John Kendrew (inventor)
Encyclopedia
John Kendrew was a Darlington
optician
who invented the process of the mechanical spinning of flax
en yarn
in a flax mill
. He had a mill for grinding glass at Low Mill at Darlington
on the River Skerne
. He arranged for Thomas Porthouse, who as a clockmaker
was more mechanically skilled, to build the machine, which was installed in his mill. Together they patent
ed this machine. They then each built their own mill Kendrew's being near Houghton, presumably Houghton le Spring on the same river. They went on to licence the technology to others, so that most other flax mills were technological descendants of these.
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
optician
Optician
An optician is a person who is trained to fill prescriptions for eye correction in the field of medicine, also known as a dispensing optician or optician, dispensing...
who invented the process of the mechanical spinning of flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
en yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
in a flax mill
Flax mill
Flax mills are mills concerned with the manufacture of flax. The earliest mills were ones for spinning yarn for the linen industry.John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse , both of Darlington developed the process from Richard Arkwright's water frame, and patented it in 1787...
. He had a mill for grinding glass at Low Mill at Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
on the River Skerne
River Skerne
The River Skerne is a tributary of the River Tees it flows through County Durham in England.The Skerne is about long, the Skerne begins in magnesian limestone hills between Trimdon and Trimdon Grange and ends at Hurworth Place where it joins the River Tees....
. He arranged for Thomas Porthouse, who as a clockmaker
Clockmaker
A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches...
was more mechanically skilled, to build the machine, which was installed in his mill. Together they patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
ed this machine. They then each built their own mill Kendrew's being near Houghton, presumably Houghton le Spring on the same river. They went on to licence the technology to others, so that most other flax mills were technological descendants of these.