Edward Spurr (1907–1998) was an English engineer. He was born in Eccleshill,

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, England. He was a pupil of Hanson Boys High School. Often described as "Bradford's Forgotten Inventor", he worked on an impressive range of projects. Not only did he design a powerboat engine with T.E. Lawrence (

Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

), but also worked on the Dambusters' bouncing bomb and Frank Whittle's

jet engine A jet engine is a type of reaction engine discharging a fast-moving jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition can include rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and hybrid propulsion, the term ...

. Spurr also designed various parts and other engines, for boats and planes, cars, motorcycles, and washing machines, his other inventions include pick-ups for record players and an automatic toaster.

References

1907 births 1998 deaths People from Eccleshill, West Yorkshire 20th-century British inventors {{England-engineer-stub