lled labor of the convicts, the talents
of Sir Samuel were called into use, and he devised a number of new
machines, the greater part of which were for working wood. For want of
a more suitable place, these machines were constructed at the
residence of Jeremy Bentham, which was thus converted into the first
manufactory for woodworking machines. This factory was established in
1794, but was soon found to be too small for the purpose, and another
building was occupied. In a lecture before the Society of Arts, in
1853, Professor Willis, referring to the shops of the Benthams, stated
that "there were constructed machines for all general operations in
woodwork, including planing, molding, rebating, grooving, mortising,
and sawing, both in coarse and fine work, in curved, winding, and
transverse directions, and shaping wood in complicated forms; and
further, as an example, that all parts of a highly finished window
sash are prepared, also all parts of an ornamented carriage wheel were
made so that nothing remained to be done by hand but to put the
component parts together."

In 1797 the Admiralty consented to the introduction of such of these
machines as could be used to advantage in the different dockyards, and
they were manufactured under the direction of Jeremy Bentham, and
forwarded from time to time to Portsmouth and Plymouth, where they
were used with good results, performing all that was claimed for them.

Bentham was joined in 1810 by another genius (formerly in the employ
of the brothers) by the name of Brunel, who had invented several
valuable machines, among which was one for shaping block shells, which
seems to have had Bentham's indorsement. As Inspector General, in
1803, Sir Samuel advised the Admiralty to introduce many of his new
machines, and also to permit the use of steam engines; accordingly,
the dockyards were fitted with engines for sawing, planing, boring,
tenoning, mortising, etc. The labor saved by their use can be inferred
from the fact that Brunel, who had assisted in their construction,
received as a premium for his inventions the amount saved in the yards
by their use in one year, which reached the respectable sum of
$80,000. In the same year the government settled with Jeremy Bentham,
after arbitration, and allowed him for machines furnished the yards
and prisons, $100,000. We learn from testimony given before the
arbitrators that "Sir Samuel Bentham prepared a system of machinery
for the emplo