When and where was Matthew Murray born?
Matthew Murray was born in Newcastle upon Tyne during 1765. He left school at the age of fourteen to begin an apprenticeship as a blacksmith or whitesmith.
Questions about Matthew Murray
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What did Matthew Murray invent for steam engines?
Matthew Murray invented a Tusi couple hypocycloidal straight line mechanism that converted linear motion into circular motion without using a crank. This design made his steam engines more compact and lightweight than previous models until James Pickard's patent expired.
Where did Matthew Murray build the Round Foundry?
Matthew Murray built the Round Foundry in Leeds as a huge three-storeyed circular building to house specialized equipment including a planing machine. The foundry contained a centrally mounted steam engine powering all machines inside while heating pipes warmed the adjacent residence known as Steam Hall.
Which company did Matthew Murray form with David Wood and others?
Matthew Murray formed the partnership Fenton, Murray and Wood after moving to larger premises at Water Lane in 1797. James Fenton and William Lister joined as partners alongside Murray and David Wood to supply machinery to numerous local mills.
When did Matthew Murray supply the first commercially successful steam locomotive?
In 1812 the firm supplied John Blenkinsop with the first twin-cylinder steam locomotive named Salamanca which represented the first commercially successful steam locomotive ever built. This vehicle used a rack railway system where a toothed wheel meshed with a toothed rail at track side to haul loads totaling twenty times its weight.