Edward Purkis Frost

Lore & Background

Edward Purkis Frost was born in 1842, the son of Edward Frost Esq of West Wratting Hall and Sarah Purkis, daughter of William Purkis Esq of Oxcroft House. Both families were significant landowners in the area. His brother, Colonel Harry Frost, commanded the 4th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment and inherited Oxcroft after its sale by their grandfather William Purkis to their father. Frost lived at West Wratting Hall in Cambridgeshire and used the park east of the hall to test his flying machines.

Frost began studying flight in 1868 and from 1870 to 1877 built a large steam-powered flying machine with both fixed and flapping wings. He intended a 20–25 hp steam engine, but the actual engine produced only 5 hp, which was not powerful enough to lift the ornithopter from the ground. The experiment cost him £1000. In 1902, with several colleagues, he started another large craft using an internal combustion engine. Sources conflict about its success: one alleges it lifted from the ground in 1904, while another claims it was suspended from a tree and rose slightly on each downbeat of the wings.

Frost had been a member of the Aeronautical Society since 1875. In 1909, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Percy Thornton, the Member of Parliament for Clapham, for his authorship of a book titled Safeguards for Peace.

Reader's Guide

Edward Purkis Frost occupies a notable place in early aviation history as a dedicated builder of ornithopters, a branch of flight that sought to mimic bird wing motion. His work, though not achieving sustained powered flight, contributed to the experimental foundation of aeronautics in England. His presidency of the Aeronautical Society from 1908 to 1911 placed him at the center of the country's organized aviation community during a critical period of development. The conflicting accounts of his 1902–1904 craft—whether it lifted from the ground or only rose slightly while suspended—highlight the uncertain nature of early flight testing. His nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1909 for his book Safeguards for Peace shows a broader engagement with global issues beyond aviation. The preservation of a wing from his later craft in London's Science Museum ensures his efforts remain physically documented. Frost's life reflects the intersection of landed gentry, local public service, and the pioneering spirit of early flight.