Inventor. He was credited as being instumental in revolutionizing the production of cotton, as instigating a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. Originally a Preston barber, he began experiments with cotton-spinning machines. He developed in 1769, the spinning frame, which after transition to water power in 1771, was renamed, the water frame, so called because it was driven by water for spinning cotton. His neighbours referred to it as the "Devil's bagpipes" - a reference to the large number of pipes used in the experiments. He was a pioneer of mass-production, building the world's first water-powered cotton mill at Cromford, Derbyshire. Arkwright's mill was essentially the first factory of this kind in the world. Never before had people been put to work in such a well organized way. Never had people been told to come in at a fixed time in the morning, and work all day at a prescribed task. His factories became the model for factories all over the world. He built his first mill in 1771, over the next 20 years he built mills all over Derbyshire, Lancashire and Scotland, building houses, schools and churches for his many employees. He was knighted in 1786. When he died in 1792, he left half a million pounds, equivalent today of 200 million pounds.
Inventor. He was credited as being instumental in revolutionizing the production of cotton, as instigating a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. Originally a Preston barber, he began experiments with cotton-spinning machines. He developed in 1769, the spinning frame, which after transition to water power in 1771, was renamed, the water frame, so called because it was driven by water for spinning cotton. His neighbours referred to it as the "Devil's bagpipes" - a reference to the large number of pipes used in the experiments. He was a pioneer of mass-production, building the world's first water-powered cotton mill at Cromford, Derbyshire. Arkwright's mill was essentially the first factory of this kind in the world. Never before had people been put to work in such a well organized way. Never had people been told to come in at a fixed time in the morning, and work all day at a prescribed task. His factories became the model for factories all over the world. He built his first mill in 1771, over the next 20 years he built mills all over Derbyshire, Lancashire and Scotland, building houses, schools and churches for his many employees. He was knighted in 1786. When he died in 1792, he left half a million pounds, equivalent today of 200 million pounds.
Bio by: s.canning
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