History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications
from the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fiber optic network

Richard Williamson and the 1858 Atlantic Cable

Craig Kuglen's great great grandfather, Richard Williamson, was one of the engineers on the Royal Navy ship involved in laying the transatlantic cable in 1858, serving as Assistant Engineer on HMS Agamemnon in the cable fleet.  He later had the rank of Commodore. 

After the successful laying of the cable, Tiffany and Company in New York sold sections of the remaining cable as souvenirs, and by order of the Chamber of Commerce of New York also made commemorative medals. Most of these medals were made in copper, but a number were produced in gold, engraved with the name of the principal participants in the cable expedition, and presented to them. The medals are about 2.25 inches in diameter.

On the reverse is engraved "Richard Williamson, Asst. Engineer. R.N." Below that is the legend: "From the Chamber of Commerce and Citizens of New York, Commemorative of the Part Taken by Him in Laying the First Telegraphic Cable Between Europe and America, in August, AD 1858."

The medal came to Stewart Craig, Richard Williamson's grandson, in 1910, and he loaned it out for display on several occasions.

In 1923 the Postal Telegraph/Commercial Cable Company was celebrating both its 40th anniversary and the laying of a new Atlantic cable, which ran from New York via Canso, Nova Scotia, to Horta, Azores; Waterville, Ireland; and Le Havre, France. A letter dated 1 November 1923 from the CCC to Stewart Craig notes, in part:

"Mr. Mackay has returned from his holiday and has seen the medal which was presented to your grandfather and which you so kindly offered to lend us for window display purposes. Mr. Mackay is very much pleased with the offer and directs me to thank you for it."

Clarence Mackay was President of the Commercial Cable Company, headquartered at 231 Broadway, New York.

In 1939 the cable and medal were displayed at the World’s Fair in New York City by All America Cables and Radio, Inc, a company formed in 1938 by the merger of All America Cables, the Commercial Cable Company, and Mackay Radio & Telegraph. A special stand was made for the medal at that time. A letter from All America to Stewart Craig in October 1939 concerning the safe return of the medal notes:

"Please accept our thanks for your courtesy in lending us this interesting souvenir of the laying of the first Atlantic cable. It greatly enhanced our display of the cable and was of much interest to many of the Fair visitors."

In 1957, the year prior to the hundredth anniversary of the first cable, Stewart Craig was active in campaigning for a commemorative stamp to mark the event, to be issued in 1958 on the anniversary of the cable's completion. After correspondence with his Congressman, William B. Widnall (a member of the Banking and Currency Committee), he was referred to the Post Office Department, and the stamp was duly issued on 15 August 1958.

As part of the First Day of Issue Ceremony for the stamp, Richard Williamson's gold medal was highlighted in a lobby display at the General Post Office, 33rd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan. Stewart Craig and his wife were invited to the ceremony, where they received the souvenir program and a sheet of Atlantic Cable stamps autographed by Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield.

Richard Williamson's cable sample and gold medal have remained in his family for over 148 years, and are presently in the care of his great great grandson, Craig Kuglen.