Wilson Phipson's application forms for membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers are copied below. It is noticeable that on his Associate form two of his proposers are, the well known engineer Joseph Bazalgette who designed and supervised the new sewerage system for London. Matthew Digby Wyatt was an eminent Architect from the Victorian era who was one of the panel of judges at The Great Exhibition of 1851.

SELECTIVE PICTURES OF MAJOR CONTRACTS

1868    The Royal Albert Hall,  London                       1872    The Natural History Museum,  London 1872    The Hull Dock Company Offices            1875     Aquarium  London 1879     Castell  Coch   Wales 1882     Royal Holloway College, Egham,              Surrey	1869    The University of Glasgow 1874    The second Alexandra Palace,  London 1875    Todmorden  Town Hall 1877     Mount Stuart  House  Scotland 1881      Cardiff Castle  Wales 1890     Birmingham  Town Hall

His contribution to the heating & ventilating of the Royal Albert Hall
is documented by the remarks written in the book printed in 1873
from the Corps of Royal Engineers titled
"ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ALBERT HALL"
as the page shown below from the book explains.

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Six Selective Photos of his
Birmingham Contract Drawings
use this link to view them at a larger size

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LIST OF KNOWN CONTRACTS

1862    Residence for Baron Rothschild
1864    Rothschild Bank, London
1864    Strand Music Hall, London
 -      The Institution of Civil Engineers
1865    Birmingham Exchange
 -      The University Medical Schools, Edinburgh
 -      The Law Courts, Birmingham
 -      The Town Hall, Birmingham
 -      The Guildhall, Gloucester
1865    Proposal for St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth
1865    National Provincial Bank of England, London
1867    Marine Barracks, Woolwich
1868    Junior United Services Club. London
1869    The Birmingham & Midland Bank, Birmingham
1870    The University of Glasgow
1871    The Royal Albert Hall. London
1872    National Provincial Bank of England.                                             Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1872    The Hull Dock Company's New Offices, Hull
1873    National Provincial Bank of England,                                              Piccadilly, London
1874    The New Alexandra Palace. Muswell Hill. London
1874    The Criterion Restaurant, Piccadilly. London
1875    The Royal Aquarium. London
1875    Todmorden Town Hall. Yorkshire
1877    Merchant Taylors School. Charterhouse
1878    Design for the University of Leyden
1880    Natural History Museum. Kensington
1880    Mansion for the Marquis of Bute at Rothesay
1881    Cardiff Castle
1881    New Corn Exchange, Sheffield
1882    Exeter Asylum
1882    Royal Holloway College, Egham
1883    New Town Hall for Dover
1884    The Holloway Sanatorium, near Virginia Water
1886    Royal Infirmary, Liverpool
1887    The National Liberal Club
1888    New Sessions Court. Nottingham
1890    Empire Theatre, London
1890    Report on Central Station Heating & Power                                       Supply, Boston, USA
1890    Prudential Assurance. High Holborn, London
1890    Proposals for Harrogate Baths
1890    Exeter Hall, London
1891    SKM Competition (South Kensington Museum)
1891    Baths at Halifax, Yorkshire
1891    Battersea Technical College, London
1891    Courts of Justice, Dublin
1891    National Hospital for Paraplegics

This colour denotes that original W W Phipson
contract drawings still exist in various archives.

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Wilson Phipson on his return to England c1859 from the continent, at the age of 21, was keen to extol the engineering importance of the new heating and ventilating system he had been associated with through his work with Van Hecke. He presented papers and made contact with the Admirality to set up a trial on board a ship to show how this new form of ventilation greatly improved the living conditions for the crew below decks and others on board. The following webpages give an insight into his efforts to get this new ventilating arrangement accepted by the authorities.

The Van Hecke Connection

Whilst his family were living in Brussels, Wilson Phipson was for a short time the friend and pupil of Dr Van Hecke, a gentleman who had discovered a new method for the heating and ventilation of hospitals, which had already given some very satisfactory results on the grounds of economy as well as efficiency.  When Wilson's studies at the French School of Engineering was completed he assisted Van Hecke in Paris where he ventilated and warmed the hospitals Necker and Beaujon, and accompanied him to Bordeaux and to Holland, where similar work was done on several Government buildings. During his time in Belgium as a student-engineer he made the acquaintance of Prince George of Prussia who took a great interest in the new ventilation scheme of Van Hecke - a real enthusiast who exerted considerable influence in those early days on the young Wilson's future career. When the Phipson family returned to London England c1859 Wilson tried introducing here the new system of heating and ventilation.  However the amount of prejudice and ignorance he had to overcome, both in the Medical world and among the Architects was quite astonishing. The art of ventilation was entirely in its infancy, and complaints about the impure atmospheres of the law courts, theatres, hospitals and other public buildings were of daily occurrence. Wilson published an important paper showing the benefits of the new system which he read and discussed before the Medical Officers of Health who met at the Marylebone Court House. Edited extracts from the "A Memoir"

The important paper prepared by Phipson outlining the benefits of the System Van Hecke is given in the article titled REMARKS ON VENTILATION - COMBINATION OF VENTILATION & WARMING. The first two pages of the article which he presented to the METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION OF THE MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH are shown below.

METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION OF THE MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH At the meeting of the above Association on the 16th November 1861 Mr W Weatherley Phipson C.E, read a paper entitled NOTICE ON DR VAN HECKE'S SYSTEM OF WARMING AND VENTILATION. The Author comparing the Van Hecke system with those already employed, arrives at the conclusion enunciated by Dr Pettenkofer of Berlin, and Drs Maximillien, Vernois and Grassi of Paris, that Dr Van Hecke's system is the only one which realises efficient ventilation and uniform warming combined with economy  in the first outlay and in annual maintenance. " The system of Van Hecke" says Dr Pettenkofer, in his recently published "Remarks on Warming and Ventilation" has completely upset all our ventilation traditions."  Mr Phipson shows that this result has been attained by the application of scientific principles and mathematical calculations, by means of which the supply of air and the heat are completely under control.  The author explained the whole principles of the system, illustrating it by plans of the Chamber of Representatives at the Hague (Holland), the Hospital Necker of Paris, the Asile Imperiale of the Verinat, and several  other buildings warmed and ventilated on the Van Hecke principle, bringing forward at the same time abstracts from the French, Dutch and Barvarian Governments relative to the system in question. The system appears extremely simple, the success of the operation depending rather upon the manner in which it is disposed than upon the apparatus itself. The fresh air is propelled along an air channel by means of a perculiarly shaped fan (patented by Dr Van Hecke) into an air chamber containing  a warming apparatus, where it is warmed and moistened, and whence it is distributed over the building.  An anemometer and dynamometer, placed before the fan, indicate at any moment the amount of air supplied.  The amount in hospitals is 2200 cubic feet per hour per patient (minimum); but it is capable of being doubled if required.  This quantity of air is supplied without the least perceptible draft, and the thermometer indicating 60 Fahr. in all parts of the Wards.  The air is cooled in summer as it is warmed in winter.  The vitiated air escapes through flues constructed for that purpose, each having free access to the external air.  The Author in his description of the warming apparatus, showed that the waste heat of the smoke is completely utilized. The warm and vapour baths are also supplied by waste steam from the small engine working the fan.  To economise heat in winter, the vitiated air escapes from that part of the room at which the temperature is lowest. The heating chambers vary according to the requirements of the building.  Enclosed in each of these is the warming apparatus, consisting of a cast-iron cockle, from the summit of which issue a series of sheet-iron smoke flues, which circulating four times round the cockle in the shape of a square conduit, convey smoke to the chimney. To this is added a special vessel for moistening the air. An animated and interesting discussion ensued, in which Mr Chadwick, Dr Sanderson, Dr Thompson, Dr Lankester, Dr Greenhow and others took part. Mr Phipson was congratulated upon having called the attention of the members to a system so valuable, and one that had already been tested by some of the ablest men of the day. An admirable discourse was delivered by Dr Sanderson in which he stated that the proofs in favour of the system were so evident and from men so high an authority, that no doubts could be entertained as to the superiority of the system over all others in operation; and at his request a committee was now sitting at St Mary's Hospital with the intention of adopting the system of Van Hecke in that building. After an address from the President, the thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to Mr Phipson for his very able and valuable paper.

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The Times Newspaper article September 25th 1862 Wilson Weatherley Phipson CE A trial by order of the Lords of the Admiralty is now being made on board the St. Vincent training ship at Portsmouth, of a plan introduced to the notice of their Lordships by Mr Phipson, CE. of London, for ventilating the ‘tweendecks’ of Her Majesty’s ships of war. The apparatus consists of an airshaft or cylinder, 4ft-3in. in diameter, continued in lengths from the upper deck to the lower decks. The first length from the upper deck, being made of sheet-iron, contains the fan, at a level with the ceiling of the upper deck, and the remainder of the lengths between each deck are of sail-cloth, so as to admit the whole being removed at any time to work the guns for any other reason. The fan is worked from the main deck by a small two-horse power vertical engine. The fan consists of two blades, set at an angle of about 50 deg, regulated by a spring placed on the spindle. Above the fan is placed a dial to indicate at any time the amount of air supplied to the decks below. The amount supplied by the apparatus on board the St Vincent is 503,000 cubic feet per hour. There is no perceptible draught produced, the inlet of pure, cold air below displacing and driving out the hot, impure air floating above. So far the experiment on board the St Vincent appears to have been perfectly successful, but the St Vincent is not a seagoing or even one of our efficient warships, being merely a harbour training ship, with a free communication fore and after lower deck, and without the machinery, stokeholes and compartments below of our iron ships. As we have said, so far the experiment appears to have been perfectly successful, but if only on account of this very success, it should be tried on board one of our iron ships. If these vessels which are divided into compartments below, the engine rooms and stokeholes, when the machinery is worked up to full power, become intolerably hot. As the Defence is now in dock at Portsmouth, she offers a capital opportunity  for testing the new apparatus.

The Times Newspaper article September 30th 1862 Wilson Weatherley Phipson CE The training ship in Portsmouth harbour, which has been fitted with the patent ventilating apparatus by Mr Phipson CE. referred to in The Times of Thursday last, has been visited during the week by a number of naval officers and gentlemen interested in the question of ventilation, the majority of whom, it is stated by the officers of the St Vincent have expressed great satisfaction with the results. So many plans have been tried during the past few years for ventilating large public buildings, and have turned out in so many cases to be miserable failures, that every fresh scheme is viewed with distrust. The plan now introduced by Mr Phipson to the Admiralty has, however, been working successfully for several years in some of the French hospitals. To inform himself fully on the subject, our Portsmouth correspondent went on board the St Vincent at 9.30 pm on Friday, and was accompanied over the ship by Commander Lowther and his officers. The ship is intended to have 600 boys on board under training, who would hang their hammocks for sleeping on the middle and lower decks. At present she has only 375 on board, but the whole of these, together with 40 seamen, were sleeping on the lower deck, which although not at all crowded, was therefore sufficiently full to test the efficiency of the proposed system. The lower deck has a capacity of 70,000 cubic feet. The night was unusually oppressive, and it was a dead calm, thus affording an excellent opportunity for testing the apparatus in the severest manner. Passing along the lower deck underneath the swing hammocks, the temperature was taken by a thermometer at various places. The maximum was found to be 72deg and the mean 68deg. At the mouth of the shaft which delivered the air from above, the current was felt with considerable force. A few yards from the shaft however, the flame of a naked candle was scarcely disturbed, and at the same time, clear forward, where there is no communication with the deck above, nor opening of any kind, the cool air could be perceptibly felt moving along underneath the line of hammocks, and this was further confirmed by the reading of the thermometers.  In measuring the force of the current over the fan in the cowl on deck with one of Biram’s patent anemometer it was found that 507,000 feet of air were then being thrown down upon the ship’s lower deck per hour, the engines working at three fourths of their power. Mr Phipson believes that this large volume of air passes along in a continuous steady form, without draught, along the entire deck underneath the hammocks, and expels the foul air above at once where there is a hatchway of other outlet. Where there is no outlet, as in the fore part of the St Vincent’s lower deck, he thinks that the pure air ascends and rolls back to the hatchway the impure air floating over the faces of the men.  It is to be hoped that if the system should be found to possess all the merits claimed for it by the inventor other ships may enjoy its advantages, and that stokers, above all working in stagnant air with the thermometer at 146deg as was the case in the Resistance on Thursday last during her trial trip, may be allowed to share the benefits.

The Times newspaper article January 17th 1863 Wilson Weatherley Phipson CE The Ergmont storeship remains at Spithead for final orders. Capt. Crauford has applied to the Admiralty for Phipson’s ventilating apparatus to be fitted on board prior to the ship sailing for her destination. As it could be fitted in about five days, and has proved its merits in the most satisfactory manner during a lengthened trial on board the St Vincent training ship at Portsmouth, there is every reason for Captain Crauford’s request being acceded to, especially as the Egmont will be placed at stationary harbour moorings in a part of the world where a supply of pure air is one of the necessaries of life. The cost of fitting the apparatus on board the St Vincent did not exceed £200

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An insight showing the high regard in which Wilson W Phipson  was  held, can be seen in the newspaper or magazine articles written about him and his contracts. Only two of which have so far been discovered.

Obituary in the Birmingham Daily Mail.  Tuesday 27th October 1891

There are many in Birmingham who will experience personal regret in learning of the painfully sudden death of Mr W W Phipson.  Mr Phipson was an engineer of standing and had become conspicuously known in connection with the ventilation of public buildings.  It is but comparatively recently that there has been applied to our  public institutions a  method of ventilating other than the primitive one of opening a window or a door.   By the modern system of equally distributed injection and extraction we get a wholesome atmosphere without draughts.  Mr Phipson  who was a connection of the Phipsons of Birmingham was  prominent in establishing an improved method of ventilation. He ventilated several of the theatres and public buildings of London and what is more immediately interesting to  Birmingham people, he ventilated and heated the Victoria Law Courts and the Town Hall. Nothing could be better than the principle by which a cool and wholesome atmosphere is continuously preserved in the Assize  Courts, no matter how packed they  may be, and this without the slightest draught from injected air.  Some strictures have been passed upon the ventilation of the Town Hall. These may have been deserved, so far as relates to the  temporary control of them,  but not to the construction. For last night when the hall was filled, the ventilation was admirable, which shows that when the apparatus  is properly worked it is efficient and suitable for its purpose.  By means of it two million cubic feet of air can be passed through the hall in an hour, and during the concert last night 1,800,000 cubic feet were forced through. Mr Phipson died of heart disease.

 

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FAMILY TREE & PHOTOS

POSTSCRIPT.   The Heritage Group has recently discovered that one of Wilson Phipson's siblings, his sister Emmeline Claridge (see photos below on this webpage) married Henry Rutter and they had children.  This descendant line has continued right up to the present day.  It is now the Heritage Group's fervant wish that family mementoes may come to light which could at last provide a portrait or likeness of Wilson. The Belgian artist and family friend Victor Eeckhout painted a coloured sketch of Mrs Ellen Emma Phipson with four of her children, Thomas, William, Wilson and Emmeline all in fancy dress costume ready for a party they were to attend in Brussels in 1856, during the family's residence in Belgium.

Samuel Ryland Phipson 1803 - 1887

Thomas Lambe Phipson 1833 - 1908

Emmeline Claridge Rutter (nee Phipson) 1842 - 1921

Wilson Phipson spent the last month of his life travelling around the country superintending his recently completed works and also attending  consultations. The last and final resting place, of this long forgotten H&V engineer is now known, but a photograph or likeness of him still eludes us. If anyone has any suggestions about  possible sources or archives where a picture or likeness of Wilson might be found, the Heritage Group would like to hear from you.