W. Stratford Andrews (c1832-1906)
1870 Birth of son Thomas William Stratford-Andrews
1906 Obituary [1]
W. STRATFORD ANDREWS passed away on May 4, 1906, at his residence, at Sevenoaks, aged 74 years.
During his long career Mr. Andrews was intimately associated with the development of submarine telegraphy, his connection with this branch of industry having begun in 1848, under Mr. C. V. Walker, then Electrical Engineer to the South Eastern Railway Telegraphs.
In the early fifties he accepted the post of Acting Engineer to the Submarine Telegraph Company, which position he retained for eight years.
During this period he was London Secretary to the British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company, and gave assistance in extending telegraphic communication with the Continent, and particularly in simplifying tariff charges.
In 1860 Mr. Andrews joined the United Kingdom Telegraph Company, as Manager and Secretary, later on taking up the duties of Electrician and Engineer.
In 1870, after the transfer of the home telegraphs to the Government, Mr. Andrews joined the Indo-European Telegraph Company, as Manager and Secretary, and later was appointed Managing Director with a seat on the Board. In the early days the Indo-European Company found a difficulty in earning sufficient revenue to cover necessary expenses, and it was Mr. Andrews' work which brought about a reduction of the various payments made to the Government in connection with land lines in this country. These and other negotiations proved successful in reducing the standing charges, and the Company became, under his management, a thoroughly sound and regular dividend earning undertaking.
In protecting submarine telegraph cables from careless and wanton damage Mr. Andrews took a lively interest, and in association with other distinguished representatives of British submarine cable enterprise he shared in protecting successfully the interests of the Company.
After thirty years of active service Mr. Andrews retired at the end of 1899 from the post of Managing Director of the Indo-European Company.
In his connection with other telegraph enterprises he was elected, in 1877, a Director of the Western and Brazilian Telegraph Company, of which he became Chairman in 1888.
This Company was amalgamated in 1898 with the Brazilian Submarine Company, and Mr. Andrews became Chairman of the combined undertaking, which was registered as the Western Telegraph Company, a position he retained until his resignation in 1902.
In 1895 he was elected Chairman of the newly-established Amazon Telegraph Company, and in 1897 he became Chairman of the West India and Panama Company.
He was an original member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.