Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Fox, Samson
FOX, SAMSON (1838–1903), inventor and benefactor, born at Bowling, near Bradford, Yorkshire, on 11 July 1838, was one of three sons of James Fox, a Leeds cloth-mill worker, by his wife Sarah Pearson. From the age of ten he worked with his father at the mill; but showing mechanical aptitude, was soon apprenticed to the Leeds firm of Smith, Beacock and Tannett, machine-tool makers, where he became foreman and later traveller. While there Fox designed and patented several tools for the machine cutting of bevelled gear and for the manufacture of trenails. Subsequently he started with his brother and another—Fox, Brother and Refitt—the Silver Cross engineering works for the manufacture of special machine tools. In 1874 he founded the Leeds Forge Company, and he acted as managing director until 1896 and was appointed chairman in May 1903. In 1877 he first patented the Fox corrugated boiler furnaces (by which the resisting power to external pressure was greatly increased), the plates being hammered by means of swage blocks under a steam hammer. This invention led to the practical application of triple expansion engines to marine boilers. The steamship Pretoria, built in 1878, was the first ocean-going steamer to be fitted with Fox's corrugated flues. Machinery for rolling in place of hammering was undertaken in 1882, and a Siemens steel plant was laid down. In 1886 Fox took out patents for the manufacture of pressed steel underframes for railway wagons instead of the old wrought-iron frames. The demand for the improved form of rolling stock led to great extension of the business in Leeds, and to the establishment of a factory at Joliet, near Chicago. There the first pressed steel cars used in America were made, as well as the 'Fox' pressed steel bogie trucks. The American business grew rapidly and new works were erected at Pittsburg, which were merged in 1889 in the Pressed Steel Car Company. Fox became a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1875 and of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1881. A member of the Society of Arts from 1879, he was awarded in 1885 the society's Howard gold medal for his invention of corrugated iron flues.
By way of facilitating and lessening the cost of his manufacturing processes. Fox first employed in England water-gas on a large scale for metallurgical and lighting purposes. The plant which he set up in September 1887 was capable in six months of producing 40,000 cubic feet per hour of water-gas, which was cheaper than ordinary coal gas, and had a far greater heating and lighting power (The Times, 2 Jan. 1889). Of the British Water-Gas Syndicate, formed in 1888, Fox became president, but it went into liquidation in 1893. In 1894 Fox produced the first carbide of calcium for making acetylene gas by the method discovered by T. L. Willson in America in 1888. He was the pioneer of the acetylene industry in Europe, for which works were set up at Foyers, N.B.
An enthusiastic lover of music. Fox gave in 1889 the sum of 45,000l. for the new buildings of the Royal College of Music, South Kensington, which were opened by King Edward VII (then Prince of Wales) on 2 July 1894 (The Times, 23 May 1889; 17 July 1894; Strand Musical Mag. Feb. 1895; Graves's Life of Sir George Grove, 1903). Fox's benefaction gave rise in 1897 to a prolonged libel action, in which Fox was plaintiff, against Mr. Jerome K. Jerome and the publishers of 'To-day' for printing articles in the paper (May–Aug. 1894 and Jan. 1896) which reflected on Fox's conduct of his business and accused Fox of giving large sums to the college in order to give a wrong impression of his commercial prosperity. After sixteen days' trial, verdict was found for plaintiff without costs, the defendants undertaking not to republish the libel (see The Times, 1 April-11 May 1897).
Fox took a leading part in the political and municipal life of Leeds, and was thrice in succession (1889-91) mayor of Harrogate, which lie represented on the West Riding county council. He was J.P. for Leeds and Harrogate, and was a member of the Legion of Honour of France. On his return from a tour in Canada and America, Fox died of blood poisoning at Walsall on 24 Oct. 1903, and was buried at Woodhouse cemetery, Leeds. There is a marble bust portrait at the Royal College of Music; painted portraits are at Grove House, Harrogate, where Fox resided, and at Leeds Forge, Leeds. Fox married on 18 May 1859 Marie Ann, daughter of Charles and Alice Slinger, and left issue one son and two daughters.
[The Times, 26 Oct. 1903; Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers, 1903-4, vol, civ.; Proc. Inst. Mechanical Engineers, Oct.-Dec. 1903; Journal, Soc. of Arts, 13 Nov. 1903; notes from the Leeds Forge Company; private information.]