19 Facts About Edmund Cartwright

Edmund Cartwright graduated from Oxford University and went on to invent the power loom.

Edmund Cartwright was the fourth son of William Cartwright and his wife Anne nee Cartwright, born at Marnham, Nottinghamshire.

Edmund Cartwright matriculated in 1760 at University College, Oxford, where he had studied under-age from 1757.

Edmund Cartwright was awarded the degree of DD in 1806.

Edmund Cartwright died in Sussex after a lingering illness and was buried at Battle.

Edmund Cartwright designed his first power loom in 1784 and patented it in 1785, after some contact with textile men from Manchester; its value was only in proof of concept, but the type of design continued into the 20th century.

In 1789, Edmund Cartwright patented another loom which served as the model for later inventors to work upon.

Edmund Cartwright added improvements, including a positive let-off motion, warp and weft stop motions, and sizing the warp while the loom was in action.

Edmund Cartwright commenced to manufacture fabrics in Doncaster using these looms, and discovered many of their shortcomings.

Edmund Cartwright attempted to remedy these in a number of ways: by introducing a crank and eccentric wheels to actuate its batten differentially, by improving the picking mechanism, by means of a device for stopping the loom when a shuttle failed to enter a shuttle box, by preventing a shuttle from rebounding when in a box, and by stretching the cloth with temples that acted automatically.

In 1792, Edmund Cartwright obtained his final patent for weaving machinery; this provided his loom with multiple shuttle boxes for weaving checks and cross stripes.

In May 1821, Edmund Cartwright was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Edmund Cartwright patented a wool combing machine in 1789 and a cordelier in 1792.

Edmund Cartwright designed a steam engine that used alcohol instead of water.

Edmund Cartwright had John Langhorne as a tutor, and developed as a minor poet.

Edmund Cartwright published the poem Armine and Elvira in 1770, which was followed by The Prince of Peace in 1779, directed against the American Revolutionary War.

Edmund Cartwright married in 1772, Alice Whitaker, daughter of Alderman Richard Whitaker of Doncaster, who died in 1785.

Edmund Cartwright married secondly, in 1790, Susannah Kearney, daughter of John Kearney.

Edmund Cartwright was survived by her and the four children above from his first marriage.