born April 1700, Lichfield, Staffordshire, Eng.
died Nov. 29, 1766, Birmingham, Warwickshire
British mechanic who contributed to the development of power spinning.
He began his career as a carpenter, but by 1730, with financial support from drawing frame ), first patented in 1738, was almost certainly Paul's idea, with Wyatt providing technical skill; its principle was to draw the fibres through sets of rollers turning at different speeds. It was superseded by Richard Arkwright 's {{link=water frame">water frame in the 1770s.