Jan Lofting | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jan Loftingh 1659 (1659) |
| Died | 15 June 1742(1742-06-15) (aged 82–83) |
John Lofting (1659 – 15 June 1742, London), originally Jan Loftingh, was an engineer and entrepreneur from the Dutch Republic.
Biography
His parents were Herman and Johanna. He moved to London, England, before 1686.1 He patented two inventions: the "sucking worm engine" (a fire engine)23 and a horse-powered thimble knurling machine.1 His mill was set up in Islington, where Lofting Road is named after him.4 However, in or about 1700, he moved his main operation to Great Marlow in Buckinghamshire to take advantage of the River Thames' ability to turn a water wheel which improved productivity, enabling the production of over 2 million thimbles per year.1
References
References
- Trentmann, Frank (2012). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Consumption. Oxford University Press. p. 77. ISBN 9780191624353.
- Sutton, Peter C. (2006). Jan Van Der Heyden: 1637-1712. Yale University Press. p. 234. ISBN 9780300119701.
- Brauner, Christina (2019). "Übersetzungsgeschäfte: die Vermarktung von Feuerlöschtechnik zwischen London und Amsterdam um 1700". Traverse: Zeitschrift für Geschichte = Revue d'histoire. 26 (3): 43. doi:10.5169/seals-846940. ISSN 1420-4355.
- Fairfield, Sheila (1983). The streets of London: a dictionary of the names and their origins. Macmillan. p. 196. ISBN 9780333286494.