Ernst Werner von Siemens (1816-1892) joined the Prussian artillery at seventeen to get the training in engineering that his family could not afford. While in prison for acting as a second in a duel he began chemistry experiments that led to his invention of the first electroplating system. In 1837 he saw an early telegraph and began inventing improvements, playing an important role in the development of early telegraphic systems. In 1888, Siemens was raised to the nobility and the "von" added to his name. His younger brother, Wilhelm, (later Sir William) was also a famous engineer who moved to England and founded the company which bears the family name. Oddly, it is not certain for which brother the unit of conductance is named.