It was founded in London in 1920,[1] and takes its name from Thomas Newcomen, one of the inventors associated with the early development of the steam engine and who is widely considered the "father of the Industrial Revolution".

[1] The society is concerned with all branches of engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, structural, aeronautical, marine, chemical and manufacturing as well as biography and invention.

There are regional branches in England: Midlands (Birmingham), North West (Manchester), North East (Newcastle), Western (Bristol) and Southern (Portsmouth), South Yorkshire (Sheffield) and one in Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh).

The society also has a YouTube Channel with videos of meetings, conferences and online lectures.

[3] An American branch was established in 1923, but the Newcomen Society of the United States was entirely separate from its UK counterpart.