John Joseph Merlin
Horologist, inventor · Scientists · Lived 1735 to 1803 · aged 67
John Joseph Merlin was a Freemason, clock-maker, musical-instrument maker, and inventor from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège in the Holy Roman Empire. He moved to England in 1760. By 1766, he was working with James Cox and creating automatons such as Cox's timepiece and the Silver Swan.
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A typical day, 30 days to 5 August 2026
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About this person
By 1773, he was designing and making innovative keyboard instruments. In 1783, he opened Merlin's Mechanical Museum in Princes Street, Hanover Square, London, a meeting-place for the gentry and nobility. In addition to his clocks, musical instruments and automata, Merlin is credited with the invention of inline skates in the 1760s. He was referred to by contemporaries as "The Ingenious Mechanic". He was friendly with composer Joseph Haydn.
