Thomas Dyson

Thomas Dyson was the son of a Yorkshire-born professor of singing, who was a former Mayor of Windsor. Although Thomas didn’t go down the same career path, he was nevertheless still closely involved with music as he ran a piano and music warehouse in Windsor, where he moved to with his family at the age of two.

Dyson joined the Windsor Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1878 and became deputy captain in 1885, and captain and chief officer in 1890. He held that post until 1905. Dyson organised many firefighting exhibitions abroad and, for his achievements, was decorated by the governments of France and Belgium. Because of the brigade’s close proximity to Windsor Great Park, Queen Victoria gave Dyson permission for his men to use any of the park’s lakes for use during practice drill. She would often watch the men practice.

After leaving Windsor in 1905, Dyson went to live in Sanderstead in South London and formed their first fire brigade. He later moved to Bognor Regis. Dyson compiled a history of British Fire Services, and lectured on the subject around the country. After World War I he went on tour with various fire brigades to Africa and Asia, including a tour to Shanghai, where his son John Gordon Dyson was captain of the Municipal Fire Department. Thomas Dyson was the senior vice-president of the National Fire Brigades Association (of which he was one of the founders), and was chairman of the London Private Fire Brigade Association at time of his death.