TheAuthoroffersthefollowingbookasacontinuation，inamoregenerallyaccessibleform，oftheSeriesofMemoirsofIndustrialMenintroducedinhisLivesoftheEngineers。Whilepreparingthatworkhefrequentlycameacrossthetracksofcelebratedinventors，mechanics，andiron-workers——thefounders，inagreatmeasure，ofthemodernindustryofBritain——whoselaboursseemedtohimwellworthyofbeingtracedoutandplacedonrecord，andthemoresoastheirlivespresentedmanypointsofcuriousandoriginalinterest。Havingbeenencouragedtoprosecutethesubjectbyoffersofassistancefromsomeofthemosteminentlivingmechanicalengineers，heisnowenabledtopresentthefollowingfurtherseriesofmemoirstothepublic。
Withoutexaggeratingtheimportanceofthisclassofbiography，itmayatleastbeaverredthatithasnotyetreceiveditsdueshareofattention。Whilecommemoratingthelaboursandhonouringthenamesofthosewhohavestriventoelevatemanabovethematerialandmechanical，thelaboursoftheimportantindustrialclasstowhomsocietyowessomuchofitscomfortandwell-beingarealsoentitledtoconsideration。Withoutderogatingfromthebiographicclaimsofthosewhoministertointellectandtaste，thosewhoministertoutilityneednotbeoverlooked。WhenaFrenchmanwaspraisingtoSirJohnSinclairtheartistwhoinventedruffles，theBaronetshrewdlyremarkedthatsomemeritwasalsoduetothemanwhoaddedtheshirt。
AdistinguishedlivingmechanicthusexpresseshimselftotheAuthoronthispoint：-”Kings，warriors，andstatesmenhaveheretoforemonopolizednotonlythepagesofhistory，butalmostthoseofbiography。SurelysomenicheoughttobefoundfortheMechanic，withoutwhoseskillandlaboursociety，asitis，couldnotexist。I
donotbegrudgedestructiveheroestheirfame，buttheconstructiveonesoughtnottobeforgotten；andthereISaheroismofskillandtoilbelongingtothelatterclass，worthyofasgratefulrecord，——lessperilousandromantic，itmaybe，thanthatoftheother，butnotlessfulloftheresultsofhumanenergy，bravery，andcharacter。Thelotoflabourisindeedoftenadullone；anditisdoingapublicservicetoendeavourtolightenitupbyrecordsofthestrugglesandtriumphsofourmoreillustriousworkers，andtheresultsoftheirlaboursinthecauseofhumanadvancement。”
Asrespectsthepreparationofthefollowingmemoirs，theAuthor’sprincipaltaskhasconsistedinselectingandarrangingthematerialssoliberallyplacedathisdisposalbygentlemenforthemostpartpersonallyacquaintedwiththesubjectsofthem，andbutforwhoseassistancethebookcouldnothavebeenwritten。ThematerialsforthebiographyofHenryMaudslay，forinstance，havebeenpartlysuppliedbythelateMr。JoshuaField，F。R。S。hispartner，butprincipallybyMr。JamesNasmyth，C。E。，hisdistinguishedpupil。InlikemannerMr。JohnPenn，C。E。，hassuppliedthechiefmaterialsforthememoirofJosephClement，assistedbyMr。Wilkinson，Clement’snephew。TheAuthorhasalsohadthevaluableassistanceofMr。
WilliamFairbairn，F。R。S。，Mr。J。O。March，toolmanufacturerMayorofLeeds，Mr。RichardRoberts，C。E。，Mr。HenryMaudslay，C。E。，andMr。J。Kitson，Jun。，ironmanufacturer，Leeds，inthepreparationoftheothermemoirsofmechanicalengineersincludedinthisvolume。
Thematerialsforthememoirsoftheearlyiron-workershaveinlikemannerbeenobtainedforthemostpartfromoriginalsources；thoseoftheDarbysandReynoldsesfromMr。DickinsonofCoalbrookdale，Mr。
WilliamReynoldsofCoed-du，andMr。WilliamG。Norrisoftheformerplace，aswellasfromMr。AnsticeofMadeleyWood，whohaskindlysuppliedtheoriginalrecordsofthefirm。ThesubstanceofthebiographyofBenjaminHuntsman，theinventorofcast-steel，hasbeenfurnishedbyhislinealrepresentatives；andthefactsembodiedinthememoirsofHenryCortandDavidMushethavebeensuppliedbythesonsofthoseinventors。ToMr。AndersonKirkwoodofGlasgowtheAuthorisindebtedforthememoirofJamesBeaumontNeilson，inventorofthehotblast；andtoMr。RalphMoore，InspectorofMinesinScotland，forvariousinformationrelativetotheprogressoftheScotchironmanufacture。
ThememoirsofDudDudleyandAndrewYarrantonarealmosttheonlyonesoftheseriesinpreparingwhichmaterialassistancehasbeenderivedfrombooks；butthesehavebeenlargelyillustratedbyfactscontainedinoriginaldocumentspreservedintheStatePaperOffice，thecarefulexaminationofwhichhasbeenconductedbyMr。W。WalkerWilkins。
Itwillthusbeobservedthatmostoftheinformationembodiedinthisvolume，moreespeciallythatrelatingtotheinventorsoftoolsandmachines，hasheretoforeexistedonlyinthememoriesoftheeminentmechanicalengineersfromwhomithasbeencollected。TheestimableJoshuaFieldhasdiedsincethedateatwhichhecommunicatedhisrecollections；andinafewmoreyearsmanyofthefactswhichhavebeencaughtandarehereplacedonrecordwould，probably，intheordinarycourseofthings，havepassedintooblivion。Asitis，theAuthorfeelsthattherearemanygapsyettobefilledup；butthefieldofIndustrialBiographyisawideone，andisopentoallwhowilllabourinit。
London，October，1863。
CONTENTS
CHAPTERI。
IRONANDCIVILIZATION。
TheSouthSeaIslandersandironUsesofironfortoolsTheStone，Bronze，andIronagesRecentdiscoveriesinthebedsoftheSwisslakesIronthelastmetaltocomeintogeneraluse，andwhyThefirstironsmeltersEarlyhistoryofironinBritainTheRomansSocialimportanceoftheSmithinearlytimesEnchantedswordsEarlyscarcityofironinScotlandAndreadeFerraraScarcityofironinEnglandatthetimeoftheArmadaImportanceofironfornationaldefenceCHAPTERII。
BEGINNINGSOFTHEIRON-MANUFACTURERINBRITAIN。
IronmadeintheForestofDeaninAnglo-SaxontimesMonkishiron-workersEarlyiron-smeltinginYorkshireMuchironimportedfromabroadIronmanufacturesofSussexManufactureofcannonWealthyironmastersofSussexFounderoftheGalefamilyExtensiveexportsofEnglishordnanceDestructionoftimberiniron-smeltingThemanufactureplacedunderrestrictionsTheSussexfurnacesblownoutCHAPTERIII。
IRONSMELTINGBYPIT-COAL——DUDDUDLEY。
GreatlyreducedproductionofEnglishironProposaltousepit-coalinsteadofcharcoalofwoodinsmeltingSturtevant’spatentRovenson’sDudDudley；hisfamilyhishistoryUsespit-coaltosmeltironwithsuccessTakesouthispatentThequalityoftheironprovedbytestsDudley’sworkssweptawaybyafloodRebuildshisworks，andtheyaredestroyedbyamobRenewalofhispatentOutbreakoftheCivilWarDudleyjoinstheRoyalists，andrisestobeGeneralofartilleryHisperilousadventuresandhair-breadthescapesHisestateconfiscatedRecommencesiron-smeltingVariousattemptstosmeltwithpit-coalDudley’spetitionstotheKingHisdeathCHAPTERIV。
ANDREWYARRANTON。
AforgottenpatriotTheYarrantonfamilyAndrewYarranton’searlylifeAsoldierundertheParliamentBeginsironworksIsseizedandimprisonedHisplansforimprovinginternalnavigationImprovementsinagricultureManufactureoftinplateHisjourneyintoSaxonytolearnitTravelsinHollandHisviewsoftradeandindustryHisvariousprojectsHis’England’sImprovementbySeaandLand’
HisproposedLandBankHisproposedRegistryofRealEstateHiscontroversiesHisiron-miningValueofhislaboursCHAPTERV。
COALBROOKDALEIRONWORKS——THEDARBYSANDREYNOLDSES。
Failureintheattemptstosmeltironwithpit-coalDr。Blewstone’sexperimentDecayoftheironmanufactureAbrahamDarbyHismanufactureofcast-ironpotsatBristolRemovestoCoalbrookdaleHismethodofsmeltingironIncreaseduseofcokeUseofpit-coalbyRichardFordRichardReynoldsjoinstheCoalbrookdalefirmInventionoftheCranegesiniron-refiningLetterofRichardReynoldsonthesubjectInventionofcast-ironrailsbyReynoldsAbrahamDarbytheSecondconstructsthefirstironbridgeExtensionoftheCoalbrookdaleWorksWilliamReynolds：hisinventionofinclinedplanesforworkingcanalsRetirementofRichardReynoldsfromthefirmHislateryears，character，anddeathCHAPTERVI。
INVENTIONOFCASTSTEEL-BENJAMINHUNTSMAN。
ConversionofironintosteelEarlySheffieldmanufacturesInventionofblisteredsteelImportantusesofcast-steelLePlay’swritingsonthesubjectEarlycareerofBenjaminHuntsmanatDoncasterHisexperimentsinsteel-makingRemovestotheneighbourhoodofSheffieldHislaboriousinvestigations，failures，andeventualsuccessProcessofmakingcast-steelTheSheffieldmanufacturersrefusetouseitTheiroppositionfoiledHowtheywrestedHuntsman’ssecretfromhimImportantresultsoftheinventiontotheindustryofSheffieldHenryBessemerandhisprocessHeath’sinventionPracticalskilloftheSheffieldartisansCHAPTERVII。
THEINVENTIONSOFHENRYCORT。
ParentageofHenryCortBecomesanavyagentStateoftheirontradeCort’sexperimentsiniron-makingTakesafoundryatFontleyPartnershipwithJellicoeVariousimproversiniron-making：Roebuck，Cranege，OnionsCort’simprovedprocessesdescribedHispatentsHisinventionsadoptedbyCrawshay，Homfray，andotherironmastersCort’sironapprovedbytheAdmiraltyPublicdefalcationsofAdamJellicoe，Cort’spartnerCort’spropertyandpatentsconfiscatedPublicproceedingsthereonRuinofHenryCortAccountofRichardCrawshay，thegreatironmasterHisearlylifeIronmongerinLondonStartsaniron-furnaceatMerthyrTydvilProjectsandmakesacanalGrowthofMerthyrTydvilanditsindustryHenryCortthefounderoftheironaristocracy，himselfunrewardedCHAPTERVIII。
THESCOTCHIRONMANUFACTURE——Dr。ROEBUCK——DAVIDMUSHET。
Dr。Roebuck，aforgottenpublicbenefactorHisbirthandeducationBeginsbusinessasaphysicianatBirminghamInvestigationsinmetallurgyRemovestoScotland，andbeginsthemanufactureofchemicals，&c。
StartstheCarronIronWorks，nearFalkirkHisinventionofrefiningironinapit-coalfireEmbarksincoal-miningatBoroughstonessResidenceatKinneilHousePumping-engineswantedforhiscollieryIsintroducedtoJamesWattProgressofWattininventingthesteam-engineInterviewswithDr。RoebuckRoebuckbecomesapartnerinthesteam-enginepatentIsinvolvedindifficulties，andeventuallyruinedAdvanceoftheScotchirontradeDiscoveryoftheBlackBandbyDavidMushetEarlycareerofMushetHislaboriousexperimentsHisinventionsanddiscoveriesinironandsteel，anddeathCHAPTERIX。
INVENTIONOFTHEHOTBLAST——JAMESBEAUMONTNEILSON。
DifficultyofsmeltingtheBlackBandbyordinaryprocessuntiltheinventionofthehotblastEarlycareerofJamesBeaumontNeilsonEducationandapprenticeshipWorksasanengine-firemanAscollieryengine-wrightAppointedforemanoftheGlasgowGas-works；afterwardsmanagerandengineerHisself-educationHisWorkmen’sInstituteHisexperimentsiniron-smeltingTrialswithheatedairintheblast-furnaceIncredulityofironmastersSuccessofhisexperiments，andpatentingofhisprocessHispatentrightdisputed，andestablishedExtensiveapplicationofthehotblastIncreaseoftheScotchirontradeExtraordinaryincreaseinthevalueofestatesyieldingBlackBandScotchironaristocracyCHAPTERX。
MECHANICALINVENTIONSANDINVENTORS。