302 THE ENGINEERS APPOINTED. CHAP. XV. 



Liverpool and Manchester undertaking. When the 

 offer was made to him that he should be joint engineer 

 with the other, he requested leave to retire and consider 

 the proposal with his son. The two walked into St. 

 Philip's churchyard, which adjoined the place of meet- 

 ing, and debated the proposal. The father was in favour 

 of accepting it. His struggle heretofore had been so 

 hard, that he could not bear the thought of missing so 

 promising an opportunity of professional advancement. 

 But the son, foreseeing the jealousies and heartburnings 

 which the joint engineership would most probably create, 

 recommended to his father the answer which Mr. Brad- 

 shaw gave, when shares in the Liverpool and Manchester 

 line were offered to the Duke of Bridgewater's Trustees 

 "All or none!" "Well, I believe you are right," 

 said Mr. Stephenson ; and returning to the Committee, 

 he announced to them his decision. "Then 'all' be it !" 

 replied the Chairman ; and he was at once appointed 

 the engineer of the London and Birmingham Eailway 

 in conjunction with his son. 



The line, as originally laid out, was to have had its 

 London terminus at Maiden Lane, King's Cross, the site 

 of the present Great Northern Station : it passed through 

 Cashiobury and Grove Parks, the seats of Lord Essex 

 and Lord Clarendon, and along the Hemel Hempstead 

 and Little Goddesden valleys, in Hertfordshire. This 

 latter portion of the project excited a vehement oppo- 

 sition on the part of the landowners, who formed a 

 powerful confederacy against the bill. The principal 

 parties who took an active part in the opposition were 

 Lady Bridgewater and her trustees, Lord Essex, and 

 Sir Astley Cooper, supported by the Grand Junction 

 Canal Company. By their influence the landowners 

 throughout the counties of Hertford and Buckingham 

 organised themselves to oppose the measure. The 

 time for preparing the plans to be deposited with the 

 several clerks of the peace, as required by the standing 



