http://www.valvias.com/history.

php
The History of the Valves
Since the Ancient times, the men knew how to regulate water, either with stones or
branches and trunks from the trees.
Egyptians, Greeks and other cultures were able to drive the water from rivers and
fountains for public use or irrigation.
But the Romans were the real developers of canal
systems. They bring water form fountains and rivers to
the villages, sometimes at long distances and saving
important
obstacles
by
means
of
aqueducts.
The valves were plug or stopcock type, made in bronze,
nowadays ASTM B-67. This material was well known by
the master of the "Collegia Fabrorum". It was rich in
lead, no cracked, anti-corrosive, ductile, able to weld to
the pipes of bronze or lead and good friction properties
which
facilitated
the
rotation
of
the
plug.
The parts of the valve were a body, a holed plug, a
bottom, and a long levy for turning the plug. Sometimes a pin was forced with a
hammer into the valve, and then the plug could turn but not be removed. That was a
way to avoid taking out the plug for defrauding water which seemed to be a
widespread practice at these times as some holes found in the inlet of the valves.
At several Mediterranean towns were found small valves, all of them had similar
design, such as in Rabat, Djemila, Istambul, Avarches, Augusta (where there was
also found butterfly valves as taps) and Naples (were the plugs were cylindric).
Romans used a primitive diaphragm valve, made of crude leather that was manually
closed over a weir, to control flow and temperature of household bath water.
There is also evidence of the use of angular valves, mixing valves and also check
valves for avoiding back flow.
During the Middle Ages there were not
any
very
important
designing
progresses.
It
was
during
the
Renaissance when the construction of
canals, irrigation systems and other
hydraulic
works
included
more
sophistificated valves. Leonardo Da
Vinci left good samples in his sketches.

The modern history of the valve industry starts with the Industrial Revolution. At
1705 Thomas Newcomen invented the first steam machine. It needed valves able
to keep and regulate the steam at high pressure. As new inventors as James Watt
created new machines, they also improve the design of the valves. But it was until
many years later when the production of valves was at great scale, independently of
particular projects.