FREDERICK WARREN MERRIAM AKA F. Warren Merriam, Frederick Warren

 

"BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Cheryl Merriam, 5-2-08 Dear Mr Cooper I am married to FW Merriam's youngest son (Antony Merriam). You may be interested to know that he was born Frederick Warren but changed his name by deed poll in 1901 to Merriam after being befriended and sponsored in his flying aspirations by an American, Olin Merriam, (of Webster-Merriam Dictionaries descent)- hence we are all Merriams now. We are all very proud of our family history and we do have a small number of photographs in our possession as well as the first laminated propeller built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. When we have a moment I will try and scan some photos in and send to you. With best wishes. Cheryl Merriam

 

"English Aviator Killed," Knoxville Journal and Tribune, Knoxville, Tennessee: January 27, 1914, Transcribed by Bob Davis - 2-26-07 "London, Jan. 26. - An aviation instructor named Gipps was killed today while flying at Salisbury Plain. A passenger was seriously injured."

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "F. Warren Merriam", using the Google search engine, (3-1-07), you will find three important links.

 

My grandad was an aviation pioneer      This page on the BBC NEWS website offers a fascinating revue of his life and career, as recalled by his grandson, Damien Dill. It is the most complete biography I have been able to find to date, (with the help of a friend), and is the most important resource available. You can access the page by clicking on the title above.

The Bristol Aeroplane Company The Daily Mail £10,000 Prize 22 July - 7 August 1911      On page 19 of this extensive website of The Bristol Aeroplane Company, you will find a brief reference to a "G. L. Gipps.": "G.L. Gipps was killed when he crashed in a Bristol Prier monoplane, with F. Warren Merriam as his instructor in January 1914."      You can access the page by clicking on the title above. You may want to use the FIND function on "Gipps" to locate the item on the page.

 

Boxkite      On this page of the Wikipedia website, you will find a brief mention of Merriam as follows:      The Boxkite "was also the first aeroplane to land upside down in Brooklands Sewerage farm - Flight Lieutenant Frederick Warren Merriam was the first to enact the scene from the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines."      You can access the page by clicking on the title above.

 

MORE BOXKITE INFORMATION      If you are interested in learning more about the Boxkite, click on the title above.

 
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RECOMMENDED READING

FIRST THROUGH THE CLOUDS. The Autobiography of a Box-Kite Pioneer   F. Warren Merriam   Product Details Cloth: 176 pages; illus. with frontis. & 30 full page plates Publisher: Batsford London 1954 Used Prices: $47.00 - $100.00

Availability of Used Copies:      Gregory Powers has alerted me to the fact that F. Warren Merriam not only survived the crash which killed Gipps, he wrote this book which was published in 1954. As of February 28, 2007, you will find several copies of the book are offered for sale from the following book dealers, as well as some others: Amazon Books & Collectibles BSP Gallery Bookshop old and rare books

 

I don't know the dates of his birth or of his death. Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back