(II) Richard Kitson, son of John Kitson (1), was born in 1814, in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, England, and received his early education in the schools of his native place. He learned the card clothing business in which his father was engaged, and with whom he became associated in business. He was naturally a good mechanic and of an inventive turn of mind, and he found a profitable field for his genius in devising machinery used in the manufacture of cloth. When a young man he invented and patented a very important machine for manufacturing needle-pointed card teeth for card clothing used in the textile mills. This machine produced a revolution in the card clothing business, becoming a necessity to every manufacturer of card clothing in the world, and the principle is still in general use. He succeeded to his father's business, but was unfortunate in losing heavily through the dishonesty of business associates. In 1849 his patent was about to expire in England, so he decided to seek new and larger opportunities in America, and at the urgent request of Francis A. Calvert, then an active member of the firm of Aldrich, Tyng & Company, of Lowell, he located in that city. Mr. Calvert was a personal friend, and his firm used large quantities of needlepointed card clothing and had reasons for wanting it manufactured in this country. Moreover, Lowell was the center of the cotton manufacturing district through which the Merrimac river flows and for which it furnishes power. Mr. Kitson had his card clothing made in Lowell for Mr. Calvert's firm and other mills, and the demand for his machine and this kind of card clothing grew very rapidly. Mr. Kitson's first factory in Lowell was removed when Broadway was laid out. He had at first had his machines made by other manufacturers. In 1860 he purchased land in the rear of the present Kitson machine shop, on which stood an old school house. A portion of this land was taken by the city in the extension of Worthen street, and he purchased the land on which the present works are located and began the erection of the Kitson machine shop, which has since its completion been enlarged from time to time as business increased. In 1874 a corporation was formed to take over the business under the name of the Kitson Machine Company, with Mr. Kitson president, and he remained at the head of affairs until his death, July 14, 1885. From the outset he was successful, not only with his original invention but with many others of importance. He succeeded in remodel ing and improving the picker, and in 1852 he invented a single cotton opening machine which became very popular and was used extensively in the textile world. He was the first to introduce the needle-pointed cylinder to take the place of a beater in the Whitin lapper and other makes, and built many thousand of them. This device enabled manufacturers to use Surat India cotton, which they could not use otherwise to advantage. He afterwards turned his attention to the manufacture of machinery for opening and cleaning cotton, developing the "trunk" system for opening and cleaning cotton fibre from the crude condition in which he found it-a condition dangerous for operatives and costly to the mills, and through his inventive skill and thorough knowledge of the needs and possibilities of cotton manufacture he brought the machinery to its present perfected state. He patented a "preparer" to attach to the ordinary lapper as an opener, effecting a large saving in manufacturing, and achieving great popularity. Other patents of international importance were secured by Mr. Kitson on his devices both in the United States and foreign countries. He will be long remembered as one of the great inventors in the period of development of cotton machinery, and America and his native land divide the honors of his citizenship. In 1902 a building containing two hundred and forty thousand square feet was added to the Lowell Textile School, bearing the name of Kitson Hall, in his honor. At the entrance was placed a bronze tablet bearing the following inscription: 1902 Kitson Hall Erected in Honor of Richard Kitson Inventor of Cotton Machinery and founder of The Kitson Machine Shop. Born in England July 3, 1814 Died in Lowell July 13, 1885 A resident of Lowell for nearly forty years. Charlotte Parker Kitson Emma Kitson Stott Kitson Machine Co. For many years Mr. Kitson was a devoted member and constant attendant of the Kirk Street Congregational Church. He had, however, but few interests outside his family and |