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

AbstractJohn 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 Tymkow 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 Director...