Lister, Samuel Cunliffe, Baron Masham

Lister, Samuel Cunliffe, Baron Masham (of Swinton)

(born Jan. 1, 1815, Calverley Hall, near Bradford, Yorkshire, Eng.—died Feb. 2, 1906, Swinton Park, Yorkshire) British inventor. His wool-combing machine (1845) helped lower the price of clothing and contributed greatly to the development of Australian sheep farming. Another invention (c. 1865) permitted the use of silk waste to make goods that could compete with those manufactured from the perfect cocoon and that could be sold at many times the cost of production. His velvet loom for making pile fabrics (c. 1878) was another important innovation.