biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1787–1864)
|
| biography:
| Food manufacturer, born in London, UK. He apprenticed at Crosse & Blackwell's factory before moving to Boston, USA (1819) to open William Underwood & Co (1822), the first canning factory in New England. He expanded his fruit line to include pickles, milk, sauces (1828) and canned tomatoes (1835). In 1839 he began substituting tin cans for glass jars, and found them less expensive and more adaptable. He opened a lobster-canning business in Harpswell, ME (1844) and an oyster-canning plant in Boston (1850), and as competition increased, he focused on specialty foods such as devilled ham, clams, and sardines. In 1860 he purchased the rights to advanced sterilization methods, and during the Civil War he canned roast beef for Union soldiers. |
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