, an ingenious gentleman of the seventeenth century, was the son
, an ingenious gentleman of the seventeenth century, was the son of sir John Ford, knt. and
was born at Up-park in the parish of Harting in Sussex, in
1605. He became a gentleman commoner of Trinity
college, Oxford, in 1621, but left it without taking a degree, after which Wood has not been able to trace his
history, until he served the office of high sheriff for Sussex, and demonstrated his loyalty to Charles I. who conferred on him the honour of knighthood at Oxford, Oct.
4, 1643. About that time he bore a colonel’s commission
in the army, or, according to Clarendon, had a regiment
of horse in lord Hopton’s troops, and was afterwards a
considerable sufferer for his adherence to the royal cause.
In 1647, he and Dr. Stephen Goffe were imprisoned on.
suspicion of being accessary to his majesty’s escape from
Hampton court. How or when he was released we are not
told, but as he had married general Ireton’s sister, he
might owe his release to the influence of his brother-inlaw with the parliamentary party. In 1656 we find him
employed in certain mechanical inventions of considerable
importance. With Cromwell’s encouragement, and at the
request of the citizens of London, he contrived machinery
for raising the Thames water into all the higher streets of
the city, a height of ninety-three feet. This he is said to
have accomplished in a year’s time, and at his own expence; and the same machinery was afterwards employed
in other parts of the kingdom for draining mines and lands,
which it performed better and cheaper than any former
contrivance. He also constructed the great water engine at
Somerset-house, for supplying the Strand, &c. but this
obstructing the prospect from the windows, queen Catherine, the consort of Charles II. caused it to be pulled
clown. After the restoration he invented a mode of coining copper money (Wood says, farthings) which could not
possibly be counterfeited, as each piece was made to differ
from another in some minute circumstance. He failed in
procuring a patent for these for England, but obtained one
for Ireland. He went over accordingly to carry his design
into execution there, but died before he could accomplish
it, on Sept. 3, 1670, and his body being brought over, was
interred in the family buriai place at Harting. Wood
speaks of him as a man who might have done great things
if he had met with proper encouragement. He published,
1. “A Design for bringing a River from Rickmansworth in
Hertfordshire to St. Giles’s in the Fields, near London;
the benefits of it declared, and the objections against it
answered,
” Lond. Experimental Proposals how the king may have money to pay and maintain his
fleets, with ease to the people London may be re-built,
and all proprietors satisfied money may be lent at six
per cent, on pawns and the fishing trade set up, and all
without straining or thwarting any of our laws or customs,
”
ibid. Defence of
Bill Credit.
” About