John Patch
Encyclopedia
John Patch was a Nova Scotia
n fisherman from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
who invented one of the first versions of the screw propeller.
Patch was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
in 1781. His father was a Yarmouth sea captain who died in a shipwreck at Seal Island, Nova Scotia
soon after John Patch's birth. Earning a living as a mariner and fishermen, Patch observed the efficiency of small boats propelled by single oar sculling
and began to experiment with a propeller based in the motions of a sculling oar. During the winter of 1832-1833 he built a hand-cranked version of a doubled-bladed fan-shaped propeller. He demonstrated his propeller during the summer of 1833 before crowds watching as his small boat moved, seemingly magically, across Yarmouth Harbour. Patch further experimented by attaching his invention to a 25 ton coastal schooner named Royal George in the Bay of Fundy. The propeller allowed Royal George to enter Saint John Harbour
in a calm which stranded other sailing vessels. Patch's invention was 4 years before John Ericsson
's famous patent
on the screw propeller in Britain. Patch lacked the funds to travel to Britain for a patent but instead tried to patent his propeller in the United States in 1832. However his application was refused as he was not an American citizen. Patch continued to improve his propeller and when American laws changed to permit patents by non-citizens, he received an American patent in 1849. Patch's propeller received some recognition, including praise for its efficiency in Scientific America magazine. However by 1849 there were multiple competing versions of the screw propeller in Europe and America. Patch never received money or recognition. An petition by Yarmouth citizens to reward his innovation with a pension from the Nova Scotia government in the 1858 was unsuccessful and he died a poor man at Yarmouth in 1861.
and a propeller-driven lifeboat in the collection of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
in Halifax, Nova Scotia is named in his honour. The Propeller Brewing Company in Halifax have promoted John Patch as their mascot and a Pubnico song writer named Vince d'Entrement wrote a ballad about Patch.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
n fisherman from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
who invented one of the first versions of the screw propeller.
Patch was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
in 1781. His father was a Yarmouth sea captain who died in a shipwreck at Seal Island, Nova Scotia
Seal Island, Nova Scotia
Seal Island is an island on the outermost extreme of Southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, and is the southernmost point of land of Nova Scotia. It is located in Municipalité Argyle Municipality in Yarmouth County. It is approximately 2.7 miles long and 0.5 miles wide. It is the biggest of a group of...
soon after John Patch's birth. Earning a living as a mariner and fishermen, Patch observed the efficiency of small boats propelled by single oar sculling
Sculling
Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...
and began to experiment with a propeller based in the motions of a sculling oar. During the winter of 1832-1833 he built a hand-cranked version of a doubled-bladed fan-shaped propeller. He demonstrated his propeller during the summer of 1833 before crowds watching as his small boat moved, seemingly magically, across Yarmouth Harbour. Patch further experimented by attaching his invention to a 25 ton coastal schooner named Royal George in the Bay of Fundy. The propeller allowed Royal George to enter Saint John Harbour
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
in a calm which stranded other sailing vessels. Patch's invention was 4 years before John Ericsson
John Ericsson
John Ericsson was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer, as was his brother Nils Ericson. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden, but primarily came to be active in England and the United States...
's famous patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
on the screw propeller in Britain. Patch lacked the funds to travel to Britain for a patent but instead tried to patent his propeller in the United States in 1832. However his application was refused as he was not an American citizen. Patch continued to improve his propeller and when American laws changed to permit patents by non-citizens, he received an American patent in 1849. Patch's propeller received some recognition, including praise for its efficiency in Scientific America magazine. However by 1849 there were multiple competing versions of the screw propeller in Europe and America. Patch never received money or recognition. An petition by Yarmouth citizens to reward his innovation with a pension from the Nova Scotia government in the 1858 was unsuccessful and he died a poor man at Yarmouth in 1861.
Recognition
Although Patch's invention was well documented at the time, his invention was overlooked amidst the many developers of the screw propeller and he has received few tributes. His invention is presented at an exhibit at the Yarmouth County Museum & ArchivesYarmouth County Museum & Archives
The Yarmouth County Museum & Archives is a museum located in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia exploring the history of Yarmouth County. The Museum began in 1935 with the creation of the Yarmouth County Historical Society. It opened its doors at the current location in 1958...
and a propeller-driven lifeboat in the collection of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
in Halifax, Nova Scotia is named in his honour. The Propeller Brewing Company in Halifax have promoted John Patch as their mascot and a Pubnico song writer named Vince d'Entrement wrote a ballad about Patch.