Guppy, Vansittart and Holmes: Three Pioneering Women Inventors

To mark International Women’s Day, we’re taking a look at three pioneering women inventors, each of whom were determined to Accelerate Action for women in engineering. These women faced an uphill battle as engineers in a “man’s world”, and each of them have contributed significantly to today’s modern technology.

Sarah Guppy (1770–1852)

While a controversial figure among inventors and engineers, Sarah Guppy was a female trailblazer who owned several patents at a time when it was challenging for engineers to gain recognition for their work, particularly women.

Born Sarah Maria Beach in Birmingham, she is most famously known as the first woman to patent a bridge, introducing a method for making safe piling for bridges. It’s said that her design was utilised by prominent engineers of the time, including Thomas Telford and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. However, it is largely understood that the credit for the bridge design isn’t hers, but a misinterpretation of the patent that she herself encouraged.

That said, her interests were diverse, and she patented things ranging from the precursor of the modern toaster to a device to prevent barnacles on ships (for which she was awarded a Royal Navy contract to create).

Sarah Guppy was a determined figure in a “man’s world”, a celebrated Victorian era female engineer.

Henrietta Vansittart (1833–1883)

Henrietta Vansittart, née Lowe, was a British engineer and inventor born in 1833. She was self-taught, as was common for women in engineering during the 19^th and early 20^th century. She gained engineering knowledge through her father, James Lowe, who was a blacksmith-inventory and who had applied for several patents in ship propulsion.

In 1868, Henrietta patented the Lowe-Vansittart propeller, an improved screw propeller that enhanced ship speed and efficiency while reducing fuel consumption, an improvement on her father’s work.  This propeller was installed on various naval and commercial vessels, including HMS Druid and the SS Lusitania, contributing to advancements in marine engineering during the Victorian era.

Henrietta received many awards for work and her invention was exhibited globally. In 1876 she became the first woman to write, read and illustrate her own drawings for a scientific article, before a scientific institution. Her work is often considered “one of the most important nautical inventions of the 19^th century.”

Verena Holmes (1889–1964)

Verena Holmes was born in Ashford, Kent, in 1889. She was a pioneering mechanical engineer and inventor, her specialities included internal combustion engines, marine, locomotive and diesel engines. In 1924 she became the first woman elected to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Throughout her career, Verena patented numerous inventions, including medical devices such as a surgeon's headlamp and a pneumo-thorax apparatus for treating tuberculosis, as well as engineering components like poppet valves for steam locomotives. Her work significantly impacted both medical technology and mechanical engineering.

Verena was a strong advocate for women's inclusion in engineering professions. Active in the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) she was president from 1930 to 1931.  Each year, her birthday of 23^rd June, International Women in Engineering Day, celebrates the success of women in engineering across the world.