Charles Wheatstone & William Cooke

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One of the technological wonders of the 19th century

 - instantly the world was connected.

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The first fully operational telegraph ran between Paddington and West Drayton railway stations, sending electrical signals along dedicated lines, but it was slow to catch on.  Until New Year's Day 1845, when it played a crucial role in helping railway police catch a rapist murderer running between Paddington and West Drayton stations. John Tawell became the first person to be arrested and later hanged as a result of new technology. Suddenly overnight the electric telegraph became sensational news worldwide...

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The growth of Britain's telegraph network was rapid - by 1859, Charles Dickens reported there were already 160 miles of telegraph wire running over the rooftops of London!

Animation: Alan Raine

1837