Find out more about the greatest 18th Century British Inventors & Discoverers, including Humphry Davy, Joseph Priestley, George Stephenson, Richard Arkwright and Richard Trevithick

Famous 18th Century British Inventors & Discoverers

Humphry DavyHumphry Davy
17 December 1778
Inventor of Davy Lamp
George StephensonGeorge Stephenson
09 June 1781
Father of Railways

Joseph PriestleyJoseph Priestley
24 March 1733
Discoverer of Oxygen

Richard TrevithickRichard Trevithick
13 April 1771
Pioneer of steam-powered road & rail transport

Richard ArkwrightRichard Arkwright
23 December 1732
Inventor

Edmund CartwrightEdmund Cartwright
24 April 1743
Inventor
Peter Mark RogetPeter Mark Roget
18 January 1779
Lexicographer

John WilkinsonJohn Wilkinson
1728 AD
Pioneer in cast iron manufacturing

John HerschelJohn Herschel
07 March 1792
Polymath
George CayleyGeorge Cayley
27 December 1773
Engineer

James HargreavesJames Hargreaves
1720 AD
carpenter, inventor, engineer
David BrewsterDavid Brewster
11 December 1781
Botanist, Civil engineer, Physicist, Engineer,

William MurdochWilliam Murdoch
21 August 1754
Inventor, Engineer

Henry MaudslayHenry Maudslay
22 August 1771
Innovator

Rowland HillRowland Hill
03 December 1795
Educator

Joseph BramahJoseph Bramah
13 April 1748
Civil engineer, Engineer
William ThorntonWilliam Thornton
20 May 1759
Physician

Samuel CromptonSamuel Crompton
03 December 1753
Inventor

Henry ShrapnelHenry Shrapnel
03 June 1761
Inventor

William SturgeonWilliam Sturgeon
22 May 1783
Physicist, Inventor
Philip AstleyPhilip Astley
08 January 1742
Equestrian

Benjamin HuntsmanBenjamin Huntsman
04 June 1704
Inventor
Percivall PottPercivall Pott
06 January 1714
Surgeon

Thomas EarnshawThomas Earnshaw
04 February 1749
Watchmaker

Alexander Gordon LaingAlexander Gordon Laing
27 December 1794
Explorer
Henry CortHenry Cort
1740 AD
Ironmaster

John ByromJohn Byrom
29 February 1692
Poet
Alexander John ForsythAlexander John Forsyth
28 December 1768
Inventor

Richard Lovell EdgeworthRichard Lovell Edgeworth
31 May 1744
Politician

Goldsworthy GurneyGoldsworthy Gurney
14 February 1793
Surgeon
Jesse RamsdenJesse Ramsden
06 October 1735
Mathematician

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John RoebuckJohn Roebuck
1718 AD
Inventor
Bryan DonkinBryan Donkin
22 March 1768
Developer

John BlenkinsopJohn Blenkinsop
1783 AD
Engineer

Arthur WoolfArthur Woolf
31 October 1766
Engineer

Sir William Congreve, 2nd BaronetSir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet
20 May 1772
Inventor
Joseph ClementJoseph Clement
13 June 1779
Engineer
Ebenezer KinnersleyEbenezer Kinnersley
30 November 1711
Scientist

Thomas BoulsoverThomas Boulsover
1705 AD
Inventor

John KayJohn Kay
28 June 1704
Inventor

William CockerillWilliam Cockerill
1759 AD
Inventor
John HeathcoatJohn Heathcoat
07 August 1783
Inventor

William RadcliffeWilliam Radcliffe
1761 AD
Inventor

Jonathan HornblowerJonathan Hornblower
05 July 1753
Pioneer

Daniel QuareDaniel Quare
1648 AD
Clockmaker

Gowin KnightGowin Knight
10 September 1713
Scientist
Chester Moore HallChester Moore Hall
09 December 1703
Lawyer

Lionel LukinLionel Lukin
18 May 1742
Inventor
Jonathan HullsJonathan Hulls
1699 AD
Inventor

Robert HoeRobert Hoe
29 October 1784
Machinist

Samuel HallSamuel Hall
1781 AD
Engineer
Thomas HancockThomas Hancock
08 May 1786
inventor, engineer

Charles ChubbCharles Chubb
1779 AD
Businessman
Johann Christoph ZumpeJohann Christoph Zumpe
14 June 1726
Piano maker

David Hartley, the YoungerDavid Hartley, the Younger
1732 AD
Politician and inventor