SLATER, Samuel, manufacturer, born in Belper, Derbyshire, England, 9 June, 1768; died in Webster, Massachusetts, 21 April, 1835. He was the son of a respectable yeoman, received a good education, and served an apprenticeship at cotton-spinning with Jedidiah Strutt, the partner of Richard Arkwright. He was a favorite with Mr. Strutt, aided him in making improvements in his mills, and gained a thorough mastery of the theory and practice of the new manufacture. In 1789 congress passed its first act for the encouragement of manufactures, and the legislature of Pennsylvania offered a bounty for the introduction of the Arkwright patent. Young S later became cognizant of these circumstances, and determined to introduce the invention in the United States; but, as the laws of England did not admit of his taking drawings or models with him, he had to trust to his memory to enable him to construct the most complicated machinery. He landed in New York in November, 1789, and, having ascertained that Moses Brown had made some attempts at cotton-spinning in Rhode Island, wrote to him and told him what he could do. Mr. Brown, in replying to him, wrote" "If thou canst do this thing, I invite thee to come to Rhode Island, and have the credit of introducing cotton-manufacture into America." Slater proceeded to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in January, 1790, and immediately entered into articles of agreement with William Almy and Smith Brown to construct and operate the new cotton-spinning machinery. On 21 December, 1790, he started at Pawtucket three 18-inch carding-machines, the necessary drawing-heads with two rolls and four processes, the roving cases and winders for the same, and throstle spinning-frames of seventy-two spindles. In a short, time reels were made for putting the yarn into skeins, in which form it was at that time placed upon the market. In doing this Mr. Slater was compelled to prepare all the plans in the several departments of manufacturing, and to construct with his own hands the different kinds of machinery, or else teach others how to do it. The first yarn made on his machinery was equal to the best quality made in England. About 1800 the second cotton-mill went into operation in Rhode Island. In 1806 Mr. Slater was joined by his brother John, from England, and soon afterward a cotton-mill was erected in a locality now known as Slatersville, Rhode Island In 1812 Mr. Slater began the erection of mills in Oxford (now Webster), Massachusetts, adding in 1815-'16 the manufacture of woollen cloth. He was also interested in iron-manufactures, and acquired great wealth. In 1796 he established a Sunday-school for the improvement of his work-people, which was the first, or among the first, in the United States. See a memoir of him by George S. White (Philadelphia, 1836).--His nephew, John Fox, philanthropist, born in Slatersville, Rhode Island, 4 March, 1815" died in Norwich, Connecticut, 7 May, 1884, was the son of John Slater. He was early trained for the manufacturing business, and in 1872 became sole owner of the mill property he was then conducting, He made excellent investments, and in a few years acquired great wealth. Mr. Slater was early interested in the cause of education, and gave liberally for the establishment of the Norwich free academy and other objects. In April, 1882, he placed in the hands of trustees $1,000,000, the interest of which is to be used for the education of freedmen in the south.--His son, WILLIAM ALBERT, in November, 1886, transferred to the Free academy, Norwich, a building costing @150,000, which he erected in memory of his father.