Philanthropist Behind Telex

These days you would be hard pushed to find a boss willing to pay for their employees' holidays, but this very practice was alive and well in Edwardian Croydon.

Philanthropist Frederick Creed, inventor of the teleprinter who lived and worked in the borough, would often pay for convalescing workers to go on holiday to aid recovery.

Canadian-born Creed moved to Croydon in 1909, aged 38, and opened a small factory in Selsdon Road, South Croydon, taking a band of skilled mechanics with him.

By 1912 he was supplying his Creed telegraphy system to the British press in Fleet Street and his workforce had grown from a handful to 72 workers. The system would later be used in offices all over the world under the name of Telex.

However, further developments were suspended when World War One broke out and the increasing, wartime demands forced Creed to relocate to larger premises on the corner of Addiscombe Road and Cherry Orchard Road in 1913.

It is well documented that Frederick Creed, a devout Christian, was horrified to see people working and in pubs on Sundays and felt it was his duty to shield his workforce.

All new employees had to sign a pledge to stay teetotal and Creed would sometimes scour the streets, searching for transgressors who were usually sacked. He would often visit sick employees and was known to send recovering workers on free holidays.

In 1927 Creed and Co. was acquired by the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, later ITT Corporation, for just over £250,000.

Frederick Creed remained on the corporation's board until 1930 when, at 59, he resigned.

Former employee Henry Lovell, 82, joined Creed and Co. in January 1938 when he was 16 and fresh from Redhill Technical College.

The Caterham resident recalled his tune at the company. He said: "I retired from there in January 1984. I started as an instrument maker improver.

"Frederick Creed had left the company by then but he used to pop in every now and again.

"During the war I was called up for army service three times but each of those times I was able to stay at Creed's. I did feel a bit guilty. I felt that I wasn't really doing my bit but then the items we produced were being used for the war effort.

"We developed the Types a British encryption device before the war and it was used down in Bletchley before the Enigma. People always talk about the Enigma but forget that the Typex came first.

"I stayed there so long because it was interesting work. I made a lot of friends and there are a few of us who still meet up twice a year."

Following his resignation Creed made a number of unfortunate investments and his last years were spent preventing his descent into bankruptcy.

He spent his last days at 20 Outram Road, Croydon, and died on 11th December 1957, leaving £1,496. An English Heritage plaque commemorating Creed's work hangs on the wall of his former home.