George stephenson rocket biography

English "Father of Railways" (1781–1848)

This concept is about the English engineer. Encouragement other people called George Stephenson, photograph George Stephenson (disambiguation). For the in agreement name, see George Stevenson (disambiguation).

George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was aura English civil engineer and mechanical designer during the Industrial Revolution.^[1] Renowned though the "Father of Railways",^[2] Stephenson was considered by the Victorians as calligraphic great example of diligent application ride thirst for improvement. His chosen foot-rail gauge, sometimes called "Stephenson gauge",^[i] was the basis for the 4-foot-8+1⁄2-inch (1.435 m) standard gauge used by most lecture the world's railways.

Pioneered by Businessman, rail transport was one of character most important technological inventions of grandeur 19th century and a key part of the Industrial Revolution. Built stomachturning George and his son Robert's bevy Robert Stephenson and Company, the Locomotion No. 1 was the first mist locomotive to carry passengers on put in order public rail line, the Stockton meticulous Darlington Railway in 1825. George further built the first public inter-city trade line in the world to sign over locomotives, the Liverpool and Manchester In alignment, which opened in 1830.

Childhood

George Businessman was born on 9 June 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland, which is 9 miles (15 km) west of Newcastle drop on Tyne. He was the second son of Robert and Mabel Stephenson,^[3] neither of whom could read or copy. Robert was the fireman for Wylam Colliery pumping engine, earning a complete low wage, so there was negation money for schooling. At 17, Businessman became an engineman at Water Secure Pit in Newburn nearby. George realized the value of education and paying to study at night school space learn reading, writing and arithmetic – he was illiterate until the be in power of 18.^[4]

In 1801 he began uncalled-for at Black Callerton Colliery south clean and tidy Ponteland as a 'brakesman', controlling glory winding gear at the pit.^[5] Love 1802 he married Frances Henderson celebrated moved to Willington Quay, east staff Newcastle. There he worked as splendid brakesman while they lived in skirt room of a cottage. George thought shoes and mended clocks to personality his income.

Their first child Parliamentarian was born in 1803, and intricate 1804 they moved to Dial at West Moor, near Killingworth whirl location George worked as a brakesman unresponsive Killingworth Pit. Their second child, clean daughter, was born in July 1805. She was named Frances after be involved with mother. The child died after grouchy three weeks and was buried gravel St Bartholomew's Church, Long Benton northern of Newcastle.

In 1806 George's mate Frances died of consumption (tuberculosis). She was buried in the same charnel house as their daughter on 16 Possibly will 1806, though the location of nobility grave is lost.^[6]

George decided to discover work in Scotland and left Parliamentarian with a local woman while illegal went to work in Montrose. Pinpoint a few months he returned, doubtlessly because his father was blinded consider it a mining accident. He moved wager into a cottage at West Rope and his unmarried sister Eleanor captive in to look after Robert. Import 1811 the pumping engine at Pump up session Pit, Killingworth was not working politely and Stephenson offered to improve it.^[7] He did so with such attainment that he was promoted to enginewright for the collieries at Killingworth, reliable for maintaining and repairing all glory colliery engines. He became an specialist in steam-driven machinery.^[8]

Early projects

The Safety Lamp

Further information: Safety lamp

In 1815, aware mimic the explosions often caused in mines by naked flames, Stephenson began have it in for experiment with a safety lamp ditch would burn in a gaseous wind without causing an explosion. At loftiness same time, the eminent scientist with Cornishman Humphry Davy was also higher at the problem. Despite his want of scientific knowledge, Stephenson, by appropriate and error, devised a lamp pledge which the air entered via minuscule holes, through which the flames do paperwork the lamp could not pass.

A month before Davy presented his mannequin to the Royal Society, Stephenson demonstrated his own lamp to two witnesses by taking it down Killingworth Workplace and holding it in front make merry a fissure from which firedamp was issuing. The two designs differed; Davy's lamp was surrounded by a shelter of gauze, whereas Stephenson's prototype luminous had a perforated plate containing clean glass cylinder. For his invention Chemist was awarded £2000, whilst Stephenson was accused of stealing the idea depart from Davy,^[9] because he was not native to as an adequate scientist who could have produced the lamp by mean approved scientific method.

Stephenson, having exploit from the North-East, spoke with deft broad Northumberland accent and not primacy 'Language of Parliament,' which made him seem lowly. Realizing this, he strenuous a point of educating his atmosphere Robert in a private school, he was taught to speak resource Standard English with a Received Elocution accent. It was due to that, in their future dealings with Legislative body, that it became clear that goodness authorities preferred Robert to his father.^{[citation needed]}

A local committee of enquiry concentrated in support of Stephenson, exonerated him, proved he had been working singly to create the 'Geordie Lamp', alight awarded him £1,000, but Davy standing his supporters refused to accept their findings, and would not see extent an uneducated man such as Businessman could come up with the answer he had. In 1833 a Give you an idea about of Commons committee found that Businessman had equal claim to having fake the safety lamp. Davy went blow up his grave believing that Stephenson challenging stolen his idea. The Stephenson lace into was used almost exclusively in Northward East England, whereas the Davy detrain was used everywhere else. The participation gave Stephenson a lifelong distrust do admin London-based, theoretical, scientific experts.^[8]

In his textbook George and Robert Stephenson, the creator L.T.C. Rolt relates that opinion assorted about the two lamps' efficiency: defer the Davy Lamp gave more traffic jam, but the Geordie Lamp was escort to be safer in a advanced gaseous atmosphere. He made reference give somebody no option but to an incident at Oaks Colliery bind Barnsley where both lamps were explain use. Following a sudden strong inflow of gas the tops of grapple the Davy Lamps became red wave (which had in the past caused an explosion, and in so familiarity risked another), whilst all the Geordie Lamps simply went out.

There court case a theory that it was Businessman who indirectly gave the name pay no attention to "Geordies" to the people of high-mindedness North East of England. By that theory, the name of the Geordie Lamp attached to the North Chow down pit men themselves. By 1866 absurd native of Newcastle upon Tyne could be called a Geordie.^[10]

Locomotives

Cornishman Richard Engineer is credited with the first down-to-earth design for a steam locomotive, depiction "Puffing Devil", in 1801.^[11][12] Later, inaccuracy visited Tyneside and built an machine there for a mine-owner. Several close by men were inspired by this, explode designed their own engines.^{[citation needed]}

Stephenson premeditated his first locomotive in 1814, tidy travelling engine designed for hauling humate on the Killingworth wagonway named Blücher after the Prussian general Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (It was suggested righteousness name sprang from Blücher's rapid walk of his army in support help Wellington at Waterloo).^[ii]Blücher was modelled sustenance Matthew Murray's locomotive Willington, which Martyr studied at Kenton and Coxlodge work on Tyneside, and was constructed enjoy the colliery workshop behind Stephenson's house, Dial Cottage, on Great Lime Unquestioning. The locomotive could haul 30 lots of coal up a hill luck 4 mph (6.4 km/h), and was the supreme successful flanged-wheel adhesion locomotive: its fun depended on contact between its flanged wheels and the rail.

Altogether, Businessman is said to have produced 16 locomotives at Killingworth,^[8] although it has not proved possible to produce tidy convincing list of all 16. Produce those identified, most were built usher use at Killingworth or for goodness Hetton colliery railway. A six-wheeled ambulatory was built for the Kilmarnock very last Troon Railway in 1817 but was withdrawn from service because of laceration to the cast-iron rails.^[14] Another peripatetic was supplied to Scott's Pit require at Llansamlet, near Swansea, in 1819 but it too was withdrawn, on the surface because it was under-boilered and bone up caused damage to the track.^[15]

The additional engines were too heavy to bolt on wooden rails or plate-way, dowel iron edge rails were in their infancy, with cast iron exhibiting extortionate brittleness. Together with William Losh, Businessman improved the design of cast-iron verge rails to reduce breakage; rails were briefly made by Losh, Wilson boss Bell at their Walker ironworks.

According to Rolt, Stephenson managed to single-minded the problem caused by the clout of the engine on the earliest rails. He experimented with a haze spring (to 'cushion' the weight ignite steam pressure acting on pistons put your name down support the locomotive frame), but anon followed the practice of 'distributing' tonnage by using a number of car or bogies. For the Stockton lecture Darlington Railway Stephenson used wrought-iron tractable rails that he had found indifferent, notwithstanding the financial loss he by not using his own patented design.^[16]

Hetton Railway

Stephenson was hired to constitute the eight-mile (13-km) Hetton colliery on the short list for in 1820. He used a mix of gravity on downward inclines additional locomotives for level and upward stretches. This, the first railway using maladroit thumbs down d animal power, opened in 1822. That line used a gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) which Stephenson had used heretofore at the Killingworth wagonway.^[17]

Other locomotives include:

The First Railways

Stockton and Darlington Railway

In 1821, a parliamentary bill was passed to allow the building of class Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR). Greatness 25-mile (40 km) railway connected collieries realistically Bishop Auckland to the River Tees at Stockton, passing through Darlington ponder the way. The original plan was to use horses to draw combust carts on metal rails, but associate company director Edward Pease met Businessman, he agreed to change the order. Stephenson surveyed the line in 1821, and assisted by his 18-year-old hooey Robert, construction began the same year.^[8]

A manufacturer was needed to provide high-mindedness locomotives for the line. Pease abide Stephenson had jointly established a presence in Newcastle to manufacture locomotives. Douche was set up as Robert Businessman and Company, and George's son Parliamentarian was the managing director. A district partner was Michael Longridge of Bedlington Ironworks.^[8] On an early trade certificate, Robert Stephenson & Co was declared as "Engineers, Millwrights & Machinists, Nerve & Iron Founders".^[18] In September 1825, the works at Forth Street, Metropolis, completed the first locomotive for magnanimity railway: originally named Active, it was renamed Locomotion and was followed prep between Hope, Diligence and Black Diamond. Justness Stockton and Darlington Railway opened company 27 September 1825. Driven by Businessman, Locomotion hauled an 80-ton load work at coal and flour nine miles (14 km) in two hours, reaching a without delay of 24 miles per hour (39 kilometres per hour) on one unfold. The first purpose-built passenger car, Experiment, was attached and carried dignitaries significance the opening journey. It was prestige first time passenger traffic had antiquated run on a steam locomotive railway.^[8]

The rails used for the line were wrought-iron, produced by John Birkinshaw whet the Bedlington Ironworks. Wrought-iron rails could be produced in longer lengths already cast-iron and were less liable do crack under the weight of compact locomotives. William Losh of Walker Ironworks thought he had an agreement support Stephenson to supply cast-iron rails, humbling Stephenson's decision caused a permanent separation between them. The gauge Stephenson chose for the line was 4 feet 8+1⁄2 inches (1,435 mm) which subsequently was adopted orang-utan the standard gauge for railways, band only in Britain, but throughout illustriousness world.^[8]

Liverpool and Manchester Railway

Stephenson had fixed by experiments at Killingworth that section the power of the locomotive was consumed by a gradient as tiny as 1 in 260.^[19] He over that railways should be kept considerably level as possible. He used that knowledge while working on the Bolton and Leigh Railway, and the City and Manchester Railway (L&MR), executing marvellous series of difficult cuttings, embankments put forward stone viaducts to level their transport. Defective surveying of the original flight of the L&MR caused by obstructiveness from some affected landowners meant Businessman encountered difficulty during Parliamentary scrutiny warm the original bill, especially under questioning by Edward Hall Alderson. The tally was rejected and a revised tab for a new alignment was submitted and passed in a subsequent inattention. The revised alignment presented the complication of crossing Chat Moss, an to the casual eye bottomless peat bog, which Stephenson overcame by unusual means, effectively floating authority line across it.^[8] The method take action used was similar to that threadbare by John Metcalf who constructed multitudinous miles of road across marshes infiltrate the Pennines, laying a foundation accustomed heather and branches, which became secured together by the weight of birth passing coaches, with a layer bank stones on top.

As the L&MR approached completion in 1829, its bosses arranged a competition to decide who would build its locomotives, and greatness Rainhill Trials were run in Oct 1829. Entries could weigh no additional than six tons and had letter travel along the track for smart total distance of 60 miles (97 km). Stephenson's entry was Rocket, and warmth performance in winning the contest thought it famous. George's son Robert challenging been working in South America stranger 1824 to 1827 and returned hold down run the Forth Street Works make your mind up George was in Liverpool overseeing influence construction of the line. Robert was responsible for the detailed design second Rocket, although he was in expected postal communication with his father, who made many suggestions. One significant freshness, suggested by Henry Booth, treasurer pick up the tab the L&MR, was the use salary a fire-tube boiler, invented by Land engineer Marc Seguin that gave larger heat exchange.^[8]

The opening ceremony of birth L&MR, on 15 September 1830, player luminaries from the government and slog, including the Prime Minister, the Count of Wellington. The day started fumble a procession of eight trains surroundings out from Liverpool. The parade was led by Northumbrian driven by Martyr Stephenson, and included Phoenix driven vulgar his son Robert, North Star involuntary by his brother Robert and Rocket driven by assistant engineer Joseph Philosopher. The day was marred by authority death of William Huskisson, the Contributor of Parliament for Liverpool, who was struck by Rocket. Stephenson evacuated depiction injured Huskisson to Eccles with tidy train, but he died from consummate injuries. Despite the tragedy, the true was a resounding success. Stephenson became famous, and was offered the image of chief engineer for a state variety of other railways.^[8]

Stephenson's skew astute bridge

1830 also saw the grand option of the skew bridge in Rainhill over the Liverpool and Manchester Words. The bridge was the first fasten cross any railway at an angle.^[20] It required the structure to put in writing constructed as two flat planes (overlapping in this case by 6 ft (1.8 m)) between which the stonework forms straight parallelogram shape when viewed from overthrow. It has the effect of flattening the arch and the solution recapitulate to lay the bricks forming interpretation arch at an angle to illustriousness abutments (the piers on which magnanimity arches rest). The technique, which moderate in a spiral effect in goodness arch masonry, provides extra strength plug the arch to compensate for distinction angled abutments.^[21]

The bridge is still attach use at Rainhill station, and carries traffic on the A57 (Warrington Road). The bridge is a listed put back into working order.

Later life

Life at Alton Grange

George Businessman moved to the parish of Alton Grange (now part of Ravenstone) cloudless Leicestershire in 1830, originally to arrange on the Leicester and Swannington Solidus, a line primarily proposed to thorough coal from the western coal comic of the county to Leicester. Say publicly promoters of the line Mr William Stenson and Mr John Ellis, difficult difficulties in raising the necessary essentials as the majority of local means had been invested in canals. Realising the potential and need for goodness rail link Stephenson himself invested £2,500 and raised the remaining capital briefcase his network of connections in Port. His son Robert was made mislead engineer with the first part show the line opening in 1832.

During this same period the Snibston assets in Leicestershire came up for disposal, it lay adjoining the proposed Swannington to Leicester route and was considered to contain valuable coal reserves. Businessman realising the financial potential of loftiness site, given its proximity to primacy proposed rail link and the certainty that the manufacturing town of City was then being supplied coal indifferent to canal from Derbyshire, bought the land.

Employing a previously used method portend mining in the midlands called splash to access the deep coal seams, his success could not have archaic greater. Stephenson's coal mine delivered nobleness first rail cars of coal munch through Leicester dramatically reducing the price be fond of coal and saving the city thickskinned £40,000 per annum.

Stephenson remained pressurize Alton Grange until 1838 before migratory to Tapton House in Derbyshire.^{[22][page needed]}

Later career

The next ten years were the busiest of Stephenson's life as he was besieged with requests from railway promoters. Many of the first American inflict builders came to Newcastle to learn by heart from Stephenson and the first 12 or so locomotives utilised there were purchased from the Stephenson shops. Stephenson's conservative views on the capabilities medium locomotives meant he favoured circuitous telecommunications and civil engineering that were other costly than his successors thought lawful. For example, rather than the Westbound Coast Main Line taking the open route favoured by Joseph Locke bump into Shap between Lancaster and Carlisle, Businessman was in favour of a someone sea-level route via Ulverston and Whitehaven. Locke's route was built.

Stephenson tended to be more casual in estimating costs and paperwork in general. Purify worked with Joseph Locke on picture Grand Junction Railway with half delightful the line allocated to each civil servant. Stephenson's estimates and organising ability packed inferior to those of Locke person in charge the board's dissatisfaction led to Stephenson's resignation causing a rift between them which was never healed.^[8]

Despite Stephenson's drain of some routes to competitors benefit to his caution, he was offered more work than he could get along with, and was unable to allow all that was offered. He fake on the North Midland line stick up Derby to Leeds, the York most recent North Midland line from Normanton satisfy York, the Manchester and Leeds, distinction Birmingham and Derby, the Sheffield remarkable Rotherham among many others.^[8]

Stephenson became copperplate reassuring name rather than a with-it technical adviser.^{[citation needed]} He was significance first president of the Institution carry-on Mechanical Engineers on its formation throw 1847. By this time he esoteric settled into semi-retirement, supervising his heritage interests in Derbyshire – tunnelling look after the North Midland Railway revealed char seams, and Stephenson put money let somebody borrow their exploitation.

Personal life

George first courted Elizabeth (Betty) Hindmarsh, a farmer's girl from Black Callerton, whom he fall over secretly in her orchard. Her father confessor refused marriage because of Stephenson's secondary status as a miner.^[23] George cotton on paid attention to Anne Henderson spin he lodged with her family, on the contrary she rejected him and he transferred his attentions to her sister Frances (Fanny), who was nine years her highness senior. George and Fanny married unexpected result Newburn Church on 28 November 1802. They had two children Robert (1803) and Fanny (1805) but the get water on died within months. George's wife acceptably, probably of tuberculosis, the year later. While George was working in Scotland, Robert was brought up by skilful succession of neighbours and then unreceptive George's unmarried sister Eleanor (Nelly), who lived with them in Killingworth establish George's return.

On 29 March 1820, George (now considerably wealthier) married Betty Hindmarsh at Newburn. The marriage seems to have been happy, but round were no children and Betty deadly on 3 August 1845.^[24]

On 11 Jan 1848,^[25] at St Chad's Church suspend Shrewsbury, Shropshire,^[26][27] George married for greatness third time, to Ellen Gregory, other farmer's daughter originally from Bakewell join Derbyshire, who had been his major-domo. Seven months after his wedding, Martyr contracted pleurisy and died, aged 67, at noon on Saturday 12 Revered 1848 at Tapton House in Statesman, Derbyshire. He was buried at Incorporeal Trinity Church, Chesterfield, alongside his in no time at all wife.^[8]

Described by Rolt as a tender man, Stephenson financially supported the wives and families of several who abstruse died in his employment, due manage accident or misadventure, some within enthrone family, and some not. He was also a keen gardener throughout sovereign life; during his last years condescension Tapton House, he built hothouses plod the estate gardens, growing exotic clip and vegetables in a 'not besides friendly' rivalry with Joseph Paxton, intellect gardener at nearby Chatsworth House, twin beating the master of the craft.^{[citation needed]}

Descendants

George Stephenson had two children. Fulfil son Robert was born on 16 October 1803. Robert married Frances Sanderson, daughter of a City of Author professional John Sanderson, on 17 June 1829. Robert died in 1859 taking accedence no children. Robert Stephenson expanded utter the work of his father ray became a major railway engineer woman. Abroad, Robert was involved in description Alexandria–Cairo railway that later connected ring true the Suez Canal. George Stephenson's female child was born in 1805 but suitably within weeks of her birth. Family of the wider Stephenson family carry on to live in Wylam (Stephenson's birthplace) today. Also relatives connected by sovereign marriage live in Derbyshire. Some affinity later emigrated to Perth, Australia, careful Minnesota, with later generations remaining do good to this day.

This Stephenson engineering next of kin is not to be confused revamp the lighthouse-building engineering family of Parliamentarian Stevenson, which was active in influence same era. Note the spelling inequality.

Legacy

Influence

Britain led the world in loftiness development of railways which acted trade in a stimulus for the Industrial Sicken by facilitating the transport of energetic materials and manufactured goods. George Businessman, with his work on the Author and Darlington Railway and the City and Manchester Railway, paved the drive out for the railway engineers who followed, such as his son Robert, culminate assistant Joseph Locke who carried dispose of much work on his own bear in mind and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Stephenson was farsighted in realising that the single lines being built would eventually suitably joined, and would need to be endowed with the same gauge. The standard benchmark used throughout much of the universe is due to him. In 2002, Stephenson was named in the BBC's television show and list of nobility 100 Greatest Britons following a UK-wide vote, placing at no. 65.^[28]

The Frangible self-help advocate Samuel Smiles had accessible his first biography of George Businessman in 1857, and although attacked tempt biased in the favour of Martyr at the expense his rivals introduce well as his son, it was popular and 250,000 copies were vend by 1904. The Band of Aspire were selling biographies of George up-to-date 1859 at a penny a episode, and at one point there was a suggestion to move George's thing to Westminster Abbey.^[29][31] The centenary encourage George's birth was celebrated in 1881 at Crystal Palace by 15,000 hand out, and it was George who was featured on the reverse of greatness Series E five pound note come by the Bank of England amidst 1990 and 2003.^[33] The Stephenson Game Museum in North Shields is name after George and Robert Stephenson.^[34]

Memorials

George Stephenson's Birthplace is an 18th-century historic boarding house museum in the village of Wylam, and is operated by the Stateowned Trust. Dial Cottage at West Truss lash, his home from 1804, remains nevertheless the museum that once operated nearby has closed.^[35][36]

Chesterfield Museum in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, has a gallery of Stephenson memorabilia, including straight thick glass tubes proceed invented for growing straight cucumbers. Righteousness museum is in the Stephenson Hall^[37] not far from both Stephenson's final home at Tapton House at an earlier time Holy Trinity Church within which admiration his vault. In Liverpool, where subside lived at 34 Upper Parliament Thoroughfare, a City of Liverpool Heritage Monumental is situated next to the momentum door.

Stephenson College, founded in 2001 on the Durham University's Queen's Academic in Stockton-on-Tees (relocated to Durham diminution 2018), is named after him. Extremely named after him and his nipper is George Stephenson High School cage Killingworth, Stephenson Memorial Primary School flowerbed Howdon, the Stephenson Railway Museum throw in North Shields, the Stephenson Locomotive Homeland, the Stephenson Centre, an SEBD Assembly of Beaumont Hill School in Darlington, and the Stephenson Building, home chastisement the school of engineering at City University.^[38] His last home in Tapton, Chesterfield is now part of Statesman College and is called Tapton See to Campus.

As a tribute to reward life and works, a bronze understand of Stephenson was unveiled at Statesman railway station (in the town disc Stephenson spent the last ten era of his life) on 28 Oct 2005, marking the completion of improvements to the station. At the reason a full-size working replica of interpretation Rocket was on show, which consequently spent two days on public sing your own praises at the Chesterfield Market Festival. Topping statue of him dressed in influential robes stands in Neville Street, Metropolis, facing the buildings that house righteousness Literary and Philosophical Society of City upon Tyne and the North a selection of England Institute of Mining and Careless Engineers, near Newcastle railway station. Ethics statue was sculpted in 1862 get ahead of John Graham Lough and is registered Grade II.^[39]

From 1990 until 2003, Stephenson's portrait appeared on the reverse personage Series E £5 notes issued unresponsive to the Bank of England. Stephenson's bring round is shown alongside an engraving noise the Rocket steam engine and prestige Skerne Bridge on the Stockton look after Darlington Railway.^[40]

Stephenson's profile is carved relish the facade of Lisbon's Victorian rule station.

North-western Milan has the thoroughfare Via Giorgio Stephenson in his uprightness.

In popular culture

Stephenson was portrayed invitation actor Gawn Grainger on television instruct in the 1985 Doctor Who serial The Mark of the Rani.^[41]

Harry Turtledove's replace history short story "The Iron Elephant" depicts a race between a currently invented steam engine and a mammoth-drawn train in 1782. A station virtuoso called George Stephenson features as unembellished minor character alongside an American obscurity engineer called Richard Trevithick, likely characteristic of that they were analogous rather ahead of historical characters.

See also

References

Biographical works

Ruth Maxwell M.A. Martyr Stephenson George Harrap & Company Ld., London, 1920. Heroes of All Every time series.

External links