Thomas Octavius Callender

Sir Thomas Octavius Callender (9 April 1855 – 2 December 1938) was an engineer and businessman, who promoted the electrical industry.

Thomas Callender and his brother founded, in 1877, together with their father, who had acquired an interest in part in the import of bitumen from Trinidad for road-making and other waterproofing purposes - Pitch Lake.

To exploit the developing market for electric lighting, Callender decided to change the business towards the production of high-current insulated cables.

[2] 1881 tests on the production of insulated wire with patented vulcanized bitumen began at their new factory at Erith, Kent.

[3] With Callender as managing director, a position he kept until his death, the company was well placed to exploit the quick expansion in the application of electricity.

In 1930, he began discussions with the directors of British Insulated Cables on prospects for closer co-operation between the two companies, which eventually merged in 1945.