| Authorised form of name | Eckersley; Thomas Lydwell (1886 - 1959); theoretical physicist and engineer |
| Dates | 1886 - 1959 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Marlborough Place, Marylebone, London, England, Unted Kingdom |
| Date of birth | 27 December 1886 |
| Place of death | Manor House, Danbury, Essex, England, Unted Kingdom |
| Date of death | 15 February 1959 |
| Dates and places | Place of marriage: All Saints Church, St John’s Wood, London, England, Unted Kingdom |
| Occupation | Theoretical physicist; Engineer |
| Research field | Wireless communication systems |
| Engineering |
| Activity | Education:
Bedales School (1897-1901); University College, London (1908); Trinity College, Cambridge BA; MA
Career:
Joined the National Physical Laboratory, working on the behaviour of iron under the influence of alternating magnetic fields; left the NPL to read mathematics at Cambridge (1910); worked in in the Cavendish Laboratory for a short time; joinws the Egyptian Government Survey as an Inspector (1913-1914); took a commission in the Royal Engineers and worked on problems of wireless telegraphy; theoretical research engineer, Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company Ltd (1919-1946); joinedthe Air Ministry for secret work (1940) and became Chief Scientific Adviser to the Interservice Ionosphere Bureau, established at the Marconi Research and Development Laboratories at Great Baddow (1942); suffered from multiple sclerosis in his final years at Marconi, and in retirement; continued theoretical work post-retirement.
Awards/Medals:
Faraday Medal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers 1951 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 17/03/1938 |
| Age at election | 52 |
| Proposer | James Swinburne |
| Alexander Russell |
| George Clarke Simpson |
| Edward VictorAppleton |
| Sydney Chapman |
| William Henry Eccles |
| Relationships | Parents: (William) Alfred Eckersley, a railway engineer, and Rachel.
Maternal grandfather: Thomas Henry Huxley (FRS 1851).
Siblings: Roger Huxley Eckersley, director of programmes (1924–30), assistant controller (1930–39), and chief censor (1939–45) of the BBC; and Peter Pendleton Eckersley, chief engineer to the BBC from 1923 to 1929.
Spouse: (m. 14 April 1920) Eva Amelia Pain, daughter of Barry Pain, the author.
Children: Two daughters and one son. |
| General context | Distinguished for mathematical and experimental investigations in the theory and practice of wireless telegraphy.
Involved in the analysis of the findings of the research team sent to Australia by the Marconi company to study long-wave propagation |
| Royal Society Obituary or Memoir | Click to view (may be contained within a meeting notice, presidential address or list of death notices) |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB
Obituaries:
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 1959 vol 5 pp 69-74, plate, by J A Ratcliffe
References:
Sir Bernard Lovell, 'The Blackett-Eckersley-Lovell Correspondence of World War II and the Origin of Jodrell Bank' in NR 1993 vol 47 pp 119-131
Sir Andrew Huxley, 'Grandfather and Grandson' in NR 1983-84 vol 38 pp 147-151 |
| Royal Society code | NA8210 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| IM/GA/WS/2242 | Eckersley, Thomas Lydwell | nd |
| RR/43/20 | Referee's report by George Paget Thomson, on a paper 'On the connection between the ray theory of electric waves and dynamics' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | March 1931 |
| RR/49/116 | Referee's report by Hector Munro Macdonald, on a paper 'On the magnetic ionic theory of radio transmission' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | [March 1933] |
| RR/47/27 | Referee's report by Joseph Larmor, on a paper 'Radio transmission problems treated by phase integral methods' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | 26 January 1932 |
| RR/47/29 | Referee's report by William Henry Eccles, on a paper 'Long wave transmission, treated by phase integral methods' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | February 1932 |
| RR/61/117 | Referee's report by Edward Victor Appleton, on a paper 'The scattering of wireless waves in the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | September 1937 |
| RR/61/115 | Second referee's report by Edward Victor Appleton, on a paper 'Application of the phase integral method to the analysis of the diffraction and refraction of wireless waves round the earth' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and G Millington | December 1937 |
| RR/67/109 | Letter from Thomas Lydwell Eckersley, on his paper with F T Farmer 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' to the Secretary of the Royal Society | 3 September 1940 |
| RR/67/108 | Memorandum from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to William Lawrence Bragg | 13 August 1940 |
| EC/1938/05 | Eckersley, Thomas Lydwell: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| RR/47/28 | Referee's report by Joseph Larmor, on a paper 'Long wave transmission, treated by phase integral methods' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | 4 February 1932 |
| RR/47/30 | Referee's report by Edward Victor Appleton, on a paper 'Musical atmospherics' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | April 1932 |
| RR/67/115 | Letter from Alfred Charles Glyn Egerton, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to unknown | 10 December 1940 |
| RR/66/333 | Referee's report by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley, on a paper 'The theory of reflexion of very long wireless waves from the ionosphere' by Maurice Vincent Wilkes | [October 1939] |
| RR/67/142 | List of recipients of a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer and summary of paper | 1941 |
| RR/67/138 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Wireless Telegraphy Board and reply | 26 June 1941 |
| RR/67/120 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | 17 January 1941 |
| RR/67/134 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to The Admiralty | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/67/113 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to George Lee, Director of Communications Development at the Ministry of Aircraft Production | 31 October 1940 |
| RR/67/117 | Letter from Thomas Lydwell Eckersley, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 20 December 1940 |
| RR/67/119 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to Edward Victor Appleton | 17 January 1941 |
| RR/67/121 | Letter from H Wooldridge, on behalf of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 27 January 1941 |
| RR/67/131 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Ministry of Supply and reply | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/61/116 | Referee's report by Edward Victor Appleton, on a paper 'Application of the phase integral method to the analysis of the diffraction and refraction of wireless waves round the earth' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and G Millington | September 1937 |
| RR/67/139 | Letter from H M Stationery Office, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 12 August 1941 |
| RR/67/137 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to The Admiralty | 26 June 1941 |
| RR/67/140 | Letter from the Post Office Engineering Radio Station, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society and reply | 21 August 1941 |
| RR/67/136 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research | 26 June 1941 |
| RR/67/112 | Letter on behalf of George Lee, Director of Communications Development at the Ministry of Aircraft Production, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 29 October 1940 |
| RR/67/124 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to H Wooldridge, on behalf of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research | 4 February 1941 |
| RR/67/129 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Meteorological Office and reply | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/67/126 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to G Millington | 11 February 1941 |
| RR/67/128 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Astronomer Royal and reply | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/67/116 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | 16 December 1940 |
| RR/67/111 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to George Lee, Director of Communications Development at the Ministry of Aircraft Production | 26 September 1940 |
| RR/67/123 | Letter from H Wooldridge, on behalf of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 3 February 1941 |
| RR/67/132 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the General Post Office and reply | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/67/133 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Ministry of Aircraft Production and reply | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/67/141 | Letter from the Wireless Telegraphy Board, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society and reply | 28 August 1941 |
| RR/49/114 | Referee's report by Edward Victor Appleton, on a paper 'On the magnetic ionic theory of radio transmission' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | [April 1933] |
| RR/49/115 | Referee's report by Douglas Rayner Hartree, on a paper 'On the magnetic ionic theory of radio transmission' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley | [May 1933] |
| RR/65/48 | Referee's report by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley, on a paper 'Further investigations of very long waves reflected from the ionosphere' by Kenneth George Budden, John Ashworth Ratcliffe and Maurice Vincent Wilkes | December 1938 |
| RR/67/107 | Letter from Thomas Lydwell Eckersley, on his paper with F T Farmer 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' to the Secretary of the Royal Society | 1940 |
| RR/67/110 | Referee's report by Edward Victor Appleton, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer | September 1940 |
| RR/67/114 | Letter and copy of letter from Alfred Charles Glyn Egerton, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to C S Wright | 12 November 1940 |
| RR/67/118 | Letter from H Wooldridge, on behalf of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 16 January 1941 |
| RR/67/122 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to H Wooldridge, on behalf of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research | 29 January 1941 |
| RR/67/125 | Letter from G Millington, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Secretary of the Royal Society | 6 February 1941 |
| RR/67/127 | Letter from G Millington, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 2 April 1941 |
| RR/67/130 | Letter from J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to the Wireless Telegraphy Board and reply | 7 April 1941 |
| RR/67/135 | Letter from Cambridge University Press, on a paper 'Short period fluctuations in the characteristics of wireless echoes from the ionosphere' by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley and F T Farmer to J D Griffith Davies, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 25 June 1941 |
| RR/68/157 | Referee's report by Thomas Lydwell Eckersley, on a paper 'Relaxation methods applied to engineering problems VIIA - Biharmonic analysis as applied to the flexure and extension of flat elastic plates' by L Fox and Richard Vynne Southwell | 5 May 1941 |
| IM/005633 | Cambridge University Training Corps | 1912 |
| ACS/1/2/3/381 | Letter from [Alan Archibald Campbell] Swinton, to [William Henry] Eccles [Esquire], F. R. S. | 30 May 1928 |