Arkwright’s Background (1732-1792): Richard Arkwright was born in Preston, Lancashire. He would later become a textile industrialist and inventor who had a strong influence on machinery and factories. Arkwright was the youngest of seven children and was the son of a tailor. Early in his career he was a wig-maker but would soon marry his first wife, Patience Holt. He settled down and had a son the same year. After the death of his first wife, he would remarry and become an entrepreneur. At this point in his life, Arkwright patented the spinning frame, which was his largest contribution to the industrial revolution. When his life was winding down he moved to Nottingham and formed a partnership with local businessmen Jedediah Strutt and Samuel