Charles Parsons, seen here, was the first engineer to be admitted to the Order of Merit. Florence Nightingale was the first woman awarded the honour, in 1907.
Image: Science Museum/SSPL
Parsons and the steam turbine
Charles Parsons studied mathematics at Cambridge. Then, rather unusually given his social standing, he undertook an apprenticeship at
W G Armstrong's engineering works at Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, between 1877 and 1881.
Parsons' cleverness and business talents soon showed themselves and he went on to work with success at other engineering firms. During this time he wrestled with the theory and practice of building a steam turbine.
