Stanley Beach was a man born of great privilege into an “aristocratic” family with deep roots in Stratford. He was a direct descendant of the founder of the Beach family, Richard Beach, in 1640. Stanley’s grandfather, Alfred Ely Beach, was a co-founder of the Scientific American magazine; patent attorney for Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell; and inventor of New York City’s first subway system. His father, Frederick Converse Beach, was an inventor; editor of Scientific American magazine, American Photography magazine, Encyclopedia Americana; and patent attorney.
Stanley grew up in the “Phelps Mansion” on Elm Street. His father made him an editor of Scientific American magazine. Stanley developed an intense interest in aviation. He wrote about Gustav Whitehead’s successful flights in the Scientific American magazine in 1903, 1906, and 1908. Stanley was so confident in Gustav that he contracted with him to build Stanley his own aero plane. However, Stanley wouldn’t leave Gustav alone to build the plane. He kept making modifications to Gustav’s design, ultimately leading to the inability of the plane to fly. As a result, Stanley sued Gustav.
In 1910, due to Stanley’s falling out with Gustav, he published a retraction in the Scientific American magazine, stating that Gustav had never successfully flown his airplane in 1901. Consequently, Gustav was widely discredited and the Wright brothers were deigned the first to successfully fly at Kitty Hawk. Stanley attempted to fly his various aero planes in Stratford over the years. The Bridgeport Herald wrote about one of Stanley’s attempts at flight on May 15, 1910.
SOARING like a gull in the ether at the dizzy height of two feet and a half, Stanley Beach, the Stratford man bird, thrilled a jostling, awe struck crowd of fifty men, women and boys, two dogs and a couple of enthusiastic chickens Friday afternoon. The unusual outcome of the latest flight of Aviator Beach was totally unexpected. His previous flights have been perfectly successful as ground flights, but that of Friday was unique for the reason hereinbefore stated.
Those who have been watching the progress of the Stratford man in his conquest of the air have become so accustomed to the other thing that they were almost disappointed Friday. There is something exciting attached to watching an airship bumping along the ground, for there is always present the probability that the machine will collide with a tree, knock over a house, start a runaway or something. With the machine up in the air like any one of a thousand ordinary aero planes, this probability is reduced to a minimum, consequently the element of excitement is much lessened. It has been proven that almost anybody can fly in the air with an airship, but the aviators like Mr. Beach are few and far between.
During his entire aviation related career, Stanley was having an affair with Marguerite Watson in New York City. Stanley was living with Ms. Watson during the week in New York, then he’d return to Stratford to live with his Stratford wife and family on the weekends. Stanley had a daughter with Marguerite. All went well. Stanley’s wife was, apparently, aware of his New York lover and daughter, but everything came undone when Stanley attempted to adopt his illegitimate daughter in 1926. Stanley’s wife, her mother, and his son went to court to block the adoption.
We therefore nominate Stanley Beach as one of our Stratford “Un”valentines.
