# Nathan Read

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American politician

For the character in *Angel*, see [Nathan Reed](/source/Nathan_Reed).

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Nathan Read Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th district In office November 25, 1800 – March 3, 1803 Preceded by Samuel Sewall Succeeded by Seth Hastings Personal details Born (1759-07-02)July 2, 1759 Western, Massachusetts Bay, British America (now Warren, Massachusetts) Died January 20, 1849(1849-01-20) (aged 89) Belfast, Maine, U.S. Party Federalist Alma mater Harvard University Occupation Engineer

**Nathan Read** (July 2, 1759 – January 20, 1849) was an American engineer and steam pioneer.

Nathan Read was the true inventor of the high-pressure steam engine in 1789, this was twelve years before the [steam-engine](/source/Steam-engine) was known to be used in the form of a high-pressure engine, and led a great revolution in steam power to navigation and land-transport.

## Early life and family

Nathan Read was born in the town of [Western](/source/Warren%2C_Massachusetts) (later renamed "Warren") in the [Province of Massachusetts Bay](/source/Province_of_Massachusetts_Bay), on July 2, 1759. His ancestors came from [Newcastle-upon-Tyne](/source/Newcastle-upon-Tyne), northeast [England](/source/England). His father, Reuben Read, was an officer in the Revolutionary service and his mother's maiden name was Tamsin Meacham.

In 1774, Nathan Read commenced his preparatory studies for college. At the close of the summer vacation of 1777, he became a student at [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University).

## Harvard University

At Harvard, Read studied medicine and graduated in 1781. He taught school in [Beverly](/source/Beverly%2C_Massachusetts) and [Salem](/source/Salem%2C_Massachusetts) and was elected a tutor in Harvard University. After graduating, he became a scholar until 1783. Then, he was elected a tutor and continued his labors as such where he continued until 1787. He was elected a Fellow of the [American Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/American_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences) in 1791.[1]

## As an apothecary

Then, he opened an [apothecary](/source/Apothecary) store in Salem and developed [potassium bicarbonate](/source/Potassium_bicarbonate) (KHCO3) in 1788, but kept the store for only one year.

## High-pressure steam engine

From October 1788, Nathan Read quit the last work and began to make a number of improvements of the [steam engine](/source/Steam_engine). He invented and patented the multi-tubular boiler. He then made efforts to improve the function of the steam cylinder, and placed it in a horizontal position so the engine could sustain much higher pressure, that is to say, Read invented the high-pressure steam engine, a new kind of steam engine, different from James Watt's old engine. Read made the engine more convenient and portable, also much lighter and safer. The most important was that the new engine needed much less room and fuel than the old one. Read successfully reconstructed the steam engine; he modified the Watt engine to a high-pressure engine that could be widely used in new fields, such as steamboat and locomotive.

### Use in transportation

To prove the usefulness of the high-pressure steam engine, Read made several models of steamcar and steamboat in 1790. Read's experiment was very successful; it proved that the engine he built functioned well. He also invented the chain-wheel for paddle wheels to propel the steamboat, and set up a shipbuilding factory with his friends in 1796. There is, however, no evidence he ever built a full-scale version of his models.[2]

## Nail machine

Several years later, Read made another important innovation. He developed a new machine, which could be used for cutting and heading nails at one operation. It was patented on January 8, 1798. A sample of this machine is owned by the Peabody Essex Museum.

## Other inventions

He developed a style of rotary steam engine in 1817.

In agricultural areas, he had more inventions and plans, such as threshing machine, thrashing machine, different forms of pumping engines and a new kind of windmill. He developed a plan for using the expansion and contraction of metals, multiplied by levers, widely used in winding up clocks and other purposes. He patented some of them, but others were mainly used in agricultural fields and never patented.

## Marriage

Nathan Read married Elizabeth Jeffrey in October 1790.

## Politics

Read was selected as a [Federalist](/source/Federalist_Party) to the [Sixth Congress](/source/6th_United_States_Congress) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of [Samuel Sewall](/source/Samuel_Sewall_(congressman)); and was popularly elected to the [Seventh Congress](/source/7th_United_States_Congress) and served from November 25, 1800, to March 3, 1803. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1802. In 1803, he was judge of the [Court of Common Pleas](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Massachusetts_Court_of_Common_Pleas&action=edit&redlink=1) of [Essex County](/source/Essex_County%2C_Massachusetts). In 1807, he moved to [Belfast, Maine](/source/Belfast%2C_Maine), and was judge of the county court of [Hancock County](/source/Hancock_County%2C_Maine) that year. He was instrumental in establishing [Belfast Academy](/source/Belfast_Academy) and served as trustee for forty years. He died near Belfast; interment was in [Grove Cemetery](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grove_Cemetery_(Belfast,_Maine)&action=edit&redlink=1), Belfast.

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AAAS_1-0)** ["Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter B"](http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterB.pdf) (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Nicholson, T. R. (June 18, 1982). [*Birth of the British Motor Car, 1769-1897*](https://books.google.com/books?id=iE-wCwAAQBAJ&q=%22Nathan+Read%22&pg=PA19). Springer. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781349037926](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781349037926).

## References

- United States Congress. ["Nathan Read (id: R000093)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000093). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

- [Engines of our Ingenuity No. 2089 NATHAN READ by John H. Lienhard](http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2089.htm)

- [Nathan Read his invention of the multi-tubular boiler and portable high-pressure engine, and discovery of the true mode of applying steam-power to navigation and railways. A contribution to the early history of the steamboat and locomotive engine](http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/david-read/nathan-read-his-invention-of-the-multi-tubular-boiler-and-portable-high-pressure-hci/1-nathan-read-his-invention-of-the-multi-tubular-boiler-and-portable-high-pressure-hci.shtml), 1870}

- Scientific American, May 5, 1870, Page 328, "Nathan Read, the Inventor of the Multi-Tubular Boiler" (obituary)}

## External links

- [Nathan Read](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7232926) at [Find a Grave](/source/Find_a_Grave)

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Samuel Sewall Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th congressional district 1800–1803 Succeeded by Seth Hastings

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Israel People US Congress Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

v t e United States representatives from Massachusetts 1st district F. Ames Dexter Goodhue Holten Sedgwick Skinner Sedgwick J. Bacon Eustis Quincy Ward Jr. Mason Gorham Webster Gorham N. Appleton Gorham A. Lawrence Fletcher A. Lawrence Winthrop N. Appleton Winthrop S. Eliot W. Appleton Scudder T. D. Eliot Hall T. D. Eliot Buffington Crapo R. Davis Randall Wright G. Lawrence Treadway Heselton Conte Olver Neal 2nd district Goodhue Foster W. Lyman Sedgwick Ward Sr. W. Lyman Shepard J. Crowninshield Story Pickman W. Reed Pickering Silsbee Barstow B. Crowninshield Choate Phillips Saltonstall D. King Rantoul Fay Crocker Buffington O. Ames Harris Long E. Morse Gillett Churchill Bowles Kaynor Granfield Clason Furcolo Boland Neal McGovern 3rd district Gerry Bourne Coffin S. Lyman Mattoon Cutler Nelson Livermore White Pickering Nelson Varnum Nelson Osgood Cushing A. Abbott Duncan Edmands Damrell C. Adams Thomas A. Rice Twichell Whiting I Pierce Field B. Dean Field Ranney L. Morse J. Andrew Walker J. R. Thayer R. Hoar C. Washburn J. A. Thayer Wilder Paige F. Foss Casey Philbin Drinan Donohue Early Blute McGovern N. Tsongas Trahan 4th district Sedgwick Dearborn G. Thatcher Wadsworth Foster L. Lincoln Sr. Hastings Varnum W. Richardson Dana Stearns Fuller E. Everett Sa. Hoar Parmenter Thompson Palfrey Thompson Sabine Walley Comins A. Rice Hooper Frost J. Abbott L. Morse Collins O'Neil Apsley Weymouth Tirrell Mitchell Wilder Winslow Stobbs P. Holmes Donohue Drinan Frank Kennedy III Auchincloss 5th district Partridge Bourne Freeman L. Williams T. Dwight Ely Mills Lathrop Sibley J. Davis L. Lincoln Jr. Hudson C. Allen W. Appleton Burlingame W. Appleton Hooper Alley Butler Gooch Banks Bowman L. Morse Hayden Banks Sh. Hoar Stevens Knox B. Ames J. Rogers E. Rogers B. Morse Cronin P. Tsongas Shannon Atkins Meehan N. Tsongas Markey Clark 6th district G. Thatcher Leonard J. Reed Sr. J. Smith Taggart S. Allen Locke Kendall Grennell Alvord Baker Ashmun G. Davis Upham T. Davis Alley Gooch Banks Butler Thompson Loring Stone Lovering Lodge Cogswell Moody Gardner Lufkin A.P. Andrew G. Bates W. Bates Harrington Mavroules Torkildsen Tierney Moulton 7th district Leonard Ward Sr. Leonard Bullock Bishop Mitchell Barker Baylies Turner Baylies Hulbert Shaw H. Dwight S. Allen Grennell Briggs J. Rockwell Goodrich Banks Gooch Boutwell Brooks Esty E. Hoar Tarbox Butler W. Russell Stone Cogswell W. Everett Barrett Roberts Phelan Maloney W. Connery L. Connery Lane Macdonald Markey Capuano Pressley 8th district Grout G. Thatcher F. Ames Otis Eustis L. Williams Green Gardner Green J. Reed Jr. Baylies Sampson Hobart Lathrop Bates Calhoun J. Adams Mann Wentworth Knapp Train Baldwin G. Hoar J. M. S. Williams Warren Claflin Candler W Russell C. H. Allen Greenhalge Stevens McCall Deitrick Dallinger H. Thayer Dallinger Healey Goodwin Macdonald O'Neill Kennedy II Capuano Lynch 9th district Varnum Bishop J. Dean Wheaton J. Reed Jr. Folger J. Reed Jr. H. Dwight Briggs Jackson Hastings H. Williams Hale Fowler Little De Witt E. Thayer Bailey A. Walker W. Washburn Crocker G. Hoar W. Rice T. Lyman Ely Burnett Candler G. Williams O'Neil Fitzgerald Conry Keliher Murray Roberts Fuller Underhill Luce R. Russell Luce T. H. Eliot Gifford Nicholson Keith McCormack Hicks Moakley Lynch Keating 10th district Goodhue Sewall Read Hastings Upham J. Allen Brigham Wheaton Morton F Baylies Bailey H. A. S. Dearborn W. Baylies Borden H. Williams Borden Burnell Grinnell Scudder Dickinson Chaffee Delano Dawes Crocker Stevens Seelye Norcross W. Rice J. E. Russell J. Walker McEttrick Atwood Barrows Naphen McNary O'Connell Curley Murray Tague Fitzgerald Tague Douglass Tinkham Herter Curtis Martin Heckler Studds Delahunt Keating 11th district Bradbury Bartlett Cutler Stedman A. Bigelow Brigham B. Adams J. Russell Hobart J. Richardson J. Adams J. Reed Jr. Burnell Goodrich Trafton Dawes Chapin Robinson Whiting II Wallace Coolidge Draper Sprague Powers Sullivan Peters Tinkham Douglass Higgins Flaherty Curley Kennedy O'Neill Burke Donnelly 12th district H. Dearborn I. Parker Lee S. Thatcher Skinner Larned Bidwell Bacon Dewey Hulbert Strong Kendall L. Bigelow Baylies Hodges J. Adams Robinson F. Rockwell Crosby E. Morse Lovering Powers Weeks Curley Gallivan McCormack Keith Studds 13th district Wadsworth Seaver Ruggles Dowse Eustis J. Reed Jr. Randall Simpkins Greene Weeks Mitchell Carter Luce Wigglesworth Burke 14th district G. Thatcher Cutts C. King J. Holmes Lovering E. Foss Harris Gilmore Olney Frothingham Wigglesworth Martin 15th district Wadsworth Ilsley Whitman Widgery Bradbury Whitman Greene Leach Martin Gifford 16th district S. Thatcher Cook Tallman S. Davis Brown Orr Hill Thacher Walsh Gifford 17th district Bruce Chandler Gannett F. Carr Wood J. Carr Wilson Kinsley 18th district Wilson T. Rice J. Parker 19th district J. Parker Conner Gage Cushman 20th district Hubbard Parris E. Lincoln At-large Cobb

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