STEPHENS 



STEPHENSON 



719 



arrested in Dublin on the 10th Novemter of the 

 same year. Fourteen days later he made his escape 

 from Richmond Bridewell in a manner so suspicious 

 that many have looked for the explanation rather to 

 government connivance than to the treachery of 

 officials. He found his way to New York, where 

 he was formally deposed by 'the Fenians. He sank 

 into obscurity, and returned to Ireland in 1891. 

 See O'Leary's Recollections of Fenianism ( 1896). 



Stephenson, GEORGE, the father of the loco- 

 motive, was the son of Robert Stephenson, who 

 again was the son of a Border shepherd in Oxnam 

 parish, Roxburghshire, and had crossed the Cheviots 

 in search of work at the Northumbrian coal-mines. 

 He was born at Wylam, 8 miles from Newcastle, 

 on the 9th of June 1781, in circumstances of great 

 poverty, his father having to maintain a family of six 

 children on twelve shillings a week, earned by tend- 

 ing a colliery-engine. George's first employment 

 was herding cows at twopence a day, from which 

 he was promoted to hoeing turnips at fourpence ; 

 subsequently he was appointed fireman at Midmill 

 Colliery, and at fifteen we find him at Throckley 

 Bridge, rejoicing in a salary of twelve shillings 

 a week. The early life of Stephenson presents 

 a record of determined purpose, industry, and 

 sagacity. Out of his humble gains he contrived 

 to pay fourpence a week for lessons in reading, 

 writing, and arithmetic, which were conned over 

 at night, and mastered by the light of his engine- 

 fire. As fireman he applied himself to diligent 

 study of the steam-engine, taking his machine to 

 pieces during his leisure hours, and thus gaining a 

 thorough practical knowledge of it. At Black 

 Callerton Colliery in 1801, by dint of mending 

 shoes and cleaning watches, in addition to his 

 regular employment, Stephenson contrived to save 

 his first guinea. At twenty-one he had saved 

 enough to furnish a cottage in a humble way, and 

 on 28th November 1802, he was married to Fanny 

 Henderson, who died in 1806, while her husband 

 was brakesman at Killingworth Colliery. In 1815 

 the invention of a colliery safety-lamp, the 

 'Geordie,' brought his name before the public, and 

 led to a long controversy with the supporters of 

 Davy's Safety-lamp (q.v.). He received a public 

 testimonial of 1000 for his discovery. In 1812 

 he became engine-wriglit at Killingworth Colliery, 

 and it was here, by Lord Ravensworth's permission 

 (1814), that lie constructed his first locomotive, 

 ' My Lord,' for the colliery tram-roads. At first 

 it was not very efficient ; but subsequently the 

 grand improvement of the 'steam-blast' carried 

 his experiment to a triumphant issue (see RAIL- 

 WAYS). Further improvements followed, and in 

 1821 Stephenson was appointed engineer for the con- 

 struction of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. 

 In 1820 Stephenson married his second wife, Eliza- 

 beth Hindmarsh, the daughter of a farmer. 



The rapid growth of the trade of South Lanca- 

 shire, together with the unpopular management of 

 the Bridgewater Canal, gave rise in 1821 to the pro- 

 ject of a rail way between Liverpool and Manchester. 

 When the bill ultimately passed, on 16th March 1826, 

 Stephenson was appointed principal engineer, with 

 a salary of 1000 a year. After inconceivable 

 difficulties the line was completed in 1829. There 

 then ensued the memorable competition of engines, 

 resulting in the complete triumph of Stephen- 

 son's 'Rocket' (see fig. in Vol. VIII. p. 554), 

 which, to the astonishment of every one except 

 himself, was found capable of travelling at the 

 till then undreamt-of rate of 35 miles an hour. 

 ' Now, ' exclaimed one of the directors, ' has George 

 Stephenson at last delivered himself." While 

 occupied in carrying out the vast system of rail- 

 way which soon overspread the country Stephen- 

 son's home was at Alton Grange, near Leicester ; 



but of it he saw little, as he was often travel- 

 ling on business for weeks at a time. During 

 the three years ending 1837 he was principal 

 engineer on the North Midland, York and North 

 Midland, Manchester and Leeds, Birmingham and 

 Derby, and Sheffield and Rotherham Railways ;. 

 in 1836 alone 214 miles of railway were put under 

 his direction, involving a capital of five millions; 

 and he would sometimes dictate reports and letters 

 for twelve continuous hours. But in the midst of 

 his immense business his heart remained as youth- 

 ful as ever. In spring he would snatch a day for 

 bird's-nesting or gardening, in autumn nutting, 

 was still a favourite recreation ; and we find 

 him writing to his son a touching account of a 

 pair of robins. Strong as he had shown himself 

 when the world was all against him, he was not 

 less so in the midst of his success. During the 

 railway mania his offices in London were crowded 

 every day with men of every rank and condition, 

 eager to strengthen their prospectuses by the 

 weight of his name. Where ne disapproved and 

 at this time he almost always did disapprove he 

 invariably declined, though by acceding he might 

 have made enormous gam ; but to make money 

 without labour or honour had no charm for 

 Stephenson. In the autumn of 1845 he visited 

 Belgium and Spain. On his way home he wa 

 seized with pleurisy, from which attack he 

 seems never to have thoroughly recovered. He 

 occupied his later years in the quiet pursuits of a 

 country gentleman, growing fruit and indulging 

 his love of nature. He died at his country-seat 

 of Tapton, near Chesterfield, on 12th August 

 1848. In his prime Stephenson was strong and 

 full of elastic muscular vigour, and fond of feats 

 of strength. He read little, as his youth and man- 

 hood had been spent in hard work ; and most of 

 his letters were dictated. But he enjoyed conver- 

 sation, from which most of his imparted information 

 was derived. The leading feature of his mind was 

 honesty of purpose, and determination in carrying 

 it out. ' I have fought for the locomotive single- 

 handed for nearly twenty years,' he says ; ' I put 

 up with every rebuff, determined not to be put 

 down.' Towards trickery and affectation he never 

 concealed his contempt, while honest merit never 

 appealed to his liberality in vain. 



See Smiles's Story of the Life of George Stephenson 

 (1857; new ed. 1873); and vol. v. of his Lives of 

 Enyineera (George and Robert Stephenson; new ed. 

 1874). 



Stephenson, ROBERT, only son of George 

 Stephenson, by his first wife, was born at Willing- 

 ton Quay on 16th October 1803. When a boy 

 he attended a school in Newcastle ; in 1819 he was 

 apprenticed to a coalviewer at Killingworth. In 

 1822 his father's improving circumstances enabled 

 him to send Robert to the university of Edinburgh, 

 where he remained six months, and made excellent 

 use of his time. In 1823 we find him assisting his 

 father in the survey for the Stockton and Darling- 

 ton Railway. Subsequently he took an active part 

 in the locomotive engine- works started by his father 

 at Newcastle. In June 1824 he went to Colombia, 

 in South America, on an engineering appointment, 

 but returned at the end of three years. He then 

 assumed the management of the Newcastle business. 

 During the discussion as to the power to be em- 

 ployed on the Liverpool and Manchester line, he 

 was in constant communication with his father, to 

 whom his quick perception and rapid judgment 

 were of great assistance. The result was the suc- 

 cessful construction of the ' Rocket. ' Shortly after 

 the completion of this line he was appointed 

 engineer of the Leicester and Swannington Rail- 

 way. Subsequently he was appointed joint- 

 engineer, along with his father, of the London 



