1890s
On 17 December 1891 Samuel Rowbottom applied for a patent for his Automatic Tea Making Apparatus. The patent is for an Automatic Heating Apparatus, number 22077, 17th December 1891. (The record appears to be missing from Espacenet). The patent was granted in 1892. This is the second known teasmade, but
Inventors
Samuel’s family farmed at Moorside, Chisworth, Derbyshire, from the first half of the 18th centry to early in the 20th century. His great grandfather was Moses Rowbottom (1772-1858). His grandfather, James Rowbottom (1806 – 1849), a cotton spinner, was born at Moorside. Samuel’s father Aaron (1841 – 1898) was
1890s
On 17th August 1893 two men from Salford, Lancaster, patented a gas-powered teasmade. James Alfred Greenhalgh and his neighbour, John Thomas Hardman, a clerk who lived at 8 Granville Street. They appear to have been in business together in Regent Road. In their Patent application they wrote: “The object
Inventors
On 17th August 1893 two men from Salford, Lancaster, patented a gas-powered teasmade. James Alfred Greenhalgh was a tinman and gas inspector who lived at 5 Granville Street, Salford, Lancaster, and his neighbour John Thomas Hardman, was a clerk who lived at 8 Granville Street.
1890s
James Perry, a watchmaker of 54 Rugby Place, Brighton, applied for a patent for a ‘Combined Alarm, Clock, and Water Heating Apparatus’ in 1898. This is the only invention I have spotted to date with an alarm whistle!
Inventors
James Perry, a watchmaker of 54 Rugby Place, Brighton, applied for a patent for a ‘Combined Alarm, Clock, and Water Heating Apparatus‘ in 1898. I have found nobody of this name at this address, and it is a residential property, so it seems likely that James Perry either rented rooms
1900s
On 21st Feb 1903 George William Richardson, engineer’s fitter, and Henry James Sams, commercial traveller, submitted their application GB190304109DA for a tea maker. George’s address at that time was 74 Palmerstone Road, Woodstone, Peterborough. The patent, entitled the 'Time Water Heater and Alarm', was published in
Inventors
Henry James Sams was born in Washingley, Huntingdonshire, in 1863, the son of William Sams and Frances nee Peak. When his birth was registered, his first name was not given. At the age of eight, he was away from home, a scholar at a small priavte school in nearby Stilton.
Inventors
George William Richardson was born on 31st March 1872 in Peterborough. He was the illegitimate son of Mary Ann Richardson. Mary, too, was illegitimate. In 1871 she had been working as a general servant for Edward Longhurst, a chemist in Matlock Bath, Matlock, Derbyshire. A child named George Richardson was
1900s
This tea making machine was invented by Albert Edward Richardson. Unlike Rowbottom’s earlier invention, Albert’s teasmade relied upon a tipping kettle. The machine and all rights to it were purchased from Richardson by the Birmingham gunsmith Frank Clarke, for an undisclosed sum. Frank Clarke filed the patent on
1900s
On 14th February 1905 George James Gray, of 151 Capstone Road, Bournemouth, applied for a patent for an “Automatic Electric Early Morning Waiter”. The specification described the application as “Improvements in Means for Heating Water to be used in conjunction with a Time Alarm. This would appear to be the
Inventors
Probably the first commercially produced automatic tea making machine was a fantastic device built in 1904 by Albert Edward Richardson of Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. Albert’s full story will be told in my book. The original machine and all rights to it were purchased from Richardson by the Birmingham
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