Thomas Savery

Born around 1650 in Devon, Thomas Savery was an English military engineer and inventor. He is remembered above all for designing a steam-powered machine to raise water, a major step forward at a time when flooded mines were a serious problem.

In 1698 he patented his device, later often called the "Savery engine." Although it had limits and was soon overshadowed by later improvements, it was one of the first commercially used steam-powered machines and showed that steam could be put to practical work.

Savery also worked on other mechanical ideas, including inventions connected with glass polishing and paddle-driven boats. He died on May 15, 1715, but his experiments with steam power helped lay the groundwork for the engines that transformed mining, manufacturing, and transport in the years that followed.