Edward Walter Fryer was born in London, England, in 1828. He was the son of a watchmaker, and he showed an early interest in mechanics. After completing his education, Fryer worked as an engineer for several years. In 1861, he founded his own company, Fryer & Company, which specialized in the manufacture of fire safety equipment.
Fryer was a prolific inventor, and he held over 100 patents in his lifetime. In addition to his fire sprinkler system, he also invented a number of other fire safety devices, including a fire alarm and a smoke detector.
Fryer died in London in 1906. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1995.
