CHAP. XIV. 



LEICESTER AND SWANNINGTON. 



295 



of the county. Mr. Ellis, afterwards chairman of the 

 Midland Railway like Edward Pease, a member of the 

 Society of Friends was the projector of this under- 

 taking. He had some difficulty, however, in getting 

 the requisite capital subscribed for, the Leicester towns- 

 people who had money being for the most part interested 

 in canals. Mr. Ellis went over to Liverpool to invite 

 George Stephenson to come upon the ground and survey 

 the line. He did so, and then the projector told him of 

 the difficulty he had in finding subscribers to the con- 

 cern. " Give me a sheet," said Stephenson, " and I will 

 raise the money for you in Liverpool." The engineer 

 was as good as his word, and in a short time the sheet 

 was returned with the subscription complete. Mr. 

 Stephenson w r as then asked to undertake the office of 

 engineer for the line, but his answer was that he had 

 thirty miles of railway in hand, which were enough for 

 any engineer to attend to properly. Was there any per- 



i^.^gr^ -**sw\v*u**n son ne COIL ^ recommend ? 

 ' A6 H " Well," said he, " I think 



my son Robert is com- 

 petent to undertake the 

 thing." Would Mr. Ste- 

 phenson be answerable for 

 him ? " Oh, yes, certainly." 

 And Robert Stephenson, at 

 twenty-seven years of age, 

 was installed engineer of 

 the line accordingly. 



The requisite 

 Parliamentary 



powers having 

 been obtained, 

 Robert Ste- 

 phenson pro- 

 ceeded with the 

 construction of 

 the railway, 

 about sixteen 



MAP OF LEICESTER AMD SWANNINGTON RAILWAY. 



