Grubb Parsons: the Irish Connection
The other day I stumbled across an interesting article that discusses, among other things, the famous telescope and optical instrument manufacturing company, Grubb Parsons. The piece is a few years old but I didn’t see it when it came out. It’s well worth a read.
Grubb Parsons was still a famous company when I was at school, but it closed down in 1985. The main works were in Heaton, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, not far from where I was born; my father went to Heaton Grammar School.
Grubb Parsons made a huge number of extremely important astronomical telescopes, including the Isaac Newton Telescope, pictured above at the works in Heaton.
Interestingly, the names ‘Grubb’ and ‘Parsons’ both have strong Irish connections.
Howard Grubb was born in Dublin in 1844 and in 1864 he joined the optical instruments company set up there by his father Thomas Grubb. When his father died in 1878 Howard Grubb took over the Grubb Telescope Company and consolidated its reputation for manufacturing high quality optical components and devices. He was knighted in 1887.
Back in 1845 Thomas Grubb had helped build the famous ‘Leviathan‘ telescope for William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse at Birr Castle in County Offaly.
Charles Algernon Parsons, who took over the Grubb Telescope Company after it was liquidated in 1925, and relocated it to Tyneside, was the youngest son of William Parsons ( just as Howard Grubb was the youngest son of Thomas). He no doubt kept the name Grubb in the company name because of its associated reputation.
Parsons had a wide range of business interests besides telescopes, mainly in the marine heavy engineering sector, especially steam turbines. When I was a lad, ‘C A Parsons & Company’ was still one of the biggest employers on Tyneside. It still exists but as part of Siemens and is a much smaller operation than in its heyday.
One final connection is that Sir Howard Grubb and Sir Charles Algernon Parsons both passed away in the same year, 1931.
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In the Dark 
April 15, 2019 at 1:06 pm
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April 16, 2019 at 2:11 pm
I’d love to see Parson’s magnificent vessel Turbinia. Have you?
April 16, 2019 at 2:20 pm
I have seen it. It is in the Discovery Museum which is in a firmer old Coop Building in Central Newcastle. Turbinia is right by the entrance. It’s not very big – only about 35m long – but a fine looking vessel.
If you are interested in maritime history (as I know you are) the Discovery Museum is well worth a visit.
April 16, 2019 at 3:05 pm
I’m well aware that the Mauretania was built on the Tyne, with the largest maritime steam turbines yet; and that the Olympic was scrapped there and her first class saloon, identical to Titanic’s, was purchased at auction and is now the dining room of the White Swan at Alnwick.( I’ve been in it.) But Yes, this is a place to see.
September 27, 2023 at 9:55 am
[…] posted before about the famous optical instrument manufacturer, the Grubb Telescope Company, founded in Dublin by […]
February 7, 2024 at 12:03 pm
[…] I’ve posted before about the famous optical instrument manufacturer, the Grubb Telescope Company, founded in Dublin by Thomas Grubb and later renamed Grubb Parsons after its relocation to Newcastle upon Tyne. I’ve posted about other connections too, including the presence in the Physics Department in Barcelona of a refracting telescope made by Grubb. Imagine my surprise, then, when I saw yet another Grubb Telescope near the entrance to the Physics building of the University of Sydney, this one made in 1893. This is further evidence – as if it were needed – that, in its time, the Grubb Telescope Company really was the world leader in optical instrumentation. […]