Isaac Merritt Singer was the most lurid of the 19th century sewing machine discoverers, having advanced his abilities as a performer before becoming an inventor. Isaac Merritt Singer was born in Troy, New York on October 27, 1811 to a large family of German immigrants. At the age of twelve, Singer departed from home in New York and left to Rochester to work many inexperienced jobs until he was nineteen years old. While he was in Rochester, he worked as an apprentice machinist but only for a short period of time. Singer moved around a lot from city to city and worked many jobs but, during the next ten years Singer married Catherine Maria Haley and accomplished his dreams of becoming an actor. He toured America with a theatre company but his career as an actor did not continue for long. Singer's life as a spouse was quite fascinating because he was not happy with just one women. He was involved with another women and over a twenty-five year period, he had many affairs and fathered over twenty children. His last marriage to Isabella Boyer proved to be a lasting relationship and according to Singer, this was the happiest period of his life.
For almost two year Singer worked as a part time handyman, actor, and an unskilled worker on the Erie Canal. "While working for his brother in 1839, Singer invented and patented a rock drilling machine which sold for $2000 dollars and used the money to finance the Merritt Players, which was his own theatre company." (3)(www.northstar.k12.ak.us) The Merritt Player's company did not turn out to be a noble investment because after touring for almost five years, he struggled financially and became broke; his company failed in 1844 in Fredricksburg, Ohio.
After Singer had experienced financial problems with his acting career, he decided to return to inventing and work at a print shop. As Singer was employed, he invented a wood and metal carving machine that he patented in 1849.
