Hazards “Mr Tetin Smelt Gas And Lit A Match!”

It is true that George Tetin, my Great-Grandfather was an avid keeper of canaries. The large Ormulu clock in a glass case which survived the explosion had been brought from France when George fled to Britain around 1871. My Great-Grandfather was a skilled joiner (he made musical instruments by trade) and got together with my Grandfather, a time-served bricklayer, to rebuild the house following the gas explosion.

Article by Jonathan Aylen – Society President 2020

Georges Desire Tetin

Georges Desire Tetin

Read about a similar incident involving the early days of gas being used in people’s homes . . .

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About the Author: Jonathan Aylen

Jonathan Aylen is immediate Past-President of the Newcomen Society and Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research within Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester. A former economist, he now specialises in innovation management and environmental management. For the past decade he has also undertaken historical research.

Jonathan has contributed papers to the Newcomen Society’s International Journal of the History of Engineering and Technology on the transfer of steel technology from the USA to Wales, on early process control computers and on weapons design and development, including the Bloodhound Guided missile and the Blue Danube bomb.

Dr Aylen has travelled widely throughout the world steel industry, given advice to international bodies and governments on steel issues and commented frequently on television and radio. He recently published a book with Ruggero Ranieri, Ribbon of Fire, on how the wide strip mill for steel came to Europe from the USA.

Jonathan’s current research focuses on Cold War technology and, in particular, the use of American TOPS computer software by British Rail in the 1970’s.

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