The Newcomen steam engine was a tremendous invention by Mr. Thomas Newcomen - first installed in the Black Country in 1712! This time of engine was put to work in mines all over the country, and helped to change the world. The power of steam had been known since the Ancient Greeks and had even been used to help toys move. It took many centuries until people thought to put it to work in machinery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.