The Elwell-Parker Company Thomas Parker (inventor)

one of parker s electric cars, outside home in tettenhall, near wolverhampton. parker in middle. photo around 1895.

in wolverhampton, elwell , parker began manufacture accumulators (lead-acid batteries). 1883 manufactured dynamos. business began expand: there demand dynamos, manchester edison company , trafalgar colliery in forest of dean, electric lighting in mine. (this thought first time electric lighting used underground.) elwell-parker dynamos supplied lighting in industrial works, , equipment supplied tramway in blackpool in 1885, first electric tramway in country. prototype battery-powered tram tested on tramway in birmingham. several prototype electric cars built. between 1884 , 1887, further patents taken out parker , elwell electrical equipment. in 1887 developed process extract phosphorus , chlorate of soda electrolysis.

in general election of july 1892 parker stood liberal party candidate kingswinford, defeated conservative candidate, incumbent mp alexander staveley hill. in 1893 became justice of peace in wolverhampton.

in 1889 electric construction corporation (e.c.c.), founded syndicate manufacture electrical equipment, , purchased elwell-parker company , others making similar equipment. new factory built in bushbury, wolverhampton. parker failed become company director, appointed works manager. in 1893 american branch of elwell-parker founded in cleveland, ohio.

in 1893 company in difficulty , reformed electric construction company. in 1894 parker resigned company , set thomas parker ltd. in wolverhampton, making electrical equipment. (the company wound in 1909.)

in 1892 designed high voltage dc system distributing electricity in cities of oxford , birmingham , in london area @ charing cross, chelsea, sydenham , shoreditch. in 1897 formed midland electric corporation, first company in world distribute electricity on wide area.