Who Stole the Secret to the Industrial Revolution?: The Real Story behind Richard Arkwright and the Water Frame

English schoolchildren are taught that Sir Richard Arkwright invented the water-frame and was the father of the Industrial Revolution and the factory system. This is not true. The water-powered spinning frame and the modern factory system were pioneered in Italy over 300 years before Richard Arkwright was born. This book tells the story of how the Industrial Revolution in textile manufacture really began in Italy, with Italian Renaissance engineers and the Italian silk industry. Italy was the leading technological power in Europe from the 13th to the 17th centuries, and the Italians automated much of the production of silk fabrics using water as their power source. English organzine was inferior to Italian organzine, and in the first recorded case of industrial espionage, a young Derby engineer stole Italian silk manufacturing secrets. John Lombe's reconstructed water-powered silk throwing machinery provided the blueprint for water-powered cotton spinning machinery (water frame), and Cromford Mill was modelled on Derby Silk Mill. It is time to place this episode of history in a proper context and to fully acknowledge the part played by Italy in the English Industrial Revolution.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

English schoolchildren are often taught that Sir Richard Arkwright is credited with inventing the water-frame and is considered the father of the Industrial Revolution and the factory system. However, this assertion is not entirely accurate. The water-powered spinning frame and the modern factory system were actually pioneered in Italy over 300 years before Richard Arkwright's birth. This book aims to shed light on the true origins of the Industrial Revolution in textile manufacture. Contrary to popular belief, it did not begin in England with Richard Arkwright and the English cotton industry. Instead, it took place in Italy, with Italian Renaissance engineers and the Italian silk industry. The evidence for this lies in the achievements of medieval Italian engineering, English archives, and English legal case records. Italy was a dominant technological power in Europe from the 13th to the 17th centuries. The Italian Renaissance, coupled with the devastating effects of the Black Death (1347-49), spurred a wave of technological innovation and invention. The Italians, recognizing the scarcity of labor due to the pandemic, automated a significant portion of silk fabric production using water as their power source. This innovative approach set the stage for the development of water-powered cotton spinning machinery, known as the water frame. John Lombe, a young Derby engineer, is credited with stealing Italian silk manufacturing secrets. He reconstructed the plans and drawings of water-powered silk throwing machinery, which served as the blueprint for water-powered cotton spinning machinery (water frame). Cromford Mill, built in 1771, was modeled after Derby Silk Mill, built in 1719. This book commemorates the 300th anniversary of John Lombe's premature death, and it raises intriguing questions about why the truth about his actions has been concealed for so long and why the Italian connection has remained unacknowledged. It is time to shed light on this significant episode in history and recognize the contributions of Italian engineers and inventors to the Industrial Revolution.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781473875913