John Henry Manny (1825 - 1856)

Born 28 Nov 1825 in Amsterdam, Montgomery, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Dorr) Tinker — married 1 Feb 1852 in Hoosick Falls, Hoosick, Rensselaer, New York, United States

Died 31 Jan 1856 at age 30 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois, United States

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Biography

John Manny is Notable.

John Manny is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Rockford, Illinois.

John Henry Manny was the inventor of the Manny Reaper, one of various makes of reaper used to harvest grain in the 19th century.

John was born in 1825. He was the son of Pells Manny and Sarah Swart. ^[1]

He moved to Illinois in 1850. ^[2]

He married Mary Dorr in 1852. ^[3]

They had no children.

They lived in Rockford. ^[4]

John died of tuberculosis in 1856.

Manny Reaper

John Manny Reaper

While farming with his father, Manny developed a reaper. He applied for a patent in 1851. ^[5]

He developed a combined reaper mower in 1853 which he manufactured in Rockford. It was the first to successfully challenge the Cyrus McCormick Company's dominance in reaper manufacture.

McCormick sued him for copyright infringement in 1854. Abraham Lincoln was hired as one of the lawyers in 1855 to defend Manny. However, the case was moved to Cincinnati and Lincoln never argued the case. ^[6]

Manny won both the case and appeal.

John Henry Manny Monument

Obituary

DEATH OF JOHN H. MANNY

It becomes our painful duty to announce the decease of another of our most prominent citizens in the person of John H. Manny which occurred at his residence in this city at about 9 o’clock on Thursday evening last.

Mr. M. was a victim to that fell destroyer consumption, which marked him as his prey some years since, and now in the prime of his life, at the early age of 30 years, numbers him among the millions of its slain. “Death loves a shining mark” and twice within a few short months he has taken from us among those who ranked among our most useful and respected citizens.

Although not one of our oldest, he was certainly among the most active and enterprising and has conferred lasting honor upon our City by the successful achievements of his genius as the inventor of the well-known Reaper and Mower bearing his name.

Possessed of an indomitable and untiring energy he brought his machine to a wonderful degree of perfection, overcoming difficulties, embarrassments, and the obstacles of rival inventors at every turn, and established a manufacturing business excelled in extent and by few other establishments in the Union, and by none in the same branch. Last year fully one-fifth of the entire number of Reaping Machines in the United States was made at Messrs Manny & Co.’s establishment in this City, and this year their operations were expected to reach upwards to half a million dollars.

The anxiety which had been manifested during his severe protracted illness bespeaks a warm-hearted sympathy with his deeply affected family and friends in this hour as well as the strong desire on the part of this community that he might live to enjoy the fruits of his energy and toil.

We understand the funeral services are to be held at the Second Congregational Church tomorrow forenoon at the usual hour service. Citizens are invited to attend. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptismal records of the First (or Woestina) Reformed Church of Rotterdam, Schenectady County, New York
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M853-NDK : 19 December 2020), John H Manny in household of Petter Manny, Waddams Township, Stephenson, Illinois, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
3. ↑ Walworth, Reuben Hyde. ”Hyde genealogy; or, The descendants,in the female as well as in the male lines, from William Hyde, of Norwich” .. Vol 2. Albany, J. Munsell: 1864. Page 977.
4. ↑ "Illinois State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61YX-Z2M : 11 March 2018), J H Manny, Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois; citing Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois, 12, p. 142, Illinois State Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm.
5. ↑ Manny's combined reaper and mower and single mower : Patented, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855 and 1856. Manufactured by John P. Adriance & Co. Worcester, Mass. ..
6. ↑ Lincoln and the Reaper Case
7. ↑ Rockford Register. (Rockford, IL) 2 February 1856, page 2. GenealogyBank: accessed 2 September 2022

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #21369662: accessed 01 September 2022, memorial page for John Henry Manny (28 Nov 1825–31 Jan 1856), citing Greenwood Cemetery, Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by candy lovins (contributor 46854957) .
• Wikipedia:John Henry Manny
• John H. Manny–Founder of our Fortune
• Manny's Combined Reaper and Mower, circa 1854