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。