Most of the prominent inventors responsible for the Industrial...
LiorLefineder@lefineder
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Jan 15, 2026
~1 min read
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Most of the prominent inventors responsible for the Industrial Revolution had no educational training in science or engineering, and a plurality of those born pre-1780 to 1820 only had a primary school education.
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Only in the post-1845 birth cohort did a slight majority of important inventors come from a science and technology educational background.
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"the industrial revolution drew on traditional institutions that enhanced individual abilities, such as apprenticeships and on-the-job training. The route of craft-apprenticeship was taken by an impressive roster of great inventors"
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Some inventors were completely self-educated George Stephenson, the builder of the first steam locomotive to carry passengers, was illiterate until he was 18 and taught himself to read and write.
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"William Fairbairn...although he was self-taught, was appointed a member of the Academy of Science in
France, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and President of the British Association"
France, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and President of the British Association"
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Even those educated in elite universities didn't necessarily gain since there was little focus on science at Oxford and Cambridge.
The engineer John Perry even declared that ‘‘Oxford fears and hates natural science.’’
The engineer John Perry even declared that ‘‘Oxford fears and hates natural science.’’
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From this study:
"Human capital, knowledge and economic development: evidence from the British Industrial Revolution, 1750–1930"
nber.org/papers/w20853
"Human capital, knowledge and economic development: evidence from the British Industrial Revolution, 1750–1930"
nber.org/papers/w20853
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During the early Industrial Revolution, the average number of years of education for males in England was a little more than 1 year.
