Edward S. Renwick


 * For the Louisiana political commentator, see Ed Renwick.

Edward Sabine Renwick (1823–1912) was an American mechanical engineer, inventor and patent expert.

Early life
Renwick lost most of his eyesight while working as a patent examiner. He worked for a time in Wilkes-Barre as an ironmaster, but failed.

Family connections
His father, James Renwick, Sr., was a Professor of chemistry and physics at Columbia University. His mother, Margaret, was a member of the Brevoort family of New York. One brother, James Renwick Jr., was a leading US architect, designer of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grace Church, Vassar College, the Smithsonian Institution and the Croton Aqueduct. The other, Henry, was a former steamboat inspector and co-author with his father. His grandmother Jean Jeffrey/Jeannie Jaffray of Lochmaben was the Blue-Eyed Lassie mentioned in Robert Burns' poem I gaed a waefu' gate yestreen. Charles Wilkes was an uncle of his.

Edward Renwick married Elizabeth Anne Brevoort in 1862.

Inventions
Renwick formulated at least 25 inventions over his lifetime, including a combination chicken brooder and incubator, and a self-binding reaping machine. He sued Cyrus McCormick over royalties, but was awarded none.

His patent dates stretch from 1850 (age 27) to 1904 (age 81).

Great Eastern
One of his greatest achievements was the designing and supervising, with his brother Henry, of a repairing of a break in the bilge of the Great Eastern steamship with a floating caisson, clamped to the hull. It was 104 ft long by 15 ft wide and 8 ft deep.

Later life
He later settled in Millburn, New Jersey in 1867. He built a large Victorian mansion at 140 Old Short Hills Road which stood until 2001. He died there in 1912 at the age of 89.

Resources

 * Renwick, Edward S. (1893). Patentable invention (PDF). Rochester, N.Y. 168 pages.
 * Renwick, Edward S. (1893). Patentable invention (PDF). Rochester, N.Y. 168 pages.