Priestman Oil Engine

Priestman oil engine, 1895, 3 h.p., 7" diameter x 10" stroke, incomplete, with accessories and spare parts detached, by William Dent Priestman, Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England, 1895

William Dent Priestman (1847-1936) became interested in internal combustion engines in the 1870s and began to manufacture petrol engines. Fearing the dangers of petrol, Priestman experimented with the use of lamp oil as an engine fuel. This was the first internal combustion engine to work succesfully on fuels heavier than petrol, and was sold from 1888 until 1904. Priestman's many patents included a vaporiser and reversing propellers.