Nova Scotian Institute of Science - Hall of Fame
- John Patch
- Born: ca 1780, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
- Died: 1861
- Field: Sea captain, inventor
Sea captain and considered to be the co-inventor of the marine screw propeller (this device may also have been developed concurrently in Europe), successfully testing a prototype in 1833. Discouraged from applying for a US patent, despite the advantage such a propeller gave over huge inefficient paddle-wheels, he never received recognition for his invention, although the Scientific American published a description of his device in 1844.
Bibliography
Marble, Allan E.: Nova Scotians at Home and Abroad. Lancelot Press, Windsor, Nova Scotia, 1977.
Soucoup, D.: Maritime firsts. Pottersfield Press, Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia, 1996. 186 pp.