100th birthday
In 1990, the organisation celebrated 100 years of supporting engineers and their families.
Archives: Timeline Stories
The Chester’s Estate
26 homes were built on Charles Speirs’s property, the Chester’s Estate. The first house was occupied in July 1950, and the rest of the estate opened in May 1951.
A standout grant
One standout grant in the early 20th century was support for the widow and daughters of Heinrich Hertz, the German physicist who proved the existence of electromagnetic waves. His daughter Mathilde Hertz went on to become one of the first female pioneers of biology.
The first committee chair
John Hopkinson – then IEE President, inventor of the three-phase power distribution system, and pioneer of electric railways – became the benevolent fund’s first committee chair.
Speirs House
Charles Speirs gifted the charity the funds to purchase his estate, continuing its use to support engineers. In 1977, half of the estate was sold to finance the conversion of Chester House into a modern residential home – renamed Speirs House – providing accommodation for 26 residents.
Registered as a charity
In 1962, the benevolent fund became a registered charity in its own right.
One anonymous member donated his house as a home for “aged, infirm or convalescent members”. The second donation was from Charles Speirs who offered his house and estate to house people returning from the war.
Early grants
While we don’t know the reason for Charles Capito’s grant, early grants often supported people out of work, covered funeral costs, addressed hardship caused by disability or illness, and helped widows with essentials such as rent.
Early donations from prominent engineers
Among the first donors were the era’s most influential engineers – including Kelvin, Siemens and Tesla. Their support showed how vital they felt it was to support fellow engineers during difficult times.