Albert E. Richardson was a clockmaker from Ashton-under-Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne

Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, who designed the first practical Teasmade

Teasmade

A teasmade is a machine for making tea automatically. It was once common in the United Kingdom and some of its former colonies. Teasmades generally include an analogue alarm clock and are designed to be used at the bedside, to ensure tea is ready first thing in the morning...

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He designed the first practical Teasmade based on an alarm clock, a spirit lamp and a tipping kettle. He sold the design to gunsmith Frank Clarke of Birmingham, who patented it in 1902, calling it "An Apparatus Whereby a Cup of Tea or Coffee is Automatically Made".