FAREY, JOHN, civil engineer and draughtsman, was born at Lambeth on March 20, 1701, and was educated at Woburo, where his father was agent to the Duke of Bedford, who took much interest in the progress of agrioulture. Johu Farey, Senior, was frequently employed in making reports on geological questions; wrote a 'General View of the Agriculture and Minerals of Derbyshire,' &c., (2 vols. 8vo, London, 1811,) a work which had some reputation, and contributed to tho ' Agricultural Magazine.' Farey, junior—with his brother and sisters, becoming at an early age attached to kindred pursuits—was engaged in making drawings for the plates of 'Rees's Encyclopedia,' Tho Edinburgh Encycloptedia," Tilloch's Magazine," Gregory's 3lechanica, and 'Mechanical Dictionary,' the 'Pantalogia,' and many other publications, some of which he contributed articles to, or edited. To him, in conjunction with the Messrs. Lowry, the en gravers, has been ascribed in a great degree, the merit of introduoiug a better explanatory style of illustration in scientific works, and which has not since been improved upon in the bulk of publica tions, in a ratio commensurate with mechanical facilities. His avocations connected him with eminent scientific) men of the time; and thus with Huddart, Jessop, Illylne, and Rennie, ho was engaged in the publication of Smeatou'a reports and drawings. In 1807 ho had received the silver medal of tho Society of Arts for an instrument for making perspective drawings, described in their Transactions; and in 1813 the gold medal was awarded to him on the invention of his machine for drawing ellipses. This last ho after wards improved upon, besides effecting many improvements in the scales and drawing instruments now in use. In 1810 he went to
Russia, and was engaged in the construction of iron-works. In Russia he first saw a steam-engine indicator—an instrument which it was attempted to keep secret—and on his return he bad similar con trivances manufactured, and was often employed to use them in disputed cases. In 18'21 be resigned his professional engagements iu favour of his brother, and embarked in a lace manufactory in Devon shire, but gave that up in 1823. In 1825 he took the engineering direction of flax-mills at Leeds; but in 1826, on the failure of his brother's health, he returned to Loudon, and from that time to near his death, which took place in his sixty-first year, on the 17th of July 1851, be wee employed as a consulting engineer, or referee, in most of the novel inventions and litigated patent cases, during the quarter of a century. For such duties he was peculiarly qualified from retentive memory as to details of machines and processes, names and dates, and from habits of conscientious and laborious research into authorities for cases. In his investigations and in the preparation of drawings for specifications, he was assisted by his wife, a lady of great scientific attaiuments. From the shock of her decease he never wholly recovered. Some time before, part of his library and docu ments had been burnt with his house in Guildford-street. Farey commenced a Treatise on the Steam-engine, Historical, Practical, and Descriptive,' (4to, London, 1827, with plates,) a valuable work, but which did not get beyond a first volume, and he was an active member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, from whose Report of 1851-52 many of these particulars are derived.