Person Savery; Thomas (c 1650 - 1715); engineer Savery Thomas engineer c 1650 - 1715 British Male Shilstone, near Modbury, Devon, England c 1650 Marsham Street, Parish of St Margaret, Westminster, England May 1715 Marriage: St Bride's Church, London. Burial: Church of St Giles, Camberwell (22 May 1715).

engineer Engineering Caree: Military engineer later attaining the rank of trench-master (1696); patented (no. 347) a machine to grind and polish plate glass, and a contrivance for rowing ships in a calm using two paddle-wheels worked by a capstan (1696); whilst spending time near a mining district, his struggle to keep the mines free of water led to him inventing a water raising machine, obtaining a patent (no. 356) for fourteen years, extended by an act of parliament passed on 25 April 1699 for a further twenty-one years. The patent withheld a description of the machine, which functioned by utilising steam pressure and the vacuum produced by the condensation of steam to raise water, was shown to the Royal Society (1699); established a workshop at Salisbury Court, London (1702); closed his workshop following lack of success and became associated with Thomas Newcomen, the designer of a more improved machine (1905); treasurer of the commission for sick and wounded seamen (1705); patented (no. 379) a double hand-bellows, which could melt any metal in an ordinary wood or coal fire (1706); applied for a patent for a mill on water vessels, ungranted (1707); surveyor to the waterworks at Hampton Court (1713). Parents: Richard Savery. Grandfather: Christopher Savery of Totnes. Spouse: Martha Davis (1654/5–1759), (5 October 1697). Remembered for the "Savery Engine", being the first commercially used steam-powered pump. Fellow 13/02/1706 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB References: R V Jones, 'The "Plain Story" of James Watt: the Wilkins Lecture 1969' in NR 1969 vol 24 pp 194-220 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 c 1650 - May 1715 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 01/05/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA2704 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 60de4dbb-c70f-4d74-87f1-74a8dc443a41