George William Manby

George William Manby, 1818

Manby mortar, artist's impression (1843)

George William Manby (born November 28, 1765 in Denver ( Norfolk ), † November 18, 1854 in Great Yarmouth ) was an English inventor of devices for sea rescue.

Life

George William Manby may have studied mathematics and then was with the Cambridgeshire Militia , where he achieved the rank of captain . In 1793 he married a Mrs. Preston and returned to Denver. In 1801 he settled in Clifton near Briston and devoted himself to writing and illustrating his works.

Among other things, Manby invented the first modern fire extinguisher .

After a storm in February 1807, in which 67 people were killed on a ship near Yarmouth, he built a mortar with which a rope could be shot to a damaged ship (line gun ). Seafarers who had had an accident could then be rescued with a trouser buoy .

Works

• The History and Antiquities of St David’s (1801)
• Sketches of the History and Natural Beauties of Clifton (1802)
• A Guide from Clifton to the Counties of Monmouth, Glamorgan, etc. (1802)
• Journal of a voyage to Greenland in the year 1821

literature

• The latest inventions to rescue shipwrecked people . In: Illustrirte Zeitung . No. 10 . J. J. Weber, Leipzig September 2, 1843, p. 152 ( books.google.de ).

Web links

Commons : George William Manby  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• George William Manby Papers on specialcollections.wichita.edu (English)
• Manby mortar at collections.rmg.co.uk (English)
• Captain George William Manby: Royal Navy Officer and Inventor. ( Memento of October 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) on museums.norfolk.gov.uk (English)