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Questions about William Murdoch

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What did William Murdoch build at age nine in Scotland?

William Murdoch built a wooden tricycle called his wooden horse on wheels at age nine. This machine appeared in the village of Bello Mill near Old Cumnock in Scotland.

When did William Murdoch invent the sun and planet gear?

Evidence shows that William Murdoch invented the sun and planet gear around 1781. A cogwheel fixed at the end of a rod connected to the beam revolved around a second rotating cog to convert vertical motion into circular movement for mill wheels.

Where was the first public display of steam locomotion by William Murdoch held?

The demonstration took place in Rivers Great Room at the King's Head hotel in Truro. This event marked Britain's first public display of steam locomotion in action.

How much money did the Committee of London Brewers pay for William Murdoch's beer clarification invention?

The Committee of London Brewers paid two thousand pounds for rights to use his invention. His replacement for isinglass used dried cod instead of expensive Russian sturgeon precipitate costing twenty-five shillings per pound.

Which factory became the first industrial factory fully illuminated by gas created by William Murdoch?

The Philips and Lee cotton mill in Manchester became the first industrial factory fully illuminated by gas in 1805. That mill initially contained fifty gas lights growing to nine hundred four.