Josiah Hornblower

Josiah Hornblower (February 23, 1729 – January 21, 1809) was an English engineer and statesman in America Belleville, New Jersey. He was a delegate for New Jersey in the Continental Congress in 1785 and 1786.

Josiah was born in Staffordshire, England, the son of steam power pioneer Joseph Hornblower. As a young man, he studied mechanics and mathematics. In 1745, he started working for his elder brother Jonathan as an engineering apprentice. They went to Cornwall, England and built Newcomen steam engines for use in tin mines. Josiah became an expert in both the engines and mining operations.

Around 1753, the Schuyler family brought him to America to support their copper mines on New Barbadoes Neck. Hornblower settled in Belleville and is credited with building the first steam engine in America in 1755. There is some dispute about the validity of the project, since he apparently (and illegally) brought two or three sets of critical engine parts with him from England.

He continued to practice mechanical and civil engineering for much of his life. In 1794, he built the first stamping mill in America. (A stamping mill mechanically crushes raw ore for further processing.)

In 1755, Josiah married Elizabeth Kingsland, the daughter of Colonel William Kingsland of Bergen County. One of their sons was Joseph Coerten Hornblower, who later became chief justice of New Jersey’s supreme court.

Over the years, Hornblower became American in his attitude as well as by residence. In the French and Indian War, he was a captain in the Essex County Regiment of the New Jersey militia. However, his company was assigned for defence and he didn’t see action. In 1760, he opened a hardware store as an adjunct to his engineering work, and became a prosperous merchant.

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