File:CookeWmFJournalSignaturePage rwLIPACK Owner.jpg

Summary

"NAAMLYST" JOURNAL FRONTIS LEAF: Autograph / signature page of William Fothergill Cooke telegraph builder's manuscript journal 1836 - 1842. This page is signed by a number of individuals that Wm. F. Cooke associated with or encountered during the time of his development of the electric telegraph with his partner Charles Wheatstone. Some of the individuals that signed this page were prominent personages that Wm. F. Cooke was involved with, and some were likely simple acquaintances. Cooke himself has signed this page four times. Just past the midway point of the page Professor William Ritchie of the London University Department of Natural Philosophy has signed the page as well. Ritchie introduced Cooke to machinist Frederick Kerby, who too signed and made a notation: "Received.... Paid." This clarifies that Kerby was employed by Cooke. Wm. F. Cooke's telegraph development partner and co-patentee Professor Charles Wheatstone of Kings College London signed below Professor Ritchie. There appears to be a few other signatures, although somewhat illegible. The generally easy readable signatures and Cooke notations and signatures are as follows, found top to bottom and left to right; "Charles Kerby;" "W. F. Cooke, Esq. - No 1. Copthall Buildings;" "Copthall Buildings;" "Copthall Buildings;" "Cooke;" "Cooke;" "W. F. Cooke, Esq.;" "Fanny Brown - Chelsea, Fulham;" "Received - F. Kerby - Paid;" "Proffessor (William) Ritchie - Proffessor of Natural Philosophy - The London University" and "Professor of Natural Philosophy;" and finally "Professor Wheatstone - Kings College - London." Some other names not included above that are shown may not be actual signatures, but names written down by Cooke.