set up the world's first wireless factory in an old silk factory in Hall Street. He was soon able to send transmissions across the English Channel and was responsible for some of the most important advances in radio and television. This new ability to communicate saved lives.
In January 1909 over 1,700 people were rescued at sea when the SS Republic was in collision with an Italian steamer off the US East Coast. Jack Binns the Marconi operator onboard the SS Republic sent 200 messages which helped guide rescuing ships to their stricken position, saving every remaining passenger. Binns received a special medal and Marconi was presented with a gold watch.
Marconi equipment was also onboard the Titanic as it collided with an iceberg in calm seas on the night of 14 April 1912, Harold Cottam, operator on nearby Cunard liner Carpathia, was still awake.
He was in a position to receive the first distress signal from Titanic, sent by senior wireless operator Jack Phillips. When Carpathia received the distress call, it immediately turned and steamed the 60 miles towards Titanic’s given position, a journey of almost four hours.
Marconi soon outgrew the Hall Street premises and in 1912 the company moved to the brand new purpose built New Street Works. On the 15th June 1920 (almost 100 years ago) Britains first official advertised public broadcast programme took place and a song recital by Dame Nellie Melba was broadcast using two 450 feet radio broadcasting masts. In 1922, the worlds first regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment purposes began.
Marconi had a big impact on the town because other organisations came to Chelmsford, housing increased, employment increased and Marconi needed more offices, more shops.
Subsequently Chelmsford grew from a population of around 30,000 to 40,000 to what it is today.
In 1935 Guglielmo Marconi moved to Rome and he died two years later aged 63 years. In a fitting tribute, wireless stations across the world fell silent for 2 minutes.
When the company closed down in 2006 under the name Marconi Corporation plc, it left behind a number of monuments and marks on the city and a statue of Mr Marconi himself remains tucked behind the bus station.