338 



TELFORD'S EMPLOYMENT 



PART VIII. 



was engaged was 500/. a year, out of which he had to 

 pay one clerk and one confidential foreman, besides de- 

 fraying his own travelling expenses. It would not appear 

 that after making these disbursements much would remain 

 for Telford's own labour ; but in those days engineers 

 were satisfied with comparatively small pay, and did not 

 dream of making large fortunes. Though he intended 

 to continue his architectural business, he decided to give 

 up his county surveyorship and other minor matters, 

 which, he said, " give a great deal of very unpleasant 

 labour for very little profit ; in short they are like the 

 calls of a country surgeon." One part of his former 

 business which he did not give up was what related to 

 Mr. Pulteney and Lady Bath, with whom he continued 

 on intimate and friendly terms. He incidentally mentions 

 in a letter a graceful and charming act of her Ladyship. 

 On going into his room one day he found that, before 

 setting out for Buxton, she had left upon his table a 

 copy of Ferguson's ' Roman Republic,' in three quarto 

 volumes, superbly bound and gilt. 



He now looked forward with anxiety to the commence- 

 ment of the canal, the execution of which would neces- 

 sarily call for great exertion on his part, as well as 

 unremitting attention and industry ; " for," said he, 



to the interests of both; so the ma- 

 chinery was all broken up. John had 

 great faith in iron, and in its applica- 

 bility to nearly every purpose for 

 which durable material was required. 

 Having made his fortune by its manu- 

 facture, he determined that his body 

 should lie encased by his favourite 

 metal when he died. In his will he 

 directed that he should be buried 

 in his garden in an iron coffin with 

 an iron monument over him of twenty 

 tons weight ; and he was so buried 

 within thirty yards of his mansion at 

 Castlehead. He had the coffin made 

 long before his death, and used to take 

 pleasure in showing it to his visitors, 

 very much to the horror of many of 

 them. He would also offer a present 



of an iron coffin to any one who might 

 desire to possess one. When he came 

 to be placed in his narrow bed, it was 

 found that the coffin he had provided 

 was too small, so he was temporarily 

 interred until another could be made. 

 When placed in the ground a second 

 time, the coffin was found to be 

 too near the surface ; accordingly 

 it was taken up, and an excavation 

 cut in the rock, after which it was 

 buried a third time ; and on the 

 Castlehead estates being sold in 1828, 

 the family directed the coffin again 

 to be taken up and removed to the 

 neighbouring chapel yard of Lindale, 

 where it now lies. A man is still 

 living at the latter place who assisted 

 at all the four interments. 



