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Academic/Industrial Collaboration: From Chorlton-on-Medlock to Moston, and Back

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Early Computing in Britain

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Abstract

Although computer hardware and software is beginning to come to the fore in our story, it is more interesting to start by describing the human background: the people and the places. Who are the main players? What are their hopes and fears? How does Ferranti set about manufacturing a very large and complicated piece of equipment at its Moston factory? How does Manchester University, in the quaintly-named Chorlton-on-Medlock district, collect suitable staff together in a new, purpose-built laboratory to which the world’s first production computer, the Ferranti Mark I, can be delivered and put to use? There are teething troubles to be overcome but by the end of 1951 end-users from far and wide were coming to Manchester to use the giant machine to solve problems in science and engineering. Was it all serious stuff? No, there were light-hearted moments which, whilst not computer games as now understood, nevertheless provided some amusement.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The development of the Manchester University Mark I computer: an interview with Emeritus Professor D. B. G. (Dai) Edwards , 6th May 2015. Transcript available from the interviewer, Simon Lavington. The interview focuses on the period September 1948–September 1950. Dai Edwards joined the SSEM (Baby) computer team in mid-September 1948 and remained at the University all his working life.

  2. 2.

    Hodges, Andrew. 1983. Alan Turing: The Enigma. Published by Burnett Books. ISBN 0-09-152130-0. Andrew Hodges’ classic 600-page biography is the starting-point for anyone wishing to learn more about Alan Turing.

  3. 3.

    A collection of Alan Turing’s correspondence between April 1949 and June 1954 is held at the University of Manchester Library, Reference GB 133 TUR/Add. The listing can be seen at: https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/4f6c3f0c-9a70-33c5-bd03-df331fb06146?terms=%22BBC%22.; Of particular relevance to Chap. 2 are: (a) Items 9 and 31: correspondence with S. P. (Stan) Frankel, Los Angeles, 16th May 1950. Item 31 (14th Sept 1951) says: “Dr. Frankel from Cal tech has been working with us here for a couple of months”.; (b) Item 11: Letter dated 2nd Dec 1950 from Sheila Macintyre, Dept. of Mathematics, University of Aberdeen. On 11th Dec 1950 AMT replies: “I am not able to hold out much encouragement”.; (c) Item 18. Letter dated 20th April 1951, from E. G. Cox, Chemistry Dept. University of Leeds, mentioning D. W. J. Cruickshank.; (d) Item 37, letter dated Oct 1951: From D. W. J. (Durward) Cruickshank of Leeds University [1924–2007, chemist], requests a copy of the Mark I manual; in his reply, Turing says he cannot as his supplies are running very short. “Possibly I could let you have one when the new ones come out some time next year”.; (e) Item 47, letter dated 22nd Nov 1951 from F. M. Colebrook, National Physical Laboratory, asking to come [to Manchester] on Monday 17th (& Tues) Dec. AMT’s reply on 27/11/51: “We let Ferrantis have the use of the machine on Mondays”.

  4. 4.

    Turing, A.M. 1950. Computing Machinery and Intelligence. Mind 59: 433–460.

  5. 5.

    Turing, A.M. 1952. The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B237 (641): 37 ff.

  6. 6.

    Hodges, Andrew, Alan Turing: The Enigma.

  7. 7.

    Items 9 and 31: correspondence with S. P. (Stan) Frankel, Los Angeles, 16th May 1950. Item 31 (14th Sept 1951) says: “Dr. Frankel from Cal tech has been working with us here for a couple of months”.

  8. 8.

    Items 9 and 31: correspondence with S. P. (Stan) Frankel, Los Angeles, 16th May 1950. Item 31 (14th Sept 1951) says: “Dr. Frankel from Cal tech has been working with us here for a couple of months”.

  9. 9.

    Item 11: Letter dated 2nd Dec 1950 from Sheila Macintyre, Dept. of Mathematics, University of Aberdeen. On 11th Dec 1950 AMT replies: “I am not able to hold out much encouragement”.

  10. 10.

    Item 18. Letter dated 20th April 1951, from E. G. Cox, Chemistry Dept. University of Leeds, mentioning D. W. J Cruickshank.

  11. 11.

    Programmers’ handbook for Manchester Electronic Computer Mark II. 110-page typed foolscap manual in buff card covers. Anon and undated, but known to have been written by Alan Turing. An issue-date of about March 1951 can be deduced from inserted errata sheets, two of which were issued and respectively dated 13th and 28th March 1951. The qualification ‘Mark II’ in the title was used to distinguish this computer from its research predecessor at the University of Manchester. The nomenclature ‘Mark II’ refers to the production version which was later called the Ferranti Mark I computer. The manual contains an Appendix (on pp. 85–97) entitled The Pilot Machine (Manchester computer Mark I). This gives a description of the research prototype which was used at the University between April 1949 and August 1950.

  12. 12.

    Local programming methods and conventions. A. M. Turing. Proceedings of the Manchester Computer Inaugural Conference, p. 12. The Proceedings were produced and printed locally and circulated by the University. A copy is at NAHC/MUC/2/D3.

  13. 13.

    Pollard, B.W. 1957. The Rise of the Computer Department. Ferranti Journal 15 (3): 21–23.

  14. 14.

    Ferranti Internal memo dated 1st November 1948 from J. D. Carter to Grundy , Aitken, Searby, Prinz and Lunt. NAHC/FER/B2.

  15. 15.

    News item on page 60 of the Ferranti Journal, Vol. 7 No. 2 May 1949.

  16. 16.

    Pollard, B.W., The Rise of the Computer Department.

  17. 17.

    Lavington, Simon. 2006. In the Footsteps of Colossus: A Description of Oedipus. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 28 (2): 44–55.

  18. 18.

    Drath, Paul. 1973. The Relationship Between Science and Technology: University Research and the Computer Industry 1945–1962. Ph.D. thesis, University of Manchester. Drath quotes a conversation he had with J. D. Carter on 27th February 1973.

  19. 19.

    Geoff Tootill interviewed by Thomas Lean. British Library, National Life Stories, Ref. C1379/02. Dates of interview: various, between 3rd December 2009 and 9th April 2010. Transcript available from the British Library, London NW1 2DB.

  20. 20.

    Informal report on the design of the Ferranti Mark I computing machine. 30 typed pages and many diagrams. Text dictated by G. C. Tootill, November 1949. See NAHC/MUC/2/C4. The opening introduction of this Report states: “This report not only endeavours to explain in detail the principle of operation of the machine but also to explain the reasons for various design decisions which have been taken. It will be assumed that the reader is broadly familiar with the computing machine at the University, which will be referred to as the existing machine”.

  21. 21.

    Geoff Tootill interviewed by Thomas Lean. British Library, National Life Stories, Ref. C1379/02. Dates of interview: various, between 3rd December 2009 and 9th April 2010. Transcript available from the British Library, London NW1 2DB.

  22. 22.

    Bowden, B.V. 1950. The Ferranti High Speed Digital Computer. Ferranti Ltd., typed internal report produced in November 1950. Contains five photos. See NAHC/FER/C17.

  23. 23.

    Ferranti computing machine. NRDC internal memo dated 18th December 1950, from H. J. Crawley to Lord Halsbury. NAHC/NRD C7/3.

  24. 24.

    A File of letters, reports and working papers (some in Williams’ own hand) (1948–50), concerning a new computer building. See especially University of Manchester Buildings, general projects, Sub-Committee meeting of 15th December 1948. See NAHC/MUC/1/C2.

  25. 25.

    Broadbent, T.E. 1998. Electrical Engineering at Manchester University: The Story of 125 Years of Achievement. Published by The Manchester School of Engineering, University of Manchester. ISBN 0-9531203-0-9.

  26. 26.

    The Manchester Universal Electronic Computer. 5-page illustrated glossy brochure, Ferranti Ltd., List DC1, August 1952.

  27. 27.

    Pollard, B.W., The Rise of the Computer Department.

  28. 28.

    Ferranti MkI* commissioning and installation: some recollections. Allan Ellson. Two-page typed document, 14th October 2015.

  29. 29.

    Swann, B.B. 1975. The Ferranti Computer Department: A History, 98 p personal memoire. This 1975 document was initially circulated privately and marked ‘confidential’. A copy is held at the NAHC, catalogue number FER/C30.

  30. 30.

    Local programming methods and conventions. A. M. Turing. Proceedings of the Manchester Computer Inaugural Conference, p. 12. The Proceedings were produced and printed locally and circulated by the University. A copy is at NAHC/MUC/2/D3.

  31. 31.

    Starting work on the world’s first electronic computer: 1952 memories. Olaf Chedsoy. Notes prepared for a lecture to local residents at Kilve, Somerset, c. 1995. 18 typed pages, including photos. Copy of notes sent to Simon Lavington in November 2015.

  32. 32.

    Some surviving log books from the Manchester University’s Ferranti Mark I computer, 1951–58, are preserved in: NAHC/MUC/2/C6.

  33. 33.

    Lavington, Simon. 1980. Early British Computers. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-0803-4. This is out of print but has helpfully been made available at: http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/EarlyBritish.html.

  34. 34.

    The second edition was issued in 1952. As the Preface indicates, “much material has been taken over unaltered, or only slightly modified from the 1st Edition which was written by Dr. A. M. Turing. In addition some of the results of the first years’ experience of programming for the MK II [i.e. the Ferranti Mark I] have been incorporated in the later chapters. Miss C. M. Popplewell and N. E. Hoskins of the staff of this Laboratory, and A. E. Glennie of the Armament Research Establishment, Fort Halstead, Sevenoaks, Kent, were responsible for Chaps. 3, 7 and 6 respectively”. The third edition was issued by Brooker in 1956.

  35. 35.

    Gotlieb, Calvin C. 1954. The Cost of Programming and Coding. Computers and Automation 25: 14 ff.

  36. 36.

    Campbell-Kelly, Martin. 1980. Programming the Mark I: Early Programming Activity at the University of Manchester. Annals of the History of Computing 2 (2): 130–168.

  37. 37.

    Minimum weight design: Memories of Alan Turing. Dr. R. K. Livesley. 7 typed pages plus an Appendix (mixed hand-written and typed) of 13 pages. Document AMT/C/33 received by the Turing Digital Archive from Dr. R. K. Livesley in 2001. See: http://www.turingarchive.org/browse.php/C/33.

  38. 38.

    Campbell-Kelly, Martin., Programming the Mark I: Early Programming Activity at the University of Manchester.

  39. 39.

    Letter from Viscount Portal of Hungerford to Prof. F. C. Williams, 30 November 1950. Document NAHC/MUC/1/B1c.

  40. 40.

    Item 47, letter dated 22nd Nov 1951 from F. M. Colebrook, National Physical Laboratory, asking to come [to Manchester] on Monday 17th (& Tues) Dec. AMT’s reply on 27/11/51: “We let Ferrantis have the use of the machine on Mondays”.

  41. 41.

    Bennett, J.M. 1953. Uses for the Manchester University Computer. Six typed foolscap pages. See document NAHC/FER/C10a.

  42. 42.

    M. A. (Audrey) Clayton (neé Bates), e-mail exchanges with Simon Lavington, spring 2010.

  43. 43.

    Memories part 1. Olaf Chedzoy. November 2015. Three-page typed note sent to Simon Lavington.

  44. 44.

    Bennett, J.M., and J.C. Kendrew. 1953. The Computation of Fourier Syntheses with a Digital Electronic Calculating Machine. Acta Crystallographica 6 (10): 109–116.

  45. 45.

    Ahmed, F.R., and D.W.J. Cruickshank. 1952. Crystallographic Calculations on the Manchester University Electronic Digital Computer (Mark II). Acta Crystallographica 5: 765–769.

  46. 46.

    The Manchester Universal Electronic Computer. 5-page illustrated glossy brochure, Ferranti Ltd., List DC1, August 1952.

  47. 47.

    Bennett, J.M., Uses for the Manchester University Computer.

  48. 48.

    Campbell-Kelly, Martin., Programming the Mark I: Early Programming Activity at the University of Manchester.

  49. 49.

    (a) Link, David. 2016/17. God Save the King—An Early Musical Program on the Ferranti Mark I. Resurrection, The Journal of the Computer Conservation Society 76: 11–16. A re-creation of the sound generated by Christopher Strachey’s program may be found at www.computerconservationsociety.org/images/gstk.mp3.; (b) Lavington, Simon. 2017. Reflections on the Hoot. Resurrection (77): 13–20.

  50. 50.

    (a) Doornbusch, Paul. 2004. Computer Sound Synthesis in 1951: The Music of CSIRAC. Computer Music Journal 28 (1): 10–25.; (b) Doornbusch, Paul. 2017. Early Computer Music Experiments in Australia and England. Organised Sound 22 (2): 297–307.

  51. 51.

    The word games of the night bird. An interview with Christopher Strachey by Nancy Foy. Computing Europe, 15 August 1974, pp. 10–11.

  52. 52.

    Bowden, B.V. (eds). 1953. Faster than Thought. Published by Pitman.

  53. 53.

    Olaf Chedzoy, e-mail dated 6th November 2015 to Simon Lavington.

  54. 54.

    Bowden, B.V. (eds)., Faster than Thought.

  55. 55.

    Link, David. 2012/13. Programming ENTER: Christopher Strachey‘s Draughts Program. Resurrection The Journal of the Computer Conservation Society (60).

  56. 56.

    (a) Zielinsky, Siegfried, and David, Link. 2006. There Must Be an Angel: On the Beginnings of the Arithmetics of Rays. In Variantology 2, On deep time relations of Arts, Sciences and Technologies, 15–42. Published Cologne, Konig. See: http://www.alpha60.de/research/there_must_be_an_angel/DavidLink_MustBeAnAngel_2006.pdf. (Translated from the German by Gloria Custance). This careful paper gives Strachey’s original code and some detailed background information.; (b) In 2009 David Link produced a travelling art installation that uses displays evocative of the original Mark I together with behind-the-scenes processors, to re-create the love letters. See: http://www.alpha60.de/art/love_letters/.

  57. 57.

    (a) Zielinsky, Siegfried, and David, Link., There Must Be an Angel: On the Beginnings of the Arithmetics of Rays.; (b) In 2009 David Link produced a travelling art installation that uses displays evocative of the original Mark I together with behind-the-scenes processors, to re-create the love letters. See: http://www.alpha60.de/art/love_letters/.

  58. 58.

    Note: NAHC is the National Archive for the History of Computers, held in the University of Manchester Library.

References

Note: NAHC is the National Archive for the History of Computers, held in the University of Manchester Library.

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    Simon Lavington

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Lavington, S. (2019). Academic/Industrial Collaboration: From Chorlton-on-Medlock to Moston, and Back. In: Early Computing in Britain. History of Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15103-4_2

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