PERKINS, Jacob (1766-1849) — Boston, Philadelphia, New York City and London
Engraver, specialising in banknotes and stamps, mechanical engineer, physicist and inventor. With Charles Heath, as ‘Perkins & Heath’, engraved the maps for William Channing Woodbridge, ‘Modern atlas on a new plan; to accompany the system of universal geography’ London 1828, including The world, Moral and political chart of the world. Exhibiting the prevailing religion, government degree of civilization, and number of inhabitants of each country, North America and the West Indies and the United States and British provinces. As ‘Perkins & Bacon’, with Joshua Butters Bacon, he also printed the maps for Thomas Starling, ‘Geographical annual : or, family cabinet atlas’ 1836. Also known for bookplates, etc.
Born at Newburyport, Massachusetts, on 9 Jul 1766, and baptised 13 Jul 1766, son of Matthew Perkins (1725-1814) and his second wife, Jane Noyes; brother of Edmund Perkins (1765-1821) and half-brother of Benjamin Perkins (1749-1797). Apprenticed to Edward Davis, a goldsmith in Newburyport (MA), aged twelve; Davis died when he was fifteen and Perkins subsequently took charge of the business on behalf of the widow. Aged twenty-one he was employed by the Massachusetts mint, to make a die for striking copper pennies. Married Hannah Greenleaf (d.1837) of Newbury, 11 Nov 1790; they had nine children, including Ebenezer Greenleaf Perkins (1797-1842) and Angier March Perkins (1799-1881), who both joined him in England. Perkins invented a process for making soft steel printing plates and then hardening the steel after the engraving was completed. In his partnership with Gideon Fairman (see American Map Engravers — forthcoming) produced the earliest steel plate engravings in America, 1808. In 1809 Perkins bought a stereotyping process from Asa Spencer and employed Spencer to work for him, and registered the patent for it, focussing on processes to engrave banknotes so they could not be forged. His experience in this field led Charles Heath to persuade him to move to London to compete for a £20,000 Bank of England prize to produce banknotes that could not be counterfeited. Perkins travelled with his son Ebenezer, Fairman and Spencer, arriving in Liverpool 29 Jun 1819, with his printing equipment; established the firm of ‘Perkins & Fairman’ in London, initially with Joseph Chessborough Dyer, an American patent agent, as a co-partner until Dyer resigned 20 Dec 1819. They were subsequently joined by Charles Heath, George Thomas Heath and Marcus Bull, forming ‘Perkins, Fairman & Heath’. Although the Bank gave full consideration to Perkins’ scheme it was eventually rejected, but he was successful in persuading the Bank to adopt his hot-water apparatus for heating the printing plates in 1831. Marcus Bull and presumably George Thomas Heath withdrew in 1821 and in 1822 Fairman passed his share of the business to Perkins and returned to the U.S., announced in the London Gazette for 3 Aug 1822, the firm continuing as ‘Perkins & Heath’. A separate partnership between Perkins and George Thomas Heath, concerned with engineering work, ended in Nov 1824. Heath withdrew 25 Jan 1826, bought out by Joshua Butters Bacon, Perkins’ son-in-law; they were joined in 1834 by the engraver, Henry Petch, trading as ‘Perkins, Bacon & Petch’ from 1834 to 1852. In 1839 the firm engraved the “Penny Black” stamp, and held the contract for printing British stamps for many years. Perkins retired in 1843. He was an innovative inventor, regarded as the father of the refrigerator, designer of a gas-operated machine-gun, with inventions in steam boilers and other steam-powered processes, holding a total of twenty-one American and nineteen English patents. He won the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts in 1821 for the “most important” invention of instruments to ascertain the trim of a ship and in 1832 he established the National Gallery of Practical Science. Died at London 30 Jul 1849, aged eighty-three, and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London. He was succeeded in his London businesses by his second son Angier March Perkins (1799-1881), with whom he was living in 1843.
29 Austin Friars, London — 1819-1820
69 Fleet Street, London — 1820-1846
Great Coram Street, London (home) — 1841
18 Regent Square, London (home) — 1843-1849
BNA. Census 1841. Fielding. Fincham. LG. LHD. Mackenzie. NA. ODNB. Stauffer.