Victorian Era Turner: Henry Stiles Savory

Rev. Henry Stiles Savory (1824-1877)

Reverend Savory lived at Cameley Rectory, Temple Cloud Bristol, UK. He first became interested in geometric turning after seeing a book written by William Henry Northcott (presumably A Treatise on Lathes and Turning.) After some deliberation he decided to purchase a geometric chuck from George Plant. He describes watching Plant use the chuck for a few hours at which point he began his own self-study.

Clearly, a considerable part of his pasttime was spent creating patterns for his book, published in 1873, entitled: Geometric Turning; comprising a description of the new Geometric Chuck constructed bv Mr. George Plant of Nelson Street, Birmingham; with - directions for its use and a series of patterns cut with it, with explanations of the mode of producing them and an account of a new process of deep cutting and of graving on copper.

At the beginning of the book, Savory provides ample instruction on the proper use of a geometric chuck, followed by 570 patterns and the recipe for each detailed in an orderly table. The frontispiece of the book is a detailed engraving depicting a three-part geometric chuck made by George Plant (although the design draws largely from the William Hartley version).

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