Sybilla Masters
? – 1720
Colonial Inventor
Level 1 biography
Fast Facts
Sybilla Masters was the first woman inventor whose name we know.
She was the first person in the American colonies to obtain
a patent from the King of England.
Born: unknown. Possibly in New Jersey.
Married: Thomas Masters
Died: 1720
Level 1 biography
Fast Facts
Sybilla Masters was the first woman inventor whose name we know.
She was the first person in the American colonies to obtain
a patent from the King of England.
Born: unknown. Possibly in New Jersey.
Married: Thomas Masters
Died: 1720
Early Life
Sybilla Righton lived in Colonial times. She married Thomas Masters. Thomas was a Quaker merchant. They lived in Philadelphia. Thomas Masters was quite important. He was a Judge on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He was elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1707 and 1708.
Inventions
In colonial times women worked very hard. They kept their homes clean. They cared for their children. They prepared the meals. The colonists ate ground-up Indian corn. They ground the corn between two big stones. This was hard to do. Sybilla watched the Native American women. They did not grind their corn. They pounded it with wooden posts. This worked well. Sybilla invented a mill that used hammers. The hammers pounded the corn into corn meal. She called the corn meal “Tuscarora Rice.”
Sybilla was clever with her hands. She worked with straw and palmetto leaves. She invented a way to weave these materials together. She used them to make hats and bonnets.
Patents
In early times anyone could copy anyone else’s idea. Some people did not like that. They said that their idea was their property. Some countries started giving patents. A patent said that no one could use an idea without permission. Sybilla wanted to patent her inventions. She decided to go to England. The King sometimes gave patents. Sybilla sailed to England in 1712.
Patents were still very new. There was no regular way to get one. Sybilla had to wait. It took three years to get the first patent. Sybilla opened a shop in London. The shop made and sold hats from her design. People liked them.
In 1715 King George I gave patent #401. It was for the corn grinding idea. In 1716 he gave a second patent. This was #403, for weaving straw into hats. Both patents were given to Thomas Masters. Women were not allowed to hold patents.
Back to America
Sybilla went home in 1716. Thomas Masters built a mill using Sybilla’s idea. It worked well. Sybilla had hoped that people in England would like Tuscarora rice. They did not.
Why Sybilla Masters is important
Thomas Masters was an honest man. He never claimed that the inventions were his work. He always gave credit to his wife.
Many other women probably invented things, too. Their names were never written down. The men in their families got credit for their work. Since Thomas said that it was Sybilla’s work, we know about her. Sybilla Masters is remembered because she was the first woman we know about who was an inventor.
Reading Level 4.9
Sybilla Righton lived in Colonial times. She married Thomas Masters. Thomas was a Quaker merchant. They lived in Philadelphia. Thomas Masters was quite important. He was a Judge on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He was elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1707 and 1708.
Inventions
In colonial times women worked very hard. They kept their homes clean. They cared for their children. They prepared the meals. The colonists ate ground-up Indian corn. They ground the corn between two big stones. This was hard to do. Sybilla watched the Native American women. They did not grind their corn. They pounded it with wooden posts. This worked well. Sybilla invented a mill that used hammers. The hammers pounded the corn into corn meal. She called the corn meal “Tuscarora Rice.”
Sybilla was clever with her hands. She worked with straw and palmetto leaves. She invented a way to weave these materials together. She used them to make hats and bonnets.
Patents
In early times anyone could copy anyone else’s idea. Some people did not like that. They said that their idea was their property. Some countries started giving patents. A patent said that no one could use an idea without permission. Sybilla wanted to patent her inventions. She decided to go to England. The King sometimes gave patents. Sybilla sailed to England in 1712.
Patents were still very new. There was no regular way to get one. Sybilla had to wait. It took three years to get the first patent. Sybilla opened a shop in London. The shop made and sold hats from her design. People liked them.
In 1715 King George I gave patent #401. It was for the corn grinding idea. In 1716 he gave a second patent. This was #403, for weaving straw into hats. Both patents were given to Thomas Masters. Women were not allowed to hold patents.
Back to America
Sybilla went home in 1716. Thomas Masters built a mill using Sybilla’s idea. It worked well. Sybilla had hoped that people in England would like Tuscarora rice. They did not.
Why Sybilla Masters is important
Thomas Masters was an honest man. He never claimed that the inventions were his work. He always gave credit to his wife.
Many other women probably invented things, too. Their names were never written down. The men in their families got credit for their work. Since Thomas said that it was Sybilla’s work, we know about her. Sybilla Masters is remembered because she was the first woman we know about who was an inventor.
Reading Level 4.9
