George Stephenson
George Stephenson was born on the 9th of June 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland. His parents Robert and Mabel could not read or write. He worked as a fireman for the Wylam Colliery pumping engine at a very low wage. There was no money for his schooling. At age 17 he became an engineman at Water Row Pit in Newburn. George realized the value of education and paid to study at night school. He learned reading, writing and arithmetic by the time he was 18 years old. Before that moment he had been illiterate.
In 1801 he began work at Black Callerton Colliery south of Ponteland as a brakesman. In 1802 he married Frances Henderson and moved to Willington Quay east of Newcastle. They lived in one room of a cottage while he worked as a brakesman. George made shoes and mended clocks to supplement their income. Their first child Robert was born in 1803. They moved to Dial Cottage at West Moor near Killingworth where George worked as a brakesman at Killingworth Pit. A daughter named Frances was born in July 1805 but died after three weeks. She was buried in St Bartholomew's Church Long Benton north of Newcastle.
George's wife Frances died of consumption on the 16th of May 1806. Her grave location is lost. George decided to find work in Scotland and left Robert with a local woman. After a few months he returned probably because his father had been blinded in a mining accident. He moved back into a cottage at West Moor and his unmarried sister Eleanor moved in to look after Robert. In 1811 the pumping engine at High Pit, Killingworth was not working properly. Stephenson offered to improve it. He did so with such success that he was promoted to enginewright for the collieries at Killingworth.
In 1815 aware of explosions caused by naked flames Stephenson began experimenting with a safety lamp. At the same time Humphry Davy looked at the problem. Despite lacking scientific knowledge Stephenson devised a lamp through trial and error. The air entered via tiny holes through which flames could not pass. A month before Davy presented his design to the Royal Society Stephenson demonstrated his own lamp to two witnesses. He took it down Killingworth Colliery and held it in front of a fissure issuing firedamp.
Davy's lamp was surrounded by a screen of gauze while Stephenson's prototype had a perforated plate containing a glass cylinder. For his invention Davy received £2000. Stephenson was accused of stealing the idea from Davy because he was not seen as an adequate scientist. Stephenson spoke with a broad Northumberland accent which made him seem lowly. Realizing this he educated his son Robert in a private school where he learned Standard English with Received Pronunciation. Authorities preferred Robert to his father in future dealings with Parliament.
A local committee gathered in support of Stephenson and exonerated him. They proved he worked separately to create the Geordie Lamp and awarded him £1,000. Davy and his supporters refused to accept their findings. In 1833 a House of Commons committee found that Stephenson had equal claim to having invented the safety lamp. Davy went to his grave believing Stephenson stole his idea. The Stephenson lamp was used almost exclusively in North East England while the Davy lamp was used everywhere else. An incident at Oaks Colliery in Barnsley showed all Geordie Lamps simply went out during gas influx while Davy lamps became red hot.
Stephenson designed his first locomotive in 1814 for hauling coal on the Killingworth wagonway. He named it Blücher after Prussian general Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. It was modelled on Matthew Murray's locomotive Willington which George studied at Kenton and Coxlodge colliery. The engine could haul 30 tons of coal up a hill. It was the first successful flanged-wheel adhesion locomotive. Altogether Stephenson produced 16 locomotives at Killingthough no convincing list exists.
A six-wheeled locomotive built for the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway in 1817 was withdrawn due to damage to cast-iron rails. Another supplied to Scott's Pit railroad at Llansamlet near Swansea in 1821 was also withdrawn because it caused track damage. Together with William Losh Stephenson improved cast-iron edge rail design. For the Stockton and Darlington Railway he used wrought-iron malleable rails found satisfactory despite financial loss from not using his own patented design.
In 1829 directors arranged a competition to decide who would build locomotives for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The Rainhill Trials ran in October 1829. Entries weighed no more than six tons and had to travel along the track for a total distance. Stephenson's entry was Rocket. Its performance made it famous. Robert Stephenson returned from South America to run the Forth Street Works while George oversaw construction. Robert handled detailed design though George made many suggestions via constant postal communication. A fire-tube boiler suggested by Henry Booth gave improved heat exchange.
In 1821 a parliamentary bill allowed building of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. It connected collieries near Bishop Auckland to the River Tees at Stockton passing through Darlington. Company director Edward Pease met Stephenson and agreed to change plans from horses to steam. Stephenson surveyed the line in 1821 assisted by his 18-year-old son Robert. Construction began that same year.
Pease and Stephenson established Robert Stephenson and Company in Newcastle to manufacture locomotives. Michael Longridge of Bedlington Ironworks became a fourth partner. In September 1825 works at Forth Street completed Locomotion originally named Active. It was followed by Hope Diligence and Black Diamond. The railway opened on the 27th of September 1825. Driven by Stephenson Locomotion hauled an 80-ton load of coal and flour in two hours reaching speed on one stretch. The first purpose-built passenger car Experiment carried dignitaries on the opening journey. It was the first time passenger traffic ran on a steam locomotive railway.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened on the 15th of September 1830 drawing luminaries including Prime Minister and Duke of Wellington. A procession led by Northumbrian driven by George Stephenson included Phoenix driven by Robert and Rocket driven by Joseph Locke. The day ended with death of William Huskisson struck by Rocket. Despite tragedy the railway proved a resounding success. Stephenson became famous and offered chief engineer positions for many other railways.
Stephenson concluded railways should be kept as level as possible after experiments showed half power consumed by gradients as little as 1 in 260. He used this knowledge while working on Bolton and Leigh Railway and Liverpool and Manchester Railway executing difficult cuttings embankments and stone viaducts. Defective surveying caused difficulty during Parliamentary scrutiny especially under cross-examination by Edward Hall Alderson. A revised bill for new alignment passed in subsequent session.
The revised alignment presented problem of crossing Chat Moss bottomless peat bog which Stephenson overcame by unusual means. Method similar to John Metcalf's marsh road construction laid foundation of heather and branches bound together by passing coach weight with stones on top. In 1830 grand opening of skew bridge at Rainhill crossed any railway at an angle first time. Structure constructed as two flat planes overlapping between which stonework forms parallelogram shape viewed from above.
Bricks forming arch laid at angle to abutments resulting in spiral effect providing extra strength compensating for angled abutments. Bridge still in use at Rainhill station carrying traffic on A57 Warrington Road. It is a listed structure. Stephenson also improved cast-iron edge rails reducing breakage. Rails briefly made by Losh Wilson Bell at Walker ironworks before switching to wrought-iron malleable rails.
Snibston estate came up for auction adjoining proposed route believed containing valuable coal reserves. Stephenson bought estate given financial potential and proximity to rail link. Manufacturing town Leicester then supplied coal by canal from Derbyshire. Employing tubbing method to access deep seams his success could not have been greater. Mine delivered first rail cars of coal into Leicester dramatically reducing price saving city some £40,000 per annum.
Stephenson remained at Alton Grange until 1838 before moving to Tapton House in Derbyshire. Next ten years busiest of life as besieged with railway promoter requests. Many American railroad builders came to Newcastle learning from Stephenson. First dozen locomotiles utilized there purchased from Stephenson shops. Conservative views meant he favoured circuitous routes more costly than successors thought necessary. He worked with Joseph Locke on Grand Junction Railway half allocated to each man. Estimates proved inferior leading to resignation causing rift never healed.
George first courted Elizabeth Hindmarsh farmer's daughter from Black Callerton meeting secretly in her orchard. Her father refused marriage due to lowly status as miner though Samuel Smiles disputes account saying Miss Hindmarsh did not meet him before 1818 or 1819. George next paid attention to Anne Henderson lodging with family but she rejected him transferring attentions to sister Frances Fanny nine years senior. They married at
Newburn Church on the 28th of November 1802 having two children Robert born the 16th of October 1803 and Fanny born July 1805 dying within months.
On the 29th of March 1820 now considerably wealthier George married Betty Hindmarsh again at Newburn. Marriage seemed happy but no children resulted. Betty died the 3rd of August 1845. On the 11th of January 1848 at St Chad's Church Shrewsbury George married third time to Ellen Gregory farmer's daughter originally from Bakewell Derbyshire who had been his housekeeper. Seven months after wedding contracted pleurisy and died aged 67 at noon Saturday the 12th of August 1848 at Tapton House Chesterfield Derbyshire. Buried Holy Trinity Church Chesterfield alongside second wife.
Described by Rolt as generous Stephenson financially supported wives families of several died in employment due accident misadventure some within family some not. Keen gardener throughout life built hothouses estate gardens growing exotic fruits vegetables in rivalry with Joseph Paxton head gardener Chatsworth House twice beating master craft.
Britain led world development railways acting as Industrial Revolution stimulus facilitating transport raw materials manufactured goods. George Stephenson work on Stockton Darlington Railway and Liverpool Manchester Railway paved way for railway engineers following such son Robert assistant Joseph Locke Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Farsighted realizing individual lines would eventually join needing same gauge. Standard gauge used worldwide today due to him. In 2002 named BBC television show list
100 Greatest Britons placing no. 65 following UK-wide vote.
Victorian self-help advocate Samuel Smiles published first biography 1857 popular despite attacks favoring George over rivals. 250,000 copies sold by 1904 Band Hope selling biographies penny sheet one point suggestion move body Westminster Abbey. Centenary birth celebrated 1881 Crystal Palace by 15,000 people featured reverse Series E five pound note Bank England between 1990 and 2003. Stephenson Railway Museum North Shields named after George and Robert.
Birthplace historic house museum village Wylam operated National Trust. Dial Cottage West Moor home from 1804 remains though museum closed. Memorial erected close Newcastle Central Station 1862 by John Graham Lough shows bronze statue four figures engineer blacksmith miner plate-layer base Grade II listed. Chesterfield Museum gallery Stephenson memorabilia including straight thick glass tubes invented growing cucumbers. Statue unveiled Chesterfield railway station the 28th of October 2005 marking completion improvements full-size working Rocket replica spent two days public display Chesterfield Market Festival.
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Common questions
When and where was George Stephenson born?
George Stephenson was born on the 9th of June 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland. His parents Robert and Mabel could not read or write.
What invention did George Stephenson create to prevent mining explosions?
George Stephenson created the Geordie Lamp through trial and error to prevent fires from naked flames in coal mines. The lamp allowed air to enter via tiny holes while preventing flames from passing through a perforated plate containing a glass cylinder.
Which locomotive won the Rainhill Trials for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway?
The Rocket designed by George Stephenson won the Rainhill Trials held in October 1829. This engine became famous for its performance during the competition that decided who would build locomotives for the railway.
How many times did George Stephenson marry and when did he die?
George Stephenson married three times with his first wife Frances Henderson dying in 1806 and his second wife Betty Hindmarsh dying in 1845. He died at noon on Saturday the 12th of August 1848 at Tapton House in Chesterfield Derbyshire after contracting pleurisy seven months into his third marriage.
Why is George Stephenson credited with establishing the standard gauge for railways?
George Stephenson realized individual lines needed to join so he established the standard gauge used worldwide today. His work on the Stockton and Darlington Railway and Liverpool and Manchester Railway paved the way for future railway engineers including Isambard Kingdom Brunel.