John Farey Jr. (20 March 1791 – 17 July 1851) was an English mechanical engineering, consulting engineer and patent agent, known for his pioneering contributions in the field of mechanical engineering. As consulting engineer Farey worked for many well-known inventors of the later Industrial Revolution, and was a witness to a number of parliamentary enquiries, inquests and court cases, and on occasion acted as an arbitrator. He was polymathic in his interests and contributed text and drawings to a number of periodicals and encyclopaedias. Farey is also remembered as the first English inventor of the ellipsograph, an instrument used by draughtsmen to inscribe ellipses. Biography Youth and education Farey was the eldest son of John Farey Sr. (1766–1826), the geologist, and Sophia Hubert (1770–1830). He was the older brother of Joseph Farey (1796–1829), who also became a known mechanical engineer and draughtsman and member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1822. He remained in the shadow of his older brother and died young. From 1791 to 1802 he grew up in Woburn, Bedfordshire, where his father was stationed as surveyor and land agent for Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford. Back in London he might have received training at the school of William Nicholson, established in 1799 in London's Soho Square. He did later on work together with Nicholson on patent assignments. From 1804 to 1806 he studied the machinery and processes in manufacturing factories in and around London. Early career At the age of fourteen Farey was commenced to make drawings for the illustrative plates of Rees's Cyclopædia and the 'Edinburgh' encyclopedias, 'Tilloch's Magazine,' Gregory's 'Mechanics' and 'Mechanical Dictionary,' the 'Pantalogia,' and many other scientific works. He edited some of these, and contributed to others. For the Rees's Cyclopædia, which appeared serially between 1802 and 1820, Farey wrote several articles, including the articles on Machinery, Manufactures, Mechanics, Mill, Steam Engine, Water etc. He came into the possession of the manuscript and drawings of the engineer John Smeaton and made extensive use of them in his writing and drawing. He was involved in the production of the second volume of Smeaton's Reports (1812), the plates engraved by Wilson Lowry. In 1819 he went to Russia for a month, where be was engaged as a civil engineer in the construction of ironworks. Later career In 1821 Farey stepped down in the consulting engineering family business in favour of his younger