Edward Tyler (1830-1912) of Tyer and Co
1913 Obituary [1]
EDWARD TYER was born at Kennington on 6th February, 1830, and was educated first at the City of London School, and then at a private school near Chiswick after the death of his father. In his school-days he showed great interest in the subject of electricity, and constructed electrical apparatus out of such materials as were available, his skill in this direction attracting the notice of his master.
For a short time he was in the city office of his uncle (afterwards Sir John Musgrove), but he soon returned to electrical engineering and devoted his attention to telegraphic apparatus.
In 1859 he was appointed electrical engineer to the London District Telegraph Company. Up to that time no intercommunication had been provided between the various trunk-line termini in London, or even between the different metropolitan districts. He installed the underground mains and overhead wires which later became merged in the Postal Telegraph Service of London.
His name was better known, however, in connection with the application of electricity to railway signalling, particularly as regards power signalling. In 1878 he worked out a system for electrical control on single-line railways. At one time he was associated with the Railway Electric Signals Company, and later he worked with his own company, Messrs. Tyer & Co.
He also took great interest in astronomy, and had a well-equipped observatory.
Of late years he gradually retired from active work, and he died on 25th December, 1912.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1883.
1914 Obituary [2]