James Walton

James Walton (15 April 1803 – 5 November 1883) was a British inventor and industrialist. He was known for the significant improvements he made to the carding process. He amassed a considerable fortune from his business ventures, and purchased two large family estates in Wales. Early life Walton was born on 15 April 1803 at Ripponden. His father Isaac Walton worked as a friezer. Halifax and Sowerby Bridge In 1822, Walton moved to a small workshop near North Bridge, Halifax to develop his ideas for new machinery for friezing. He quickly developed these ideas, and in 1824, moved to a larger factory at Sowerby Bridge. In his first year in business he developed a new method of friezing "Petersham". He also constructed the largest planing machine built in the United Kingdom. In the early 1830s, Walton developed a new form of wire-card for use in textile manufacturing. This replaced the traditional leather backing for the card with india rubber laid on cloth. This was a superior system and became the standard for the carding industry, and enabled him to obtain his first patent.