Kay, John

Kay, John (about 1704-78), inventor, b. Bury, Lancashire, England.

John Kay invented the 'flying shuttle' weaving device in 1733. In his day, weavers used hand-looms, but his invention allowed them to produce twice as much cloth in a given time.

In 1745, Kay invented a power-driven loom. Weavers thought this would cause them to lose their jobs because not so many weavers would be needed and they wrecked his home.

Afterwards, Kay left England and died a poor man in France, although his invention had changed forever the way weaving was done.

See John Lord Memoir Of John Kay, Of Bury