A Description of a New-Invented Stove-Grate: Shewing Its Uses and Advantages Over All Others, Both in Point of Expence, and Every Purpose of a Chamber Fire

In Short

This book is an eighteenth-century technical prospectus and advertisement for a “new-invented” stove-grate. It outlines the mechanics of heat, airflow, and combustion to prove that the author’s design is superior to the popular stoves of his day. By combining scientific observation with practical engineering, the text makes a compelling case for efficiency, smoke reduction, and economic fuel use. It has endured not as a piece of literature, but as a fascinating window into the domestic anxieties, industrial ingenuity, and scientific curiosity of the mid-1700s.

The Story

The narrative begins with a stark observation about life in mid-eighteenth-century England: the weather is volatile, coal is expensive, and citizens are effectively forced to maintain fires for two-thirds of the year. The author positions his invention as a public service—a way to make rooms comfortable without the punishing costs or the choking smoke that plagued contemporary households. He establishes his credibility by grounding the invention in the laws of physics, specifically the properties of air: fluidity, gravity, and elasticity. By explaining how heat rarifies air and forces it to rise, he builds a case for why traditional open hearths are inherently flawed, as they rely on cold air rushing through door and window crevices to feed the fire, creating a cycle where a person burns in front while freezing behind.

The middle section of the book acts as a critical survey of the state of the art in heating technology. The author methodically evaluates existing designs—the French chimneys of Monsieur Gauger, the clever but inefficient models of Dr. Desaguliers, and the suffocatingly closed Dutch and German stoves. He acknowledges the sophistication of the "Pensilvanian Stove-Grate" popularized by Benjamin Franklin but points out a fatal flaw: its narrow smoke passages are difficult to clean and ill-suited for the bituminous nature of English sea-coal. This critique serves as the launchpad for his own creation, which he presents as a refinement of the Pennsylvanian design.

The arc concludes with a detailed technical defense of his machine. He describes a system that uses an air-box chamber in the brickwork to warm incoming air before it enters the room, and a clever register system that allows the owner to control the fire’s intensity with precision. He provides empirical evidence, noting how he successfully kept his own home warm using only a fraction of the fuel usually required. Finally, the author offers a list of sizes and prices, inviting the public to witness the machine in action. He concludes with an advertisement for a portable laundry stove, extending his logic of efficiency from the drawing room to the utility room. The work ends not with a flourish of rhetoric, but with the practical assurance that the machine is ready for purchase, backed by the "undoubted credit and veracity" of those who have already installed it.

How It Unfolds

The problem of the cold The author sets the scene by describing the chronic issue of expensive, smoky, and inefficient fires in London homes. He asserts that the public deserves a better, more economical way to heat their living spaces.

The physics of fire A transition into scientific discourse explains how air behaves under heat and pressure. This foundation allows the reader to understand why open chimneys are essentially giant engines for wasting fuel and drawing in cold drafts.

A survey of failures The author tours the various heating contraptions of the era, from the ornate French chimneys to the suffocating German stoves. He highlights the specific mechanical shortcomings of each to illustrate why they have failed to solve the problem of domestic comfort.

The new invention He introduces his own stove-grate, detailing how it improves upon previous designs, particularly the Pennsylvanian model. He explains the integration of a register and a cleaning door to ensure longevity and ease of maintenance.

Evidence and application The text shifts to personal testimony and technical specifications, providing data on coal usage and room temperatures. The book closes by detailing the sizes and costs of the units, effectively turning the argument into a commercial proposition.

The People

The book is dominated by the voice of the inventor, J. Durno. He is a man of the Enlightenment—pragmatic, observant, and deeply convinced that scientific principles should improve daily life. He is not a dreamer, but a tinkerer who values "Trial and Experience" above all else. He presents himself as a reliable guide who has moved beyond "uncertain Theory" to provide a tangible, working solution.

Opposing him are the "builders of character" and the designers of older, inefficient systems. Durno portrays these figures as well-meaning but ultimately misguided. They are those who "spoil the symmetry of the building" with ugly tubes and pots in a vain attempt to fix smoky chimneys. He also engages with the ideas of notable figures like Dr. Desaguliers and Benjamin Franklin. He views these men with intellectual respect, treating them as peers or predecessors whose work laid the groundwork for his own, even when he finds their inventions lacking in practical application for the English climate. The reader also encounters the "Noble men and Gentlemen" who have already purchased the stove, serving as a silent jury of peers whose support validates Durno’s claims.

In Its Own Voice

The State of the Weather in this Island is so extremely variable and uncertain, that the Inhabitants are obliged to keep Fires to sit by near Eight Months in the Year.

This observation sets the tone for the book, justifying the necessity of the author’s invention.

And surely, if ever any Invention, discovered by a Mechanick, deserved the Attention of the Publick, this may justly lay claim to it; since not only every Family, but every Individual, is in some degree interested in it.

The author frames his work as a universal benefit, arguing that the need for warmth is a fundamental human concern.

The warm Air comes into the Room with such Rapidity from the hot Iron Canal, that it turns several Paper Wheels with great Velocity, which are placed near the Opening that lets it into the Room.

This vivid detail serves as a demonstration of the stove’s effectiveness, using a simple mechanical toy to prove the power of the airflow.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the triumph of rational engineering over the inefficiencies of tradition. The book argues that domestic comfort is not merely a matter of burning more fuel, but of mastering the movement of air. Durno explores the tension between theory and practice, insisting that a machine must be judged by its performance in the home, not just the logic on paper. Underneath the technical diagrams lies a deeper question about the quality of life: is it possible to create a private, controlled environment that is both healthy and affordable? The text posits that by understanding the "fluidity, gravity, and elasticity" of the natural world, we can master the elements to make our homes not just warmer, but more wholesome and less wasteful.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in the history of technology or domestic life will find this book deeply rewarding. It offers a rare, granular look at the eighteenth-century preoccupation with home improvement and the early application of physics to daily life. The writing is clear and surprisingly modern in its focus on efficiency, yet it retains a charming, formal cadence that reflects its era. You will feel the chill of an uninsulated house and the frustration of a smoky room, making the author’s mechanical solutions feel like genuine breakthroughs.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the dense, technical focus on stove mechanics and the somewhat rigid, period-specific style of argument. The author assumes a level of familiarity with contemporary heating designs that may be opaque to the average person, and the long lists of dimensions and technical descriptions require a patient, analytical eye. Despite these hurdles, the book remains a testament to the persistent human drive to engineer a better, more comfortable life. What stays with you is the image of the paper wheels spinning in the warm air—a small, elegant, and perfectly clear proof that, even in the 1750s, human ingenuity was hard at work fighting the cold.