Inventors

Inventors

Charles Maynard Walker

Charles Maynard Walker, inventor of the Early Riser’s Friend in 1891.

Inventors

Samuel Rowbottom

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

Inventors

James Alfred Greenhalgh

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.

Inventors

James Perry

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

Inventors

Henry James Sams

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

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

Inventors

Albert Edward Richardson

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

Inventors

George James Gray

George James Gray was an electrician, born in Clerkenwell in about 1850. He married Jane Woodley, from Brixton, in 1875. They had six children, two of whom died in infancy: George James junior (1876) Lilian (1884), Florence, Maud (1891). He began his working life as a clerk, then by 1891

Inventors

John Alexander Manners-Smith

John Alexander Manners-Smith BSc was an electrical engineer from Coniston, Haslemere, Surrey. He was an associate member of the Institution for Electrical Engineers.

Inventors

Josiah Wilkins

Josiah Wilkins was an engineer from 56 Charlotte Street, Blackburn. He submitted an application for an automatic tea maker in 1911.

Inventors

William Ronald Magain

An Australian, named as Mr W Maggin (sic) in the Adelaide Advertiser, claimed to have invented a teasmade in about 1912. After extensive digging and finding no W Maggin in that area, I identified a likely candidate in William Ronald Magain. He usually went by the name William Magain. William

Inventors

Herbert James Karslake

Herbert James Karslake was born in Mortehoe, Devon, in 1882, the son of railway signalman and porter Michael Karslake. Herbert spent his childhood living in the railway cottages at Mortehoe. By the age of 18 Herbert was training as a plumber’s apprentice. He married Linda Fry Pile in 1908.