182 
Sir William Fairbairn, Bart., F.R.S., LL.D., who died on 
the 18th of August last, was born at Coldstream, near 
Kelso, on the 19th of February, 1789. At the age of 16^ 
his father being then engaged in managing the Percy Main 
Colliery Company’s farm, in the neighbourhood of New- 
castle-on-Tyne, he was articled as an engineer for five 
years to the owners of the Percy Main. Thus began a 
career which, while protracted to an unusual length, has 
certainly been as remarkable for success and usefulness as 
any which this remarkable age has furnished. As several 
very complete biographical notices of Sir William Fairbairn 
have already appeared, particularly those written by Mr. 
Smiles and Sir Thomas Fairbairn, it is unnecessary here to 
enter into the incidents of his life. 
After travelling as a journeyman mechanic for nearly 
four years, during which time he worked in London, in 
the south of England, and in Dublin, he settled in Man- 
chester as a working millwright in 1814. In 1817 he and 
James LiUie commenced business on their own account, and 
having obtained employment first of all from Mr. Adam 
Murray, «oon distinguished themselves by the attention and 
ability with which they conducted their business. 
At this time Fairbairn was instrumental in effecting a 
revolution in mill machinery — in the means of communi- 
cating power. Hitherto engineers were accustomed to aim 
at slow motion, and this necessitated the use of very heavy 
shafts and large drums, which were for the most part made 
of wood or cast iron. Fairbairn, with true instinct, saw 
that by increasing the speed of the shafts he might reduce 
their size and employ wrought iron instead of cast iron or 
wood. He was enabled to carry out his improvements in a 
new mill belonging to Mr. John Kennedy, and their success 
completely established the reputation of Fairbairn as an 
engineer. He continued to introduce improvements in mill 
