Radcliffe, William

William Radcliffe, (baptized November 14, 1761, Mellor, Derbyshire, England—died May 20, 1842, Gate Hall, Stockport, Cheshire), English inventor who was especially known for his innovations to power looms.

Radcliffe was the son of a weaver, and in 1789 he set up his own spinning and weaving business in Stockport. His name is principally linked to the dressing (i.e., starching) machine, actually invented by one of his machinists. He patented essential improvements to Edmund Cartwright’s power loom, enabling the explosive success of the technology. His house and mill were destroyed by Luddites in 1812; his wife’s subsequent death was blamed on the attack.