Robert Barker (died 1745) was a British physician and inventor. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society from 1732.[1]
Barker invented both a reflecting microscope, exhibited in 1736, and "Barker's mill", a prototype reaction turbine (1743).[2][3] According to James Dodson, he was a friend of Charles Labelye.[4] He died in London, on 9 September 1745.[5]
Barker's Mill, a rotating device powered by water and Newton's Third Law, is sometimes described as a 17th century invention.[6] It is attributed to Dr Robert Barker F.R.S., in 1743. It was published by John Theophilus Desaguliers in his book Experimental Philosophy of 1744.[7][3] Desaguliers, who himself demonstrated the mill to the Royal Society, attributed the principle involved to Antoine Parent.[8] French terms for the mill are tourniquet hydraulique, moulin de Parent or roue à réaction.[9][10]
A complex timeline of development ensued.