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182:, and Irish agriculture depended on the potato crop whilst much of the land was uncultivated due to poor drainage. This affected Fowler and he was convinced that there must be a way of bringing more land into production. The normal way to drain agricultural land was to use a mole plough to dig a subterranean drainage channel. The mole plough has a vertical blade with a cylindrical "mole" attached to the bottom. The mole is pointed at the front end, and as it moves through the soil, it leaves a horizontal channel into which porous drainage pipes can be laid. However this required considerable tractive power, so that the size of the plough was limited by the strength of the teams of horses that pulled it. Fowler returned to England and developed a horse-powered ploughing engine that would dig drainage channels.
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pulley and across the field to the mole plough. As the winch drew in the rope the mole plough was drawn across the field digging a drainage channel as it went. The engine also had a second winch with a rope passing round the same anchored pulley and then passing across the field and around a second pulley and back to the plough. This second rope would be used to drag the plough back to its starting point after completing a drainage line. Both pulleys would then be re-anchored at both ends of the next channel to be dug and the ploughing process would be repeated. The steam plough was demonstrated at the
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cumbersome. One way of improving the plough's efficiency would be to design a plough that could plough in either direction without having to be turned round. Fowler achieved this by designing a frame for the plough that had two ploughs attached as a kind of see-saw. One of the two plough blades would be swung down to make contact with the soil, depending on the direction the plough was to travel. At the end of each furrow the anchored pulleys would be moved slightly ready for the next furrow.
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inserting a length of drainage pipes. When each length had been completed, the pulley would be moved to a new position, the rope would be let out and the plough would be taken to the far side of the field, ready to start the next channel. The design was a vast improvement on the previous one, in that the horsepower was not being expended in dragging the machine across the field, only the plough. Fowler demonstrated his new drainage plough at the
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string of drainage pipes attached at the rear end and these would be dragged through the channel created by the mole. On completing each length of drains, the engine would be turned, the rope would be let out and the pulley repositioned ready for the next length. Fowler had trouble with the capstan gears and with the rope slipping on the capstan, but was able to demonstrate his engine at a meeting of the
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it required two engines, only one of which was working at a time. It is believed that Fowler persevered with his single-engine ploughing system because it was cheaper and he saw it as more affordable for average farmer. Eventually the double-engine ploughing method superseded the single-engine system that had won the prize at
Chester. Because of its expense it was normally operated by contractors.
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plough. The experiment was a failure because the steam engine proved to be too heavy to move easily over soft ground. However, in the same year, on 21 October, Fowler was awarded patent number 480 for "Improvements in
Machinery for draining land", believed to be one of the first patents for the use of steam power in agriculture.
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in
Yorkshire, to recuperate. He was persuaded to take up hunting as a way of getting exercise and whilst out with the hunt he had a fall and sustained a compound fracture of his arm. Whilst recovering from this mishap, he developed tetanus and died on 4 December 1864, at his home in Ackworth. He died
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Following the failure of his first steam-driven plough, Fowler reverted to the design used for his second horse-driven plough. His new design consisted of a steam engine placed in a corner of the field driving a winch. A rope led from the winch along the side of the field, around a securely anchored
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In 1856 Fowler filed a patent relating to a method of ploughing using two self-moving engines, placed at opposite ends of the field and each using a winch to draw a plough backwards and forwards between them. This system did away with the need for pulleys and anchors, but was more expensive in that
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in 1857. In 1854 the R.A.S.E. had offered a £200 prize for the best system of mechanical cultivation, and this had since been raised to £500. At
Chelmsford, Fowler's ploughing system was pitted against a rival ploughing system designed by John Smith of Woolston. Smith's design did not fulfil all of
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merchant, who had married
Rebecca Hull, and together they had three daughters and five sons, of whom Fowler was the third son. When he left school Fowler followed his father's wishes and began working for a local corn merchant, but when he came of age in 1847 he turned his back on the corn business
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Fowler's ploughing engine dragged itself across the field on rollers, pulling the mole plough as it went. The engine was driven by a team of horses that walked round a capstan, winding in a rope which was passed through a pulley securely anchored at the far end of the field. The mole would have a
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around which a rope was wound. The rope would pass along the edge of the field to a securely anchored pulley and would then pass at right angles across the field to the mole plough. As the horses drove the winch, the rope would drag the mole plough across the field, digging a drainage channel and
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mounted out in front of the smoke box and a rope running from it, round a pulley anchored at the far side of the field and back to the engine. The engine pulled itself across the field, dragging the mole plough behind it. The design was therefore similar to his first design for the horse-powered
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Fowler got round the above problem by using a weighted cart with a pulley mounted beneath the frame. The cart had disc wheels that dug into the ground so that the cart acted as an anchor for the pulley. Two carts would be placed at opposite ends of the furrow so as to pull the plough in either
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It seemed an obvious progression to use Fowler's latest steam-driven plough for normal ploughing, rather than just drainage channels. However normal ploughing was much lighter work that could be achieved perfectly well by a team of horses and in comparison the steam-driven plough was rather
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in Essex and had five children: Emma Mary Fowler (4 May 1858 – 13 Dec 1939), Edith
Rebecca Fowler (15 Oct 1859 – 6 Dec 1895), Laura Elizabeth Fowler (16 Mar 1861 – 11 Oct 1941), John Ernest Fowler (3 Jan 1863 – 21 Apr 1884), Lucy Pease Fowler (25 Apr 1864 – 22 Aug 1909).
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per acre as against 7s for horse ploughing. The judges therefore decided not to award the prize, a bitter disappointment for Fowler who thought that the superior speed of his system over horse ploughing should have been taken into account.
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His brothers Robert, William and
Barnard had joined him in the business he had founded and they continued to run the firm after his death. Fowler's method of ploughing continued to be used until well into the twentieth century when the
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in 1850. He was able to lay a drain at a depth of 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) in heavy clay. His invention was awarded a silver medal and was reported as "altogether the most important feature of the exhibition."
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in which 1 acre was ploughed in an hour. Despite the fact that the engine and plough coped well with the task, the effort of re-positioning the pulleys at either end of the field was too time-consuming.
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In his early career, Fowler had worked with steam engines and the logical progression was to apply this method of power to his drainage plough. This he did in 1852 when he designed a steam engine with a
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that same year, despite the judges agreeing that the sole entrant had not exactly fulfilled the conditions the efforts were impressive. Fowler returned to contest the R.A.S.E. ploughing trial at
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Fowler might have remained with the
Middlesbrough firm and made his reputation there, had it not been for a chance visit to Ireland in 1849, probably on business. This was at the time of the
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By 1858 Fowler had forty sets of ploughing tackle in use, and by 1861 he had one hundred sets working. From 1860 the manufacture of the ploughing machinery was carried out by the firm of
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Between 1850 and 1864 Fowler took out in his own name and in partnership with other persons thirty-two patents for ploughs and ploughing apparatus, reaping machines, seed drills,
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channels. His inventions significantly reduced the cost of ploughing farmland, and also enabled the drainage of previously uncultivated land in many parts of the world.
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542:. Fowler's ploughing sets were sold all over the world and were responsible for bringing land into production that was previously unable to be cultivated.
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Fowler then decided to change his design so that the horse engine remained stationary at the corner of the field. The team of horses drove a vertical
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Fowler had worked so hard in developing his ideas that he had undermined his health. He was advised to take more rest and so he retired to
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in 1853, where he was awarded another silver medal. He was able to lay drains to a depth of 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m).
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In 1862 Fowler formed a partnership with
William Watson Hewitson of the above firm and founded Hewitson and Fowler based at
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the judges' conditions and it was disqualified. Fowler's system worked very well, but the estimated cost of his work was
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direction, and after completing a furrow, the carts would be winched to the position for the next furrow.
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in 1858. He was opposed by a number of competitors but was successful in being awarded the £500 prize.
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526:(whom he cooperated with), to build (and later improve) his revolutionary steam-based machines.
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Fowler first showed his double-engine system of ploughing at the R.A.S.E. ploughing trial at
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578:. The plinth may still be seen there, but the plough that it supported disappeared in 1970.
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A monument to John Fowler's invention of the steam plough was placed on his father-in-law's
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in 1857, but again the prize was withheld. However, Fowler did receive £200 awarded by the
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715:., "A Wealth of Happiness and Many Bitter Trials", William Sessions of York. 1992.
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only months after his great triumph at the
Newcastle ploughing trial, at age 38.
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M. W. Kirby., "Men of Business and Politics", George Allen & Unwin. 1984.
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competing against a ploughing system designed by his great rivals, the
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when he was working at Middlesbrough. Fowler and his wife settled at
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Iron: An Illustrated Weekly Journal for Iron and Steel Manufacturers
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Rolt, L.T.C., "Great Engineers", 1962, G. Bell and Sons Ltd, ISBN –
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Rolt, L.T.C., "Great Engineers", 1962, G. Bell and Sons Ltd, ISBN
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158:. Amongst other things, the company was involved in building
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Fowler's modified ploughing system was demonstrated at the
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361:. Fowler had become more closely acquainted with the
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The Farmers Magazine by James Ridgeway, p. 127, 1850
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Steam traction engine at Mt Warrenheip near Ballarat
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Winch and steering detail of Fowler ploughing engine
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A similar trial was held at the R.A.S.E. meeting at
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Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
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538:. A year later Hewitson died and the firm became
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113:(11 July 1826 – 4 December 1864) was an English
522:. Fowler inspired many industrialists, such as
145:. His father, John Fowler senior was a wealthy
563:allowed the development of light but powerful
337:, Elizabeth Lucy (1833–1881), fifth child of
511:cables, and the making of bricks and tiles.
272:built the new engine at its Orwell works at
398:. Fowler's system carried off every prize.
622:available on line accessed 31 October 2007
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574:estate in 1856, but was moved in 1870 to
296:in 1856. and at the following meeting at
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671:"Kemna, Julius - Deutsche Biographie"
290:Royal Agricultural Society of England
250:Royal Agricultural Society of England
219:Royal Agricultural Society of England
193:Royal Agricultural Society of England
747:People from Ackworth, West Yorkshire
625:
757:People of the Industrial Revolution
635:Today in Science History – web site
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243:Second steam-driven drainage plough
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150:and joined the engineering firm of
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495:Fowler self-contained motor plough
229:First steam-driven drainage plough
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402:Fowler Winching Ploughing Engines
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386:in 1863. He competed in 1864 in
117:who was a pioneer in the use of
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359:Stockton and Darlington Railway
168:Stockton and Darlington Railway
777:19th-century English engineers
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353:who had supported his father
345:. Joseph Pease was a wealthy
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16:English agricultural engineer
762:English mechanical engineers
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675:www.deutsche-biographie.de
561:internal combustion engine
152:Gilkes Wilson and Company
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637:accessed 31 October 2007
540:John Fowler and Company
530:John Fowler and Company
473:Fowler ploughing engine
461:Fowler ploughing engine
449:Fowler ploughing engine
425:Fowler ploughing engine
413:Fowler ploughing engine
374:Double-engine ploughing
333:On 30 July 1857 Fowler
96:John and Rebecca Fowler
772:Agricultural engineers
669:Biographie, Deutsche.
576:South Park, Darlington
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204:Second drainage plough
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106:Fowler traction engine
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186:First drainage plough
115:agricultural engineer
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72:Agricultural engineer
752:People from Melksham
657:Perry Fairfax Nursey
80:Elizabeth Lucy Pease
713:Joseph Gurney Pease
516:Kitson and Hewitson
388:Newcastle upon Tyne
317:, after a trial at
260:Steam-driven plough
217:in 1851 and at the
137:Fowler was born in
61:Ackworth, Yorkshire
509:electric telegraph
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767:English inventors
357:proposal for the
160:steam locomotives
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479:Later career
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343:South Durham
339:Joseph Pease
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268:The firm of
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180:Great Famine
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125:and digging
111:John Fowler
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55:(1864-12-04)
34:11 July 1826
18:
742:1864 deaths
737:1826 births
677:(in German)
292:meeting at
252:meeting at
221:meeting at
25:John Fowler
731:Categories
650:edited by
582:References
572:Pierremont
546:Retirement
351:Darlington
294:Chelmsford
223:Gloucester
133:Early life
69:Occupation
384:Worcester
341:, MP for
311:Salisbury
298:Salisbury
256:in 1854.
143:Wiltshire
123:ploughing
93:Parent(s)
63:, England
44:, England
42:Wiltshire
565:tractors
552:Ackworth
367:Havering
329:Marriage
319:Stirling
139:Melksham
127:drainage
85:Children
38:Melksham
681:18 July
536:Hunslet
396:Bedford
323:Chester
274:Ipswich
254:Lincoln
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347:Quaker
303:7s 2½d
278:Nacton
197:Exeter
147:Quaker
77:Spouse
520:Leeds
349:from
236:winch
210:winch
717:ISBN
703:ISBN
683:2020
121:for
88:five
50:Died
31:Born
518:of
394:of
195:at
154:of
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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