Horatio Claude Barber (1875-1964), F.R.Ae.S., F.R.G.S., Aeronautical Engineer.
1875 Born in Thornton Heath, son of Charles Worthington Barber and his wife Isabella.[1]
Educated at Bedford and abroad. Trained at Amesbury and Hendon.
1903 May 27th. Married in Jersey City, USA, to Elsie Mabelle Porter and they lived in the USA, Canada and Greece before settling in London
1909 He was a civilian experimenter when he obtained permission from the War Office (as it was called then) to use a piece of land on Knighton Down, known as Larkhill.
In June 1910 the newly established British and Colonial Aeroplane Co gained permission to use the area to test their new Box kites and as a school to train pilots.
Horatio designed and built one of the first British aircraft to fly, the Valkyrie; claimed to be the fourth or fifth Englishman to fly.
1910 December: Gained his aviator's certificate at Hendon; awarded by the Royal Aero Club.
1911 Living at 3 Vicarage Gardens, Kensington: Horatio Barber (age 35 born Thornton Heath, Surrey), Aeronautical Engineer. With his wife Elsie Barber (age 25 born United States - US Citizen) and their two sons Percy Barber (age 6 born Ontario, Canada) and Conrad Barber (age 5 born Ontario, Canada). Two visitors. Four servants.[2]
1911. Mr. H. Barber, of the Aeronautical Syndicate, makers of the Valkyrie aeroplane.
1911 He made the earliest recorded cargo flight when he took a box of Osram light bulbs from Shoreham to Hove.
1913 Divorced from Elsie Mabelle Barber
1913 July 5th. "The 'Britannia Trophy' presented to the Royal Aero Club by Mr. H. Barber, will be awarded to the British aviator who, on the opinion of the Committee, shall have accomplished the most meritorious performance in the air during the year. The adjudication of the Trophy will be made as soon as possible after December 31st in each year, and the first award will be made for the year."
He was a Consulting Aeronautical Engineer. He maintained a Flying School at Hendon.
WWI He joined the Royal Flying Corps at the outbreak of war as a Commissioned Officer; for 2 years he was in charge of Technical Instruction at the R. A. F. Central Flying School.
1922 Manager of and Underwriter for The Aviation Insurance Association; Member of Lloyd's Sub-Committee on Aviation, and Chairman of Lloyd's Technical Sub-Committee on Aviation.
In 1917 he published a book 'The Aeroplane Speaks' and in 1927 'Aerobatics'.
Later moved to the USA.
1964 Died in Jersey, Channel Islands.