James Valoue

James Valoue was an 18th century watchmaker

Watchmaker

A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...

. He is most remembered for his 1737 design of a horse-powered pile driver

Pile driver

A pile driver is a mechanical device used to drive piles into soil to provide foundation support for buildings or other structures. The term is also used in reference to members of the construction crew that work with pile-driving rigs....

 which was used in the construction of Westminster Bridge

Westminster Bridge

Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....

. In 1738 the Royal Society of London gave Valoue the Copley Medal

Copley Medal

The Copley Medal is an award given by the Royal Society of London for "outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science, and alternates between the physical sciences and the biological sciences"...

 for his invention of "an engine for driving piles to make a foundation for the bridge to be erected in Westminster, the model whereof had been shown to the society". The Science Museum of London

Science Museum (London)

The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....

 holds a model of Valoue's pile driver constructed by Stephen Demainbray

Stephen Demainbray

Stephen Charles Triboudet Demainbray, Esq. of Richmond was an English natural scientist and astronomer, who served during 1768-1782 as Superintendent of the King's Observatory at the Kew Observatory....

.