Lancashire Lantern
Lancashire Lantern: Lancashire Pioneers
Part of the Lancashire Lantern network, the Pioneers gives details of people who were famous local people in science, technology and innovation. These pioneers were either born in Lancashire or their endeavours made a significant contribution to the development of the County.
A to Z of all the Pioneers
Click the name of the pioneer to see full details of their lives and achievements.
Richard Arkwright (1732 - 1792),
born in Preston; inventor of the water frame for mechanizing cotton spinning and one of the pioneers of the modern factory system.
Hubert James Austin (1841 - 1915),
Lancaster architect, who joined Edward Graham Paley as his partner in 1868; he acquired a national reputation for the erection and restoration of ecclesiastical buildings.
Several generations from late seventeenth to late nineteenth century. Merchants and manufacturers of sailcloth for the Royal Navy.
Lawrence (Lawrie) Bond (1907 - 1974),
born in Preston, worked in Longridge; Formula Three racing driver whose design of the first three-wheeled Minicar introduced cheap motoring to post-war Britain.
Decimus Burton (1801 - 1881),
chief architect of Fleetwood and designer of Palm House at Kew, Hyde Park Arch and much more.
Joseph Gornall (1856 - 1928),
lived at Cabus, patented the 'Gornall Cheesemaker' and wrote and taught on the subject of cheesemaking.
Jeremiah Horrocks (1617 - 1641),
the first important British astronomer. In 1639, in Much Hoole, he predicted and then observed the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This important event paved the way for further scientific discoveries and exploration.
Sir James Mackenzie M.D. (1853 - 1925),
born in Scone, Perthshire; a general practitioner and clinical researcher especially concerned with heart disease. He lived and worked in Burnley for 28 years from 1879 and invented an ink polygraph to measure the pulse rate.
John Edward Marr (1857 - 1933),
born in Morecambe, pioneer in study of geology and scenery; Professor of Geology, Cambridge University; President, Geological Society of London 1904-1906; Fellow of the Royal Society.
John Mercer (1791 - 1866),
a self-taught chemist, was born and lived in Great Harwood and Clayton-le-Moors. He invented the mercerisation process for treating cotton which is still in use today and was a pioneer in colour photography.
Sir Jonas Moore (1617 - 1679),
born in Higher Whitelee, near Nelson; mathematician and a copyholder of the Honour of Clitheroe; surveyor of the Fens and map maker.
Sir Richard Owen (1804 - 1892),
born in Lancaster; a Naturalist and first Hunterian Professor of comparative anatomy and physiology at the Royal College of Surgeons and founder of the Natural History Museum.
Edward Graham Paley (1823 -1895),
founder member of Royal Archaeological Society, partner in firm of Austin & Paley; favoured Gothic revival style of architecture. Involved in foundation of Lancaster Rowing Club.
James Pearson F.R.A.S. (1825 - 1886),
vicar of Fleetwood; his findings on the computation of tides are still used today.
William Windle Pilkington (1839 - 1914),
a prolific inventor whose work secured the future of the glass industry in Lancashire.
Sir Arthur Schuster (1851 - 1934),
born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, naturalized as a British citizen in 1875; a mathematical physicist and x-ray pioneer; first practical, portable, diagnostic use of x-ray performed at Nelson.
Edmund Sharpe (1809 - 1877),
Mayor of Lancaster 1848, played an important part in improving sanitary conditions of the town and established a nationally recognised architectural practice there.
Edmondson Spencer (1885 - 1955),
born in Colne; chemist and geologist for Bird & Co. Calcutta. In his obituary in the Colne Times 25th November 1955, it was quoted "One of the greatest scientists this country and perhaps the world has ever produced".
James Sumner (1860 - 1924),
an important pioneer of British industry, responsible for turning his father's blacksmithing business in Leyland into a major motor-manufacturing industry.
Sir Henry Tate (1819 - 1899),
born in Chorley, developed a sugar refining business that later became 'Tate and Lyle'. He used his business fortune to build the Tate gallery and to endow colleges, hospitals and libraries.
James Thomson (1779 - 1850),
an accomplished chemist and leading light in the calico printing industry at Primrose Mill, Clitheroe.
David Whitehead (1790 - 1865),
born in Rossendale and manufactured cotton there; built a school for cotton workers' children, 80 workers' homes, a Methodist chapel and two cotton mills.
Frank Whittle and Rolls-Royce,
Barnoldswick, developed and pioneered global aerospace since the opening of the site in W.W.2. Rolls Royce has been important locally as a major employer and nationally as the pioneer of national defence and civil aviation.
of Ormskirk, a business man with an inventive mind who is credited with being the first gold-balance maker in an industry which was peculiar to Ormskirk in the 18th century.
Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in the Lancashire Lantern Website is correct and up to date. However, Lancashire County Council does not accept liability for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or omissions within these pages. Read the full disclaimer.