Charles Fenerty
Charles Fenerty was a notable Canadian inventor, poet, and public servant, born in January 1821 in Upper Sackville, Nova Scotia. Growing up in a family involved in farming and lumber, Fenerty began experimenting with trees as a potential source for paper around 1838, a time when traditional paper-making materials were scarce. He developed a method for creating what he termed "pulp paper," inspired by his experiences at his family's sawmills. By 1844, he publicized his invention through a letter to the Acadian Recorder, although he faced competition from a similar patented invention by German inventor Friedrich Gottlob Keller.
In addition to his inventive pursuits, Fenerty was an accomplished poet, winning first prize for his work "Betula Nigra" at the Nova Scotia Industrial Exhibition in 1854. He spent some years in Australia before returning to Canada, where he engaged in farming and held various community roles, including serving as district health warden and tax collector. Over his lifetime, he wrote more than thirty poems, with notable works including "Hymn" and "Farewell to Australia." Charles Fenerty passed away on June 10, 1892, in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, leaving behind a legacy as both an innovator in paper-making and a contributor to Canadian poetry.
Charles Fenerty
Inventor
- Born: January 1821
- Birthplace: Upper Sackville, Nova Scotia
- Died: June 10, 1892
- Place of death: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Contribution: Charles Fenerty was a Canadian inventor, prize-winning poet, and officeholder. However, he is best remembered for discovering the process of using wood pulp to produce paper. Unfortunately, Fenerty never patented his creation or received the recognition he deserved. Nevertheless, he is still remembered as a great contributor to the Industrial Revolution.
Early Life and Education
Charles Fenerty was born in January 1821 to a family of farmers and lumbermen in Upper Sackville, Nova Scotia. His father was James Fenerty and his mother was Elizabeth Lawson. Around 1838, paper was scarce, as the demand for paper outstripped the availability of the rags used to make it. Having been around the three sawmills owned by his family, Fenerty began experimenting with trees to test whether they could serve as a source of paper. Sources list 1838 or 1839 as the year Fenerty began his experiments, creating what he later termed “pulp paper.”
Inventor, Poet, Farmer, and Officeholder
A number of different theories exist as to how Fenerty came up with the idea to use trees to make paper, including his observations of wasp nests made from wood pulp. However, the most widely accepted theory is that Fenerty was influenced by the time he spent at his family’s mills. While there, he may have observed friction created between wood planks that produced a byproduct of wood shavings that could then be shaped into paper.
Fenerty’s first success came around 1840 when he presented his creation to his future brother-in-law. However, Fenerty did not publicize his findings until four years later. In October 1844, he publicized his invention in the form of a letter made of his wood pulp, which he sent to the Acadian Recorder. The letter also detailed the machine responsible for producing the wood pulp. Unfortunately, he was a few months too late. German inventor Friedrich Gottlob Keller had already patented a similar invention.
For the remainder of his life, Fenerty focused on other endeavors. In 1854, his poem “Betula Nigra” was awarded first prize for poetry at the Nova Scotia Industrial Exhibition. Later during that same decade, Fenerty moved to Australia, where he lived for several years.
Upon returning to Canada, Fenerty became a farmer in the Sackville area. During this period, he also served as the district health warden and as a wood measurer in 1869. He served as an overseer of the poor periodically between 1870 and 1881, and from 1883 to 1890 he worked as a district tax collector.
Poetic Works
Throughout his life, Fenerty penned a number of poems, including “Passing Away,” “Hymn,” “Farewell to Australia,” “The Blind Lady’s Request,” “The Man of God,” and “Battle of the Alma.” He composed more than thirty poems during his lifetime.
Personal Life
Charles Fenerty married Ann Hamilton in the 1850s, but the couple never had children. Fenerty died on June 10, 1892, in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Principal Works
“The Prince’s Lodge,” ca. 1837
“Battle of the Alma,” 1854
“Betula Nigra,” 1854
“Farewell to Australia,” 1856
“Essay on Progress,” 1866
“Terra Nova,” 1869
“Sir Provo Wallis,” 1892
Bibliography
Burger, Peter. “A Brief Biography.” Charles Fenerty.ca. PB Pub, 1 June 2012. Web. 31 July 2013.
Burger, Peter. Charles Fenerty and His Paper Invention. Toronto: P. Burger, 2007. Print.
Burger, Peter. “Fenerty’s Poems.” Charles Fenerty.ca. PB Pub, 1 June 2012. Web. 31 July 2013.
Fergusson, Charles Bruce. Charles Fenerty: The Life and Achievement of a Native of Sackville, Halifax County, N.S. Halifax: William McNab, 1955. Print.
Norman, Jeremy. “Papermaking from Wood Pulp Rediscovered and Industrialized.” From Cave Paintings to the Internet. Jeremy Norman & Co., Mar. 2012. Web. 31 July 2013.
Punch, Terrence M. “Fenerty, Charles.” Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 12. University of Toronto, 1990. Web. 31 July 2013.
Wolf, Ronald. “All Things Canadian – Charles Fenerty.” Algoma News. Algoma News, 4 Aug. 2010. Web. 31 July 2013.