Jabez Carter Hornblower
Encyclopedia
Jabez Carter Hornblower was an English
pioneer of steam power, the son of Jonathan Hornblower
.
Jabez Carter Hornblower was born in Broseley
, Staffordshire
, England
on 21 May 1744, the eldest child of steam engineer Jonathan and Ann Carter Hornblower. He gained his engineering skills working for his father building Newcomen steam engine
s in Cornwall
. He later worked for Boulton and Watt
building the new Watt steam engine
s designed and patented by James Watt
.
By 1790 he had set up in business in London with financial backing from well-to-do currier
John Maberly
, where he designed a new steam engine based on the patented designs of Isaac Mainwaring. However in 1796 Hornblower and Maberly were sued by Boulton and Watt, who claimed one of Watt's patents – concerning the condenser had been infringed. After a long trial, judgement in 1799 was in favour of Boulton and Watt and brought about the collapse of Hornblower and Maberly's business. In 1803 Hornblower was imprisoned in the King's Bench debtors prison but on his release in 1805 he managed to secure some work in mainland Europe building engines until his return to England in 1813.
He died on 11 July 1814 and was buried in the Bunhill Fields
burial ground in London. He had married twice, once in Cornwall to Mary John, with whom he had four children and, on her death, to Ann Hanbury of Bridgnorth, Shropshire with whom he had a further four children.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pioneer of steam power, the son of Jonathan Hornblower
Jonathan Hornblower (1717)
Jonathan Hornblower was an English pioneer of steam power, the son of Joseph Hornblower and brother of Josiah Hornblower, two fellow steam pioneers....
.
Jabez Carter Hornblower was born in Broseley
Broseley
Broseley is a small town in Shropshire, England with a population of 4,912 . The River Severn flows to the north and east of the town. Broseley has a town council and is part of the area controlled by Shropshire Council. The first iron bridge in the world was built in 1779 to link Broseley with...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 21 May 1744, the eldest child of steam engineer Jonathan and Ann Carter Hornblower. He gained his engineering skills working for his father building Newcomen steam engine
Newcomen steam engine
The atmospheric engine invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712, today referred to as a Newcomen steam engine , was the first practical device to harness the power of steam to produce mechanical work. Newcomen engines were used throughout Britain and Europe, principally to pump water out of mines,...
s in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He later worked for Boulton and Watt
Boulton and Watt
The firm of Boulton & Watt was initially a partnership between Matthew Boulton and James Watt.-The engine partnership:The partnership was formed in 1775 to exploit Watt's patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser. This made much more efficient use of its fuel than the older Newcomen engine...
building the new Watt steam engine
Watt steam engine
The Watt steam engine was the first type of steam engine to make use of steam at a pressure just above atmospheric to drive the piston helped by a partial vacuum...
s designed and patented by James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
.
By 1790 he had set up in business in London with financial backing from well-to-do currier
Currier
A currier is a specialist in the leather processing industry. After the tanning process, the currier applies techniques of dressing, finishing and colouring to the tanned hide to make it strong, flexible and waterproof...
John Maberly
John Maberly
John Maberly was a British entrepreneur and Member of Parliament .John Maberly was born in London in 1770, the second child of London currier Stephen Maberly and Mary Maberly. In 1796 he married Mary Rose Leader, a well-to-do MP's daughter, with whom he was to have six children...
, where he designed a new steam engine based on the patented designs of Isaac Mainwaring. However in 1796 Hornblower and Maberly were sued by Boulton and Watt, who claimed one of Watt's patents – concerning the condenser had been infringed. After a long trial, judgement in 1799 was in favour of Boulton and Watt and brought about the collapse of Hornblower and Maberly's business. In 1803 Hornblower was imprisoned in the King's Bench debtors prison but on his release in 1805 he managed to secure some work in mainland Europe building engines until his return to England in 1813.
He died on 11 July 1814 and was buried in the Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields is a cemetery in the London Borough of Islington, north of the City of London, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It is about 4 hectares in extent, although historically was much larger....
burial ground in London. He had married twice, once in Cornwall to Mary John, with whom he had four children and, on her death, to Ann Hanbury of Bridgnorth, Shropshire with whom he had a further four children.