William Reid Clanny
Encyclopedia
William Reid Clanny was an Irish inventor.
He was born in Bangor, County Down
, Ireland
. He moved to Sunderland, England
and practised as a physician for 45 years.
In 1813, he invented the Clanny safety lamp for miners. By 1816, when Clanny published "Practical observations on safety lamp
s for coal mines", he had experimented in person with a safety lamp at the Herrington Mill Pit. His lamp and other improvements were, after some initial disputes, recognized for their true worth by his contemporaries, including northern coal owners who presented him with a piece of silverware. George Stephenson
acknowledged a debt to Clanny's researches and Davy
invented his version of a lamp very soon after a visit to Sunderland in August 1815.
Clanny died on 10 January 1850. He is buried at Gill Cemetery in Sunderland. His obituary in the Sunderland Herald singled out his lamp as his greatest achievement.
He was born in Bangor, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He moved to Sunderland, 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...
and practised as a physician for 45 years.
In 1813, he invented the Clanny safety lamp for miners. By 1816, when Clanny published "Practical observations on safety lamp
Safety lamp
A safety lamp is any of several types of lamp, which are designed to be safe to use in coal mines. These lamps are designed to operate in air that may contain coal dust, methane, or firedamp, all of which are potentially flammable or explosive...
s for coal mines", he had experimented in person with a safety lamp at the Herrington Mill Pit. His lamp and other improvements were, after some initial disputes, recognized for their true worth by his contemporaries, including northern coal owners who presented him with a piece of silverware. George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
acknowledged a debt to Clanny's researches and Davy
Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet FRS MRIA was a British chemist and inventor. He is probably best remembered today for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals, as well as contributions to the discoveries of the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine...
invented his version of a lamp very soon after a visit to Sunderland in August 1815.
Clanny died on 10 January 1850. He is buried at Gill Cemetery in Sunderland. His obituary in the Sunderland Herald singled out his lamp as his greatest achievement.