John Calley (also spelt Cawley) (1663 – May 1725, The Hague), was a metalworker, plumber and glass-blower, who became famous for being

Thomas Newcomen Thomas Newcomen (; February 1664 – 5 August 1729) was an English inventor who created the atmospheric engine, the first practical fuel-burning engine in 1712. He was an ironmonger by trade and a Baptist lay preacher by calling. He ...

's partner. Like Newcomen, he was a member of a Dartmouth family. He helped develop the

Newcomen atmospheric engine The atmospheric engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712, and is often referred to as the Newcomen fire engine (see below) or simply as a Newcomen engine. The engine was operated by condensing steam drawn into the cylinder, thereby creati ...

. He worked with Newcomen in introducing the engine to the Midlands, operating under the patent of

Thomas Savery Thomas Savery (; c. 1650 – 15 May 1715) was an English inventor and engineer. He invented the first commercially used steam-powered device, a steam pump which is often referred to as the "Savery engine". Savery's steam pump was a revolutiona ...

. The engine they created was a variation on the then current technology using a combination of steam cylinders, pistons, surface condensation and the separation of parts that were usually placed together to create this new technology. He installed an early Newcomen engine at More Hall Colliery in the grounds of

Austhorpe Hall Austhorpe Hall is a house built in 1694 at Austhorpe, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a grade II* listed building. The house is of red brick with contrasting stone quoins, seven bays and three storeys, with a triangular pediment over th ...

in Leeds, where he is said to have become ill and died during maintenance work. However, there is also evidence that he died in The Hague in 1725, while trying to secure a foreign patent for another device.

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"John Calley"
in ''Grace's Guide'' 1663 births 1725 deaths 17th-century English inventors People of the Industrial Revolution British steam engine engineers People from Dartmouth, Devon {{England-engineer-stub