John Wise — Unrecognized Engine Builder and Contemporary of Newcomen and Watt

Abstract

John Wise of Hawkesbury in Warwickshire was involved with erecting a number of Newcomen Engines in Warwickshire, Bristol, London and Cornwall between the 1720s and the 1770s. Probably because of the wide geographical distribution of his work, the importance of Wise’s contribution to early steam engine development has not received the attention it warrants and this article attempts to redress this.

The author’s assertion that Wise was an important figure in the construction of early engines is reinforced by the fact that he took out what is understood to be the first patent for improvements to atmospheric engines as early as 1740.

This paper attempts to draw together what is known of Wise and his work from a range of primary and secondary sources as a basis for further research. The catalyst for this account was Peter Tymków alerting South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG) to Wise’s work on the Chelsea Waterworks’ (CWW) Newcomen Engine and providing the details from their Court of Directors’ Minutes of Wise’s previously unreported work in Bristol.

Keywords:

• John Wise
• Newcomen Engine
• Chelsea Waterworks

My particular thanks go to Peter Tymków for alerting SGMRG to Wise’s work, opening up a completely new aspect of the history of Bristol’s early engines. Like most research, this account has only been possible through the efforts of those who have gone before, many of whom have published their results in the Newcomen Society Transactions. Of these, John Allen deserves special mention for the depth and breadth of his published work. I also wish also to record my gratitude to Ken Kemp for his diligent proof reading and support. The permission of the London Metropolitan Archive to reproduce extracts from the Chelsea Waterworks materials is gratefully acknowledged.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steve Grudgings

Steve Grudgings has been fascinated by the archaeology of the UK coal industry and has witnessed and photographed the immense changes that have taken place since the 1970s. He has a particular interest in the Bristol Coalfield and is one of the founder members of the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG). He has had a series of papers published in the journal of the Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society (BIAS) and was lead author on the SGMRG/Y&DHC 2009 book on Frog Lane Colliery. Steve has no formal engineering training or experience and is happiest when investigating and interpreting coal mining sites in Bristol and elsewhere. He welcomes comments, corrections and additional information relating to John Wise and/or Newcomen Engines in the Bristol area.

Correspondence to: Steve Grudgings. Email: [email protected]