Breast mill, Colchester, Essex
Date
1760
Creator
John Smeaton (1724 - 1792, British) , Civil engineer
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 500mm
width (page): 310mm
width (page): 310mm
Subject
Description
Plan of the waterwheel engine for Mr. Hill’s breast mill at Colchester, Essex. Dotted lines represent the water line at full head. In a scale of 1:36 inches per foot.
Inscribed ‘Design for the Engine Wheel
Elevation of the Water Wheel and Conduit for Mr. Hill’s Water Engine at Colchester
N.B the Wheel must be made with double arms and Rings the rings to be as near to the outside as possible […]'
Original drawing from Designs by the late John Smeaton made on various occasions in the course of his employment as a Civil Engineer from the year 175[?] to 179[?], Volume 2. Containing Designs for Mills and Hydraulic Engines. Collected and arranged by John Farey, 1821.
Inscribed ‘Design for the Engine Wheel
Elevation of the Water Wheel and Conduit for Mr. Hill’s Water Engine at Colchester
N.B the Wheel must be made with double arms and Rings the rings to be as near to the outside as possible […]'
Original drawing from Designs by the late John Smeaton made on various occasions in the course of his employment as a Civil Engineer from the year 175[?] to 179[?], Volume 2. Containing Designs for Mills and Hydraulic Engines. Collected and arranged by John Farey, 1821.
Object history
Smeaton’s Designs were received by bequest of Mr Edward Farey in November 1913 as indicated in the copies of outgoing correspondence bound in the New Letter Books of the Royal Society, NLB/49/185 and NLB/49/312.
The collection was originally purchased after Smeaton’s death in 1795 by Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society and member of the Committee of the Smeaton Society of Civil Engineers. The committee undertook to publish a comprehensive selection of reports on the drawings which was entrusted to John Farey sr (1766-1826) and assisted by his better-known son John Farey jr (1791-1851) mechanical engineer and Fellow of the Royal Society. The work began in 1809 and resulted in three published volumes, Reports of the late John Smeaton FRS, made on various occasions of his employment as a civil engineer, London, 1812.
The collection was originally purchased after Smeaton’s death in 1795 by Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society and member of the Committee of the Smeaton Society of Civil Engineers. The committee undertook to publish a comprehensive selection of reports on the drawings which was entrusted to John Farey sr (1766-1826) and assisted by his better-known son John Farey jr (1791-1851) mechanical engineer and Fellow of the Royal Society. The work began in 1809 and resulted in three published volumes, Reports of the late John Smeaton FRS, made on various occasions of his employment as a civil engineer, London, 1812.
Associated place