Frederick Marriott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederick Marriott
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c. 1873 after Bradley & Rulofson
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| Born | July 16, 1805 Enfield, London, England
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| Died | December 16, 1884 (aged 79) San Francisco, California, United States
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Frederick Marriott (born July 16, 1805, in Enfield, England – died December 16, 1884, in San Francisco, California) was an English-American publisher. He was also an early supporter of aviation. He created the Avitor Hermes Jr., which was the first unmanned aircraft to fly on its own power in the United States.
Frederick's father, William Marriott, was a lawyer and newspaper editor. This likely influenced Frederick's later career. In his early 20s, Frederick worked as a clerk in Bombay, India, for the East India Company. He returned to England in the early 1830s. There, he got married and started working for the Bank of England.
The printing industry in Britain grew very quickly in the 1830s. This made Marriott leave the Bank of England. He used a lot of his wife's money to start new publications. Many working-class people in England learned to read during the Industrial Revolution. This meant more people bought newspapers and magazines. Marriott helped create the Weekly Chronicle and the popular Illustrated London News.
In 1845, Marriott started a weekly publication called Chat. However, by 1849, this business failed. He lost a lot of money, and his marriage ended.
Stories about gold in the American West made Marriott want to travel again. At age 45, he sailed to California. He traveled through the dangerous Isthmus of Panama and almost got shipwrecked. Instead of looking for gold, Marriott became a banker in San Francisco. In 1856, he used his money to start a publication called the Newsletter.
A newspaper called the Northern Indianian described him in 1874. It said he was "an English gentlemen, of unusual habits, very clever and active, and completely original."
Marriott is known for inventing the word "aeroplane." He wanted to build an air transport system. This system would take people from New York to California. It would avoid the dangerous journeys of the 1800s. In 1866, he formed a company with Andrew Smith Hallidie. They called it the Aerial Steam Navigation Company.
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Frederick Marriott's Publishing Career
Frederick Marriott was a founder of The Illustrated London News. He was also the publisher of the San Francisco News Letter and California Advertiser. This newspaper was also known as "The Authorized Organ of the Aerial Steam Navigation Company." A main column in the News Letter was called "Town Crier." It was written by Major Ambrose Bierce.
Publications by Frederick Marriott
- The Morning Chronicle
- The Illustrated London News
- Chat
- 1856–1928 San Francisco News Letter and California Advertiser
- Pacific Coast Mining Journal
- 1867–1876 California China Mail and Flying Dragon
- 1854–1855 California Mail Bag
- California News Notes
- Motoring Magazine and Motor Life
The California China Mail and Flying Dragon was a newspaper in the Chinese language. It was one of the first places to have advertisements. These ads encouraged Chinese people to move and work on the western railway. Its subtitle was "Issued Every China Steamer Day."
The California News Notes had many pictures. Many of the woodcut images showed different railway lines. These pictures are still popular with collectors today.
As a publisher, Marriott was one of the first to print works by famous writers. These included Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Frank Pixley, Ambrose Bierce, and Daniel O’Connell.
The Avitor Aircraft Project
In 1841, in London, England, Marriott was on the board of the Aerial Transit Company. The other board members were John Stringfellow and William Samuel Henson. Marriott was in charge of the drawings and advertising for their planned aerial steam carriage called the Ariel. This aircraft captured the public's imagination. The company built and flew a small glider. However, they failed to build a larger working model. They also ran out of money, and the company closed. Henson got married and moved to the United States. Stringfellow continued his experiments with aircraft. Marriott moved to California during the Gold Rush of 1849.
The Avitor Hermes Jr. was a test unmanned aircraft. It was mostly built by candlelight in the basement of the Montgomery Block publishing building. The aircraft flew a few feet off the ground. This happened at the Shell Mound Park racetrack in Millbrae. It was a short demonstration on July 2, 1869. After this, the Avitor was moved to the San Francisco Mechanics' Institute Pavilion. This was the largest hall in the city. It was displayed there with flights scheduled four times a day. Thousands of people paid to see it. After its first season, the aircraft caught fire.
The stock market crash of 1869 stopped Marriott's plans to fly a lighter-than-air craft. However, he continued to work on a heavier-than-air triplane until he died. John Joseph Montgomery was inspired by these experiments. Two years before Marriott's death, in 1882, the Aerial Steam Navigation Company got new funding. Augustus Laver, who designed The James C. Flood Mansion and The Ellen Kenna House, was named the company's Consulting Engineer.
Frederick Marriott died in San Francisco on December 16, 1884.
See also
- John C. Frémont
- Emperor Norton
- William Henry Rhodes
- Zachariah Montgomery
- William Chapman Ralston
