Patrick Bell

Rev Patrick Bell (May 12, 1799 - April 22, 1869) was a Church of Scotland minister and inventor.

Biography

Born in the rural parish of Auchterhouse in Angus, Scotland, into a farming family, Bell chose to study divinity at the University of St Andrews. He was Carmyllie parish minister from 1843 until his death.

The Reaping Machine

Bell invented the reaping machine while working on his father's farm. His interest in mechanics led him to work on a horse powered mechanical reaper for speeding up the harvest. In 1828 his machine was used with success on his father's farm and others in the district.

Bell never sought a patent for his reaping machine. Being a man of god, he believed his invention should benefit all mankind. Therefore he never made any financial gain from its success throughout the world.

References

*http://www.auchterhouse.com/history/pbell.htm
*http://www.angus.gov.uk/history/features/people/patrickbell.htm
*http://www.cornways.de/hi_combine.html
*http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?scache=5cryr2dbs0&searchdb=scran&usi=000-100-044-206-C