Blanche Thornycroft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blanche Thornycroft
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| Born | 21 December 1873 |
| Died | 30 December 1950 |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Marine engineer |
| Employer | John I. Thornycroft & Company |
| Parent(s) | Sir John Isaac Thornycroft Blanche Coules |
Blanche Coules Thornycroft (born December 21, 1873 – died December 30, 1950) was a clever British engineer who helped design ships. She worked as a "naval architect," which means she planned and drew up designs for boats and ships. Even though her amazing work wasn't fully recognized during her lifetime, we now know how important her contributions were.
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Early Life
Blanche Thornycroft was born in 1873 in Hammersmith, England. She came from the famous Thornycroft family, known for their engineering work. Her parents were Blanche Ada and Sir John Isaac Thornycroft, who was knighted in 1902.
Blanche had four sisters and two brothers. Her older brother, John Edward Thornycroft, also became a well-known engineer. Her younger brother, Isaac Thomas, worked at the family's engineering company too. Her grandfather, Thomas Thornycroft, and grandmother, Mary Thornycroft, were also famous sculptors.
A Pioneer in Ship Design
Blanche Thornycroft played a very important role in her father's ship-building business. Even though she didn't work regular hours, she was trained just like an apprentice. She was known as her father's assistant, but her family saw her as a math expert. Her work was highly valued and respected.
The Secret Test Tank
The Thornycroft family had a special place at their home in Bembridge. It was a secret facility for testing model ships. Built in 1884, it looked like a pretty "Lilypond" in the garden. But it was actually used for complex tests on small ship models!
This "Lilypond" was used until 1909. Then, they needed a bigger, indoor tank. So, a new test tank was built at Steyne Woods Battery. This new tank was one of the first buildings ever made by pouring concrete over steel.
The Experimental Boat Testing Tank Facility at Steynewood Battery in Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight, is now a protected historic building. It has special glass panels and a system to warm the water. Blanche Thornycroft helped set up this system because she was interested in hydroponics, which is growing plants in water.
Her Important Work
Blanche kept detailed notebooks from 1907 to 1939. In these books, she wrote down all her test notes and calculations for the ship models. These notebooks and the models are now kept at the Classic Boat Museum in East Cowes.
Her calculations helped develop many types of boats. For example, they led to the creation of "Skimmers," which were very fast racing motor boats. These Skimmers later became the famous Coastal Motor Boats, used during wars.
Blanche's tests also helped design other important vessels. These included Acasta and Acheron Class Destroyers, fast motor torpedo boats, and RAF Rescue Launches. She even worked on designs for RNLI Lifeboats, which save lives at sea.
Breaking Barriers
Blanche Thornycroft was one of the first three women ever allowed to join the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. This happened on April 9, 1919. The other two women were engineers Rachel Mary Parsons and Eily Keary. This was a huge step for women in engineering! Blanche was also a member of the Women's Engineering Society for twenty years.
Later Life
Blanche Thornycroft passed away in Bembridge in 1950.
