Ash, Henry "Harry"

Born at Bridgwater, England; deafened at 18 months by scarlet fever. Attended the Old Kent Road school for the deaf in London, transferred to the Margate school for the deaf, then back to Old Kent Road, leaving school in 1880. Worked as a wallpaper designer, winning some prizes for it. Invented a new kind of torpedo and sent the idea to the British Admiralty which, however, apparently did not adopt it.