Anmial Report of tJie Council. xxxvii 



William George Armstrong was born in Newcastle on 

 November 26th, 1810, where his father was a well-to-do corn 

 merchant. He was trained for the legal profession, and until 

 1847 was partner with a firm of solicitors. Through his marriage 

 with Margaret Ramshaw, he was brought into contact with 

 engineers like her father, and he soon grew to be much interested 

 in their many experiences and new problems, until at last, seeing 

 sufficient prospect of success, he, in company with Potter, Donkin, 

 Cruddas, and Lambert, founded what has grown to be the 

 Elswick Works. His first attention was directed to hydraulic 

 machinery, which he greatly improved, and to this day his firm 

 has retained its early lead in the manufacture of these appliances. 

 Shortly afterwards everybody's attention was riveted on our short- 

 comings in the Crimean war, and Armstrong set about improving 

 our artillery, which then consisted of bronze or cast-iron smooth- 

 bore guns. He copied the sporting guns of the day, both as 

 regards rifling and coiled construction, and added his well-known 

 breech-loading device. His claims to the invention of this type 

 of gun were strongly attacked at the time, until he made a 

 present of it to the nation, for which act he was rewarded with a 

 knighthood and appointed Director of Rifled Ordnance, with 

 permission to remain partner in his own firm. This arrangement 

 was also violently attacked, and in 1862 he voluntarily retired 

 from the official position and devoted his time and energy to his 

 own works and to scientific researches. He was a firm believer 

 in the superiority of guns over armour, and increased their 

 weight up to 110 tons. By that time, however, our naval and 

 military departments had given up the Armstrong breech block, 

 reverting to muzzleloaders, and about the same time mild steel 

 had been invented, so that the coiling of wrought iron bars for 

 gun barrels has now been quite given up, and thus two of the 

 principal inventions with which Armstrong's name will always be 

 associated are things of the past. 



The varied successes of Lord Armstrong were not due 

 entirely to qualities which go to make a good business man, but 

 partly also to a power which he possessed, in a marked degree, 



