John Theophilus Desaguliers

John Theophilus Desaguliers (1683 to 1744) was a French-born British natural philosopher, clergyman, engineer and freemason, born in La Rochelle to a Huguenot family that fled to England. He became experimental assistant to Isaac Newton at the Royal Society and popularized Newtonian theories and their practical uses in public lectures. His patron, the Duke of Chandos, invested in the York Buildings Company, which used steam-power to extract water from the Thames, and Desaguliers served as its technical adviser. He had an interest in steam engines and hydraulic engineering and developed expertise in ventilation. The Royal Society gave him its Copley Medal in 1734, 1736 and 1741.