Quick Facts
Biography
Peter Wallace Hobbs (1916–2008) was an English engineer, and businessman, who with Bill Russell formed the well-known electrical appliance company Russell Hobbs.
Early life
He attended The Skinners' School in Royal Tunbridge Wells, where he enjoyed amateur drama. The town is known for the Tunbridge Wells Theatre Company, and he joined the Tunbridge Wells Repertory Players, run by Christopher Fry.
Career
He started work for the Weald Electricity Supply Company (became part of SEEBOARD in 1947) in Kent in the late 1930s. His father had also worked for them.
Royal Engineers
A year after the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the Royal Engineers and trained in Bangalore, and was commissioned as an officer in the Queen Victoria’s Own Madras Sappers and Miners. In the Middle East he joined Paiforce (Persia and Iraq Force) where he was an adjutant to the commander of the Royal Engineers in the 6th Indian Division.
After attending the Staff College at Quetta in Baluchistan, British India he was appointed Brigade Major at Sialkot in the Punjab.
Returning to Britain he commanded a field company at the Royal School of Military Engineering then in Ripon in the North Riding of Yorkshire, with rank of Major.
Morphy Richards
He became the Managing Director of Morphy Richards division in South Africa. He had met another company employee, Bill Russell, in 1951. Due a disagreement with Charles Richards, he left Morphy Richards.
Russell Hobbs
He wanted to design a ceramic coffee percolator which was electrically heated, and consulted Bill Russell. A coffee percolator would provide constantly hot coffee, and would rival the best-selling Goblin Teasmade. In October 1952 they set up Russell Hobbs together as partners in the business in Croydon, Surrey. The world's first coffee percolator was launched at the end of 1952. Although the sales director of the company, he was responsible for the early innovation of new products. Russell would develop them to market. In 1963 the company was bought by Tube Investments.
By the mid-1970s Russell Hobbs was the world leader in automatic kettles, with sales of over five million. Their best-selling K2 kettle had appeared in 1960.
The CP1 coffee percolator and K1 kettle are displayed in the Science Museum in South Kensington.
Personal life
He married Daphne Drummond in 1966. His wife died in 1996. They had a son. He enjoyed racing yachts with Don Morphy of MorphyRichards and was a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
When he retired he moved to Malta. He had restored a farmhouse at Xlendi on Gozo island. In 1983 the family moved to Corrèze in Southern France.
