Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Henry Bell
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Henry Bell, detail of an oil painting by James Tannock, 1840; in the Science Museum, London
Related Questions
Read Next
Blackboard inscribed with scientific formulas and calculations in physics and mathematics
The World Science Festival’s Pioneers in Science
Laboratory glassware (beakers)
5 Quizzes That Will Tell You Whether You Should Have Been a Scientist
Abstract vector hi speed internet technology background
History of Technology Timeline
Binary Computer Code, Binary Code, Internet, Technology, Password, Data
How Does Wi-Fi Work?
Discover
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Henry Bell, detail of an oil painting by James Tannock, 1840; in the Science Museum, London
Henry Bell, detail of an oil painting by James Tannock, 1840; in the Science Museum, London

Henry Bell

Scottish engineer
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Bell
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Born:
1767, Torphichen, Linlithgowshire, Scot.
Died:
Nov. 14, 1830, Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire (aged 63)
See all related content

Henry Bell (born 1767, Torphichen, Linlithgowshire, Scot.—died Nov. 14, 1830, Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire) was a Scottish engineer who launched the first commercially successful steamship in Europe.

After serving apprenticeships as a millwright and a ship modeler, he went to London, where he worked and studied under the Scottish engineer John Rennie. Bell returned to Scotland in 1790, settled in Glasgow as a carpenter, and later moved to Helensburgh. In 1800 he submitted proposals to the British Admiralty for steam-propelled vessels. Bell’s own steamship, the 28-ton Comet, was launched from Port Glasgow in 1812 and subsequently carried passengers and cargo along the Clyde River. The success of this vessel heralded the era of steam navigation in Europe.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.