Crompton, Samuel (1753-1827), was an English weaver and inventor. In 1779, he developed an improved spinning machine that led to major growth in the cotton industry. The new machine was called the mule because it was a cross between two machines, the spinning jenny and the water frame, just as a mule is a cross between two animals. The mule made the strong, uniform cotton yarn required for fine muslin and calico.
Crompton did not get a patent on his machine, and he received little of the money that cloth manufacturers promised him. But Parliament gave him a national gift of 5,000 pounds in 1812 when he was able to show that the many mules in use had revolutionized the cotton industry. Crompton was born on Dec. 3, 1753, in Firwood, Lancashire. He died on June 26, 1827.
