William Dent Priestman
Encyclopedia
William Dent Priestman, born in 1847 near Kingston upon Hull
was a Quaker and engineering pioneer, inventor of the Priestman Oil Engine, and co-founder with his brother Samuel of the Priestman Brothers
engineering company, manufacturers of cranes, winches and excavators.
director) Samuel Priestman.
He was educated at Bootham School
in York
, and then apprenticed at the Humber Iron Works, later at the North Eastern Railway (NER)
in Gateshead
. In 1869 He then joined the engineering company owned by William Armstrong (William Armstrong & Company, later to become Armstrong Whitworth
).
His father purchased the Holderness Foundry in Hull, and he began to do business independently; his brother joined him at the company, which later became Priestman Brothers
.
In the 1870s a license to manufacture petrol engines (of a type designed by Eugène Etève, similar to Étienne Lenoir
's engines) was obtained. The dangers and insurance costs of engines run on highly flammable petrol caused him to investigate the use of lamp oil in internal combustion engines. He obtained patents, including a patent for an oil vaporiser in 1885. His investigtions led him to develop one of the first reliable engines to work on a fuel heavier (more viscous and with a higher boiling point) than petrol., known as the 'Priestman Oil Engine'.
In 1894 William and Samuel Priestman were given the John Scott Award
for their engine.
Having lost control of the Priestman company in 1895 following insolvency William spent the rest of his life helping others. He died in Hull in 1936.
.
The engine was produced from 1888 to 1904 with over 1000 engines manufactured, and found use on barges, one engine is said to have been trialled on the Hull and Barnsley Railway
as power for a shunting locomotive.
One engine has been preserved as a stationary exhibit at the Streetlife Museum of Transport
in Kingston upon Hull
. The engine design was recognised by the Engineering Heritage Hallmark Scheme awarded by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
in 2000 for its significance in British engineering history.
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
was a Quaker and engineering pioneer, inventor of the Priestman Oil Engine, and co-founder with his brother Samuel of the Priestman Brothers
Priestman Brothers
Priestman Brothers was an engineering company based in Kingston upon Hull, UK that manufactured diggers, dredgers, cranes and other industrial machinery...
engineering company, manufacturers of cranes, winches and excavators.
Biography
William along with ten other offspring was the son of Leeds corn-miller (and laterly NERNorth Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
director) Samuel Priestman.
He was educated at Bootham School
Bootham School
Bootham School is an independent Quaker boarding school in the city of York in North Yorkshire, England. It was founded by the Religious Society of Friends in 1823. It is close to York Minster. The current headmaster is Jonathan Taylor. The school's motto Membra Sumus Corporis Magni means "We...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, and then apprenticed at the Humber Iron Works, later at the North Eastern Railway (NER)
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
. In 1869 He then joined the engineering company owned by William Armstrong (William Armstrong & Company, later to become Armstrong Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
).
His father purchased the Holderness Foundry in Hull, and he began to do business independently; his brother joined him at the company, which later became Priestman Brothers
Priestman Brothers
Priestman Brothers was an engineering company based in Kingston upon Hull, UK that manufactured diggers, dredgers, cranes and other industrial machinery...
.
In the 1870s a license to manufacture petrol engines (of a type designed by Eugène Etève, similar to Étienne Lenoir
Etienne Lenoir
-Sources:* Georgano, G.N. Cars: Early and Vintage 1886-1930. London: Grange-Universal, 1990 . ISBN 0-9509620-3-1....
's engines) was obtained. The dangers and insurance costs of engines run on highly flammable petrol caused him to investigate the use of lamp oil in internal combustion engines. He obtained patents, including a patent for an oil vaporiser in 1885. His investigtions led him to develop one of the first reliable engines to work on a fuel heavier (more viscous and with a higher boiling point) than petrol., known as the 'Priestman Oil Engine'.
In 1894 William and Samuel Priestman were given the John Scott Award
John Scott Award
The John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium, created in 1816, is a medal presented to men and women whose inventions improved the "comfort, welfare, and happiness of human kind" in a significant way...
for their engine.
Having lost control of the Priestman company in 1895 following insolvency William spent the rest of his life helping others. He died in Hull in 1936.
The Priestman Oil Engine
The Priestman Oil Engine used a pressurised fuel tank, and fuel injection through a nozzle into a chamber heated by exhaust gasses in order to create a suitably combustable mixture in the cylinder. Incomplete vaporisation of the fuel resulted in some condensation on the walls of the cylinder; as a result the fuel both lubricated the cylinder as well as providing power. The engine also controlled the speed by connections between valves on the fuel inlets and a speed governor. Ignition was by electric sparkElectric spark
An electric spark is a type of electrostatic discharge that occurs when an electric field creates an ionized electrically conductive channel in air producing a brief emission of light and sound. A spark is formed when the electric field strength exceeds the dielectric field strength of air...
.
The engine was produced from 1888 to 1904 with over 1000 engines manufactured, and found use on barges, one engine is said to have been trialled on the Hull and Barnsley Railway
Hull and Barnsley Railway
The Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905...
as power for a shunting locomotive.
One engine has been preserved as a stationary exhibit at the Streetlife Museum of Transport
Streetlife museum of transport
The Streetlife Museum of Transport is a transport museum located in Kingston upon Hull, England. The roots of the collection date back to the early 20th century, however the purpose-built museum the collection is housed in was opened in 1989 by the then Hull East MP, John Prescott...
in Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. The engine design was recognised by the Engineering Heritage Hallmark Scheme awarded by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
in 2000 for its significance in British engineering history.