WhenWilliamFairbairnenteredManchesterhewastwenty-fouryearsofage；andhishatstill”coveredhisfamily。”But，beingnowprettywellsatiatedwithhis”wandetschaft，”——asGermantradesmentermtheirstageoftravellinginsearchoftradeexperience，——hedesiredtosettle，and，iffortunefavouredhim，tomarrytheobjectofhisaffections，towhomhisheartstillfaithfullyturnedduringallhiswanderings。HesucceededinfindingemploymentwithMr。AdamParkinson，remainingwithhimfortwoyears，workingasamillwright，atgoodwages。Outofhisearningshesavedsufficienttofurnishatwo-roomedcottagecomfortably；andtherewefindhimfairlyinstalledwithhiswifebytheendof1816。Asinthecaseofmostmenofathoughtfulturn，marriageservednotonlytosettleourengineer，buttostimulatehimtomoreenergeticaction。Henowbegantoaimattakingahigherposition，andentertainedtheambitionofbeginningbusinessonhisownaccount。Oneofhisfirsteffortsinthisdirectionwasthepreparationofthedesignofacast-ironbridgeovertheIrwell，atBlackfriars，forwhichaprizewasoffered。Theattemptwasunsuccessful，andastonebridgewaseventuallydecidedon；buttheeffortmadewascreditable，andprovedthebeginningofmanydesigns。ThefirstjobheexecutedonhisownaccountwastheerectionofanironconservatoryandhothouseforMr。
J。Hulme，ofClayton，nearManchester；andheinducedoneofhisshopmates，JamesLillie，tojoinhimintheundertaking。Thisprovedthebeginningofabusinessconnectionwhichlastedforaperiodoffifteenyears，andlaidthefoundationofapartnership，thereputationofwhich，inconnectionwithmill-workandtheconstructionofironmachinerygenerally，eventuallybecameknownalloverthecivilizedworld。
Althoughthepatternsfortheconservatorywereallmade，andthecastingswerebegun，theworkwasnotproceededwith，inconsequenceofthenoticegivenbyaBirminghamfirmthattheplanafterwhichitwasproposedtoconstructitwasaninfringementoftheirpatent。Theyoungfirmwereconsequentlyunderthenecessityoflookingaboutthemforotheremployment。Andtobepreparedforexecutingorders，theyproceededintheyear1817tohireasmallshedatarentofl2s。aweek，inwhichtheysetupalatheoftheirownmaking，capableofturningshaftsoffrom3to6inchesdiameter；andtheyhiredastrongIrishmantodrivethewheelandassistattheheavywork。Theirfirstjobwastheerectionofacullender，andtheirnextacalico-polishingmachine；butorderscameinslowly，andJamesLilliebegantodespairofsuccess。Hismorehopefulpartnerstrenuouslyurgedhimtoperseverance，andsobuoyedhimupwithhopesoforders，thathedeterminedtogoonalittlelonger。Theythenissuedcardsamongthemanufacturers，andmadeatouroftheprincipalfirms，offeringtheirservicesandsolicitingwork。
Amongstothers，Mr。FairbairncalledupontheMessrs。AdamandGeorgeMurray，thelargecotton-spinners，takingwithhimthedesignsofhisironbridge。Mr。AdamMurrayreceivedhimkindly，heardhisexplanations，andinvitedhimtocallonthefollowingdaywithhispartner。Themanufacturermusthavebeenfavourablyimpressedbythisinterview，fornextday，whenFairbairnandLilliecalled，hetookthemoverhismill，andaskedwhethertheyfeltthemselvescompetenttorenewwithhorizontalcross-shaftsthewholeoftheworkbywhichthemule-spinningmachinerywasturned。Thiswasaformidableenterpriseforayoungfirmwithoutcapitalandalmostwithoutplanttoundertake；buttheyhadconfidenceinthemselves，andboldlyrepliedthattheywerewillingandabletoexecutethework。Onthis，Mr。Murraysaidhewouldcallandseethemattheirownworkshop，tosatisfyhimselfthattheypossessedthemeansofundertakingsuchanorder。Thisproposalwasbynomeansencouragingtothepartners，whofearedthatwhenMr。Murrayspied”thenakednessoftheland”inthatquarter，hemightrepenthimofhisgenerousintentions。Hepaidhispromisedvisit，anditisprobablethathewasmorefavourablyimpressedbytheindividualmeritsofthepartnersthanbytheexcellenceoftheirmachine-tools——ofwhichtheyhadonlyone，thelathewhichtheyhadjustmadeandsetup；neverthelesshegavethemtheorder，andtheybeganwithgladheartsandwillinghandsandmindstoexecutethistheirfirstcontract。Itmaybesufficienttostatethatbyworkinglateandearly——from5inthemorninguntil9
atnightforaconsiderableperiod——theysucceededincompletingthealterationswithinthetimespecified，andtoMr。Murray’sentiresatisfaction。Thepracticalskilloftheyoungmenbeingthusproved，andtheiranxietytoexecutetheworkentrustedtothemtothebestoftheirabilityhavingexcitedtheadmirationoftheiremployer，hetooktheopportunityofrecommendingthemtohisfriendsinthetrade，andamongstotherstoMr。JohnKennedy，ofthefirmofMacConnelandKennedy，thenthelargestspinnersinthekingdom。