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John Farey (1791-1851) was the son of John Farey, a geologist who also observed what is now known as the Farey series of fractions. Farey, the younger, was born in Surrey and educated at Woburn. His interest in mechanics and his skill in making accurate drawings were apparent by the time he was fourteen. He made drawings for the illustrative plates of the Rees and the Edinburgh encyclopedias, as well as for the Mechanical Dictionary, Pantalogia, and other scientific works. Farey’s focus on detail and the understanding that drawings needed to be very accurate drove him to create a device for making perspective drawings, for which he received an award from the Society of Arts in 1807. In 1813 he created a machine that could draw ellipses and won another medal from the Society of Arts. Farey then turned to civil engineering, and traveled to Russia to work in businesses associated with the construction of ironworks.
After returning to England, Farey started a company that manufactured steam engine indicators. His interest in indicators diminished rapidly, and by 1821 he turned his business over to his brother Joseph to pursue a career in a lace manufactory in Devonshire. Farey remained in this position for two years and then moved on to flax mills in Leeds, but by 1826 he was forced to return to London to regain control of his company due to his brother’s failing health. Farey spent the remainder of his life as a consulting engineer engaged in litigation for patent cases, and other scientific investigations. He joined the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1826 and served on several of their councils.
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