Arkwright's water frame and the factory

Richard Arkwright patented his water-powered spinning machine, the water frame, in 1769; it made a cotton yarn strong enough for warp, and with partners he opened mills at Nottingham and Cromford that carried out every stage from carding to spinning. By 1782 he had £200,000 of capital and 5,000 workers, and Britannica judges his power-driven factory system perhaps more important than his inventions.

The mechanism

INDUSTRIALISATION

How it was checked

• EvidenceT5 INDEPENDENT SECULAR; Status: ADDED 2026-09-19
• Letter eraTHE SEAT MOVES TO THE BENCH 1713 to 1945
• SourcesRECORD — Britannica, 'Sir Richard Arkwright' · checked 19 September: Britannica (read in a browser; WebFetch is refused by the site), 'Sir Richard Arkwright'