Yes, the inventor's name really is Preserved Fish. There was more than one man with that name. The most likely candidate to be our inventor is Preserved Fish III (1766-1846), born in Portsmouth, RI, son of a blacksmith named Preserved Fish. After working for his father, III sailed the Pacific on a whaling ship, becoming its captain at age 21. He then went into the business of selling whale oil, first from New Bedford and then from New York. He was co-owner of the shipping firm Fish & Grinnell. He later served as president of the Tradesman's bank.

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USPTO pdf