born Dec. 23, 1732, Preston, Lancashire, Eng.
died Aug. 3, 1792, Cromford, Derbyshire
British textile industrialist and inventor.
His first spinning machine was patented in 1769 (see water frame (so-called because it operated by waterpower) produced a cotton yarn suitable for warp (see weaving ), stronger than thread made on the spinning jenny , which proved suitable only for weft. He introduced all-cotton calico in 1773. He opened several factories equipped with machinery for carrying out the phases of textile manufacturing from carding through spinning (see drawing ).