Friedrich Clemens Gerke
Friedrich Clemens Gerke (22 January 1801 – 21 May 1888) was a German writer, journalist, musician and pioneer of telegraphy who revised the Morse code in 1848. It is Gerke's version of the original (American) Morse code now known as the International Morse code and standardized by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) which is used today. Life Gerke was born in Osnabrück and grew up in modest circumstances. At the age of 16, he came to Hamburg as a servant and houseboy to the private scientist Arnold Schuback. In 1818, he became a clerk with Senator Brunnemann, and received a fixed wage for the first time in his life. On 10 July 1820 he married Sophie Marianne Duclais, a young, non wealthy French immigrant. They tried to establish a hatter business, but it soon failed and went into bankruptcy. They then decided to emigrate, like many other Europeans in the 19th century, and planned to join the British Army. Via Twielenfleth (Lower Saxony) and the Isle of Heligoland in the German Bight, they went to Canada in 1820, and Gerke served as a musician in the Rifle Battalion, 60th Regiment. He played the clarinet and horn. Gerke did not enjoy