F. Harold Lowe

Not sure if this is of any interest to you AA but this little mention of Lowe-Wylde is from an old local newspaper. Don’t know if he eventually made it across the Forth or not!

Well, I was sure of that yesterday but I’m not today! That’s because K8B has convinced me that, in all probability, there was no F Harold Lowe (or certainly no-one of that name connected with this story) and that the gentleman born as Thomas Harold Lowe became Charles Herbert Lowe-Wylde (presumably by deed poll). If you wish to see a detailed chronology of the life of Lowe-Wylde, please go to the other forum where K8B has supplied that. So with one mystery resolved, that leaves another – namely why both A.J.Jackson and A.W.J.G.Ord-Hume both have attributed the design and construction of the Marlburian to F Harold Lowe rather than Thomas Harold Lowe. But as the former is dead and the latter is somewhat reticent, I doubt that I’ll ever know!

London Gazette would record change of names by deed poll, but then as now there is no legal requirement for name changes, unless there is a ‘dodgy’ reason for doing so! (e.g. avoidance of creditors). Which of course would mean that the individual probably wouldn’t register a name change by deed poll.

Well, I was sure of that yesterday but I’m not today! That’s because K8B has convinced me that, in all probability, there was no F Harold Lowe (or certainly no-one of that name connected with this story) and that the gentleman born as Thomas Harold Lowe became Charles Herbert Lowe-Wylde (presumably by deed poll). If you wish to see a detailed chronology of the life of Lowe-Wylde, please go to the other forum where K8B has supplied that. So with one mystery resolved, that leaves another – namely why both A.J.Jackson and A.W.J.G.Ord-Hume both have attributed the design and construction of the Marlburian to F Harold Lowe rather than Thomas Harold Lowe. But as the former is dead and the latter is somewhat reticent, I doubt that I’ll ever know!

Just tying up the loose end of this old thread. . .

According to the ledger entry for G-EBEX, the owner’s initials were T H Lowe – http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-EBEX.pdf

This would have been Thomas Harold Lowe, born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1901. After marrying Dorothy E Wilde, he changed his name to Charles Herbert Lowe-Wylde, and in 1930 set up a business with the modest title of the British Aircraft Company. He died while flying one of the company’s products at West Malling on 13 May 1933.

I think that I am now sure that:

– it was F Harold Lowe, not Thomas Harold Lowe, who subsequently changed his name to Charles Herbert Lowe-Wylde (of BAC, glider and Drone fame); and
– Thomas Harold Lowe was the brother of F Harold Lowe; and
– F Harold Lowe was the designer and builder of the Marlburian whereas Thomas Harold Lowe, trading under the name of Northern Aerial Transport Co., was the registered owner of that aeroplane.

For anyone who is interested in the rather convuluted history of Lowe-Wylde, might I suggest that you take a look at http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=2546.15.

Arthur Ord-Hume’s….. final sentance reads. “The fate of Mr Lowe is not recorded: he deserved to have survived his early experiments to attempt something better”

……which, in light of the information provided by K8B, demonstrates that, perhaps unwittingly, Mr Ord-Hume was very presentient when he wrote those words!

30 March 1930
The Royal Aero Club issues the first pilot’s licence for a glider (sailplane), to C.H. Lowe-Wilde.

“The Motor-cycle of the air”
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=3316

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Page/straitstimes19330530.1.7.aspx

Lowe-Wylde Was killed in a BAC Drone, It was said he was airsick and lost control. He also owned the Sopwith Dove now the Pup which is now at Shuttleworth.

Dave

Well I’ll be b******d. Thank you K8B. That’s solved one of life’s mysteries for me. It did seem strange that someone as able and enterprising as F.H.Lowe should disappear off the radar completely. That he metamorphosed into C.H.Lowe-Wilde and went on to make his mark with gliders and seminal ultralight aeroplanes makes a lot of sense.

Just tying up the loose end of this old thread. . .

According to the ledger entry for G-EBEX, the owner’s initials were T H Lowe – http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-EBEX.pdf

This would have been Thomas Harold Lowe, born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1901. After marrying Dorothy E Wilde, he changed his name to Charles Herbert Lowe-Wylde, and in 1930 set up a business with the modest title of the British Aircraft Company. He died while flying one of the company’s products at West Malling on 13 May 1933.

Just checked the “the bible”……….Arthur Ord-Hume’s BRITISH LIGHT AEROPLANES.

The aircraft is described in some detail. AWJG O-H’s final sentance reads. “The fate of Mr Lowe is not recorded: he deserved to have survived his early experiments to attempt something better”…………

Planemike

Thanks to all posters. It appears that Harold Lowe disappeared off the radar after he crashed the Malburian in 1922. Was he killed in the crash? If not did it cause him to loose his appetite for aviation – at the tender age of 21! Are there any geordie forum members who might know more?

Maybe you can find some interesting details here
Aeroplane Monthly, June 1987
http://www.cahood.com/PUB4068aeroplanemonthly.htm

It seems F.H.Lowe operated the Northern Aerial Transport Company.

The Lowe Malburian was a side by side two seat braced monoplane with a Gnome rotary engine. Designed and built by F.H. Lowe in 1920 who came from Newcastle. First flown in 1921 it was written off 25/11/22. Allocated G-EBEX. This may give readers more to go on particularly in the Newcastle area.

Nice article about the Marlburian and Lowe
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1921/1921%20-%200328.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1921/1921%20-%200329.html

Martin