Clarissa Britain

Clarissa Britain (1816–1895) was a 19th-century American inventor who received seven patents in a span of 18 months from early 1863 to 1864. Professionally, she was trained as a school teacher and was the founder and principal of Niles Female Seminary in Niles, Michigan. Her brother Calvin Britain, was one of the original settlers of St. Joseph, Michigan laying out the plat of the original village and who went on to be a prominent politician in Michigan.

Because of her socioeconomic position, Clarissa received a good education and was able to have a career as a teacher. She taught for several years in district schools near her home in Brownville. From 1838 to 1839 she attended Emma Willard's Troy Female Seminary. Her family was the main reason for her transitory lifestyle.

Professional life In 1841, Clarissa moved to Niles, Michigan to be closer to her brother Calvin and to also establish her own school, Niles Female Seminary which she was the principal until 1848 when she sold the school. Several others were for cooking improvements and one for a dinner pail for miners (Patent No. US41,274) which included a light, a food warming mechanism, and eating utensils.

Formative years After trying her hand at invention, Clarissa moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin where she worked as the principal at Kemper Hall for a year

Clarissa made one more move to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for reasons not recorded. She died in Baton Rouge in 1895 at the age of 80.

It doesn't look like Clarissa was ever able to sell the rights to any of her inventions and her obituary never mentions her inventor career.