Samuel Alfred Warner

Samuel Alfred Warner (c.1793–1853) was an English inventor of naval weapons, now considered a charlatan.

Life Warner was born at Heathfield, East Sussex, son of William Warner who was a carpenter and reputed smuggler of Faversham. He knew a London chemist called Garrald, and was working with him in 1819 on an explosive. He took service with Pedro I of Brazil in Portugal, and on his return to England found some support from William IV for his claims to have secret weapons. Warner died in obscure circumstances in the early days of December 1853, and was buried in Brompton cemetery, west London, on the 10th. He left a widow and seven children.

Claimed inventions From 1830 to the date of his death Warner pressed claims for two inventions. These were the "invisible shell" (reconstructed as a type of high explosive underwater mine), and the "long range", possibly a balloon fitted to drop the "invisible shells" automatically: it emerged eventually that Warner had secretly set up an unsuccessful trial with Charles Green and an unmanned balloon. Illustration from the Illustrated London News of the 1844 alleged demonstration of Warner's "invisible shell"

A further demonstration in the English Channel off Brighton in 1844 showed a target vessel being towed at sea detonated at a signal. It was well attended, but left unresolved the value of what had been seen. It was concluded no such report existed.

The supposed inventions were displayed in the West End Gallery at the great Exhibition of 1851, still claiming the support of Keats and Hardy, but it progressed no further. In 1852 the matter was again brought up in the House of Lords, on 14 May, and a committee was appointed to inquire into it. A week later, on 21 May, the Duke of Wellington intervened, pointing out that the inquiry was one of a scientific nature, and that it had been entrusted to the Ordnance Department. With this the matter appears to have been dropped. The committee never reported.