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Industrial　BiographyIron　Workers　and　Tool　Makers



by　Samuel　Smiles






PREFACE。



The　Author　offers　the　following　book　as　a　continuation；　in　a　more

generally　accessible　form；　of　the　Series　of　Memoirs　of　Industrial　Men

introduced　in　his　Lives　of　the　Engineers。　　While　preparing　that　work

he　frequently　came　across　the　tracks　of　celebrated　inventors；

mechanics；　and　iron…workersthe　founders；　in　a　great　measure；　of　the

modern　industry　of　Britainwhose　labours　seemed　to　him　well　worthy

of　being　traced　out　and　placed　on　record；　and　the　more　so　as　their

lives　presented　many　points　of　curious　and　original　interest。　　Having

been　encouraged　to　prosecute　the　subject　by　offers　of　assistance　from

some　of　the　most　eminent　living　mechanical　engineers；　he　is　now

enabled　to　present　the　following　further　series　of　memoirs　to　the

public。



Without　exaggerating　the　importance　of　this　class　of　biography；　it

may　at　least　be　averred　that　it　has　not　yet　received　its　due　share　of

attention。　　While　commemorating　the　labours　and　honouring　the　names　of

those　who　have　striven　to　elevate　man　above　the　material　and

mechanical；　the　labours　of　the　important　industrial　class　to　whom

society　owes　so　much　of　its　comfort　and　well…being　are　also　entitled

to　consideration。　　Without　derogating　from　the　biographic　claims　of

those　who　minister　to　intellect　and　taste；　those　who　minister　to

utility　need　not　be　overlooked。　　When　a　Frenchman　was　praising　to　Sir

John　Sinclair　the　artist　who　invented　ruffles；　the　Baronet　shrewdly

remarked　that　some　merit　was　also　due　to　the　man　who　added　the　shirt。



A　distinguished　living　mechanic　thus　expresses　himself　to　the　Author

on　this　point：　　…　〃Kings；　warriors；　and　statesmen　have　heretofore

monopolized　not　only　the　pages　of　history；　but　almost　those　of

biography。　　Surely　some　niche　ought　to　be　found　for　the　Mechanic；

without　whose　skill　and　labour　society；　as　it　is；　could　not　exist。　　I

do　not　begrudge　destructive　heroes　their　fame；　but　the　constructive

ones　ought　not　to　be　forgotten；　and　there　IS　a　heroism　of　skill　and

toil　belonging　to　the　latter　class；　worthy　of　as　grateful

record；less　perilous　and　romantic；　it　may　be；　than　that　of　the

other；　but　not　less　full　of　the　results　of　human　energy；　bravery；　and

character。　　The　lot　of　labour　is　indeed　often　a　dull　one；　and　it　is

doing　a　public　service　to　endeavour　to　lighten　it　up　by　records　of

the　struggles　and　triumphs　of　our　more　illustrious　workers；　and　the

results　of　their　labours　in　the　cause　of　human　advancement。〃



As　respects　the　preparation　of　the　following　memoirs；　the　Author's

principal　task　has　consisted　in　selecting　and　arranging　the　materials

so　liberally　placed　at　his　disposal　by　gentlemen　for　the　most　part

personally　acquainted　with　the　subjects　of　them；　and　but　for　whose

assistance　the　book　could　not　have　been　written。　　The　materials　for

the　biography　of　Henry　Maudslay；　for　instance；　have　been　partly

supplied　by　the　late　Mr。　Joshua　Field；　F。R。S。　（his　partner）；　but

principally　by　Mr。　James　Nasmyth；　C。E。；　his　distinguished　pupil。　　In

like　manner　Mr。　John　Penn；　C。E。；　has　supplied　the　chief　materials　for

the　memoir　of　Joseph　Clement；　assisted　by　Mr。　Wilkinson；　Clement's

nephew。　　The　Author　has　also　had　the　valuable　assistance　of　Mr。

William　Fairbairn；　F。R。S。；　Mr。　J。　O。　March；　tool　manufacturer　（Mayor

of　Leeds）；　Mr。　Richard　Roberts；　C。E。；　Mr。　Henry　Maudslay；　C。E。；　and

Mr。　J。　Kitson；　Jun。；　iron　manufacturer；　Leeds；　in　the　preparation　of

the　other　memoirs　of　mechanical　engineers　included　in　this　volume。



The　materials　for　the　memoirs　of　the　early　iron…workers　have　in　like

manner　been　obtained　for　the　most　part　from　original　sources；　those

of　the　Darbys　and　Reynoldses　from　Mr。　Dickinson　of　Coalbrookdale；　Mr。

William　Reynolds　of　Coed…du；　and　Mr。　William　G。　Norris　of　the　former

place；　as　well　as　from　Mr。　Anstice　of　Madeley　Wood；　who　has　kindly

supplied　the　original　records　of　the　firm。　　The　substance　of　the

biography　of　Benjamin　Huntsman；　the　inventor　of　cast…steel；　has　been

furnished　by　his　lineal　representatives；　and　the　facts　embodied　in

the　memoirs　of　Henry　Cort　and　David　Mushet　have　been　supplied　by　the

sons　of　those　inventors。　　To　Mr。　Anderson　Kirkwood　of　Glasgow　the

Author　is　indebted　for　the　memoir　of　James　Beaumont　Neilson；　inventor

of　the　hot　blast；　and　to　Mr。　Ralph　Moore；　Inspector　of　Mines　in

Scotland；　for　various　information　relative　to　the　progress　of　the

Scotch　iron　manufacture。



The　memoirs　of　Dud　Dudley　and　Andrew　Yarranton　are　almost　the　only

ones　of　the　series　in　preparing　which　material　assistance　has　been

derived　from　books；　but　these　have　been　largely　illustrated　by　facts

contained　in　original　documents　preserved　in　the　State　Paper　Office；

the　careful　examination　of　which　has　been　conducted　by　Mr。　W。　Walker

Wilkins。



It　will　thus　be　observed　that　most　of　the　information　embodied　in

this　volume；　more　especially　that　relating　to　the　inventors　of　tools

and　machines；　has　heretofore　existed　only　in　the　memories　of　the

eminent　mechanical　engineers　from　whom　it　has　been　collected。　　The

estimable　Joshua　Field　has　died　since　the　date　at　which　he

communicated　his　recollections；　and　in　a　few　more　years　many　of　the

facts　which　have　been　caught　and　are　here　placed　on　record　would；

probably；　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　have　passed　into

oblivion。　　As　it　is；　the　Author　feels　that　there　are　many　gaps　yet　to

be　filled　up；　but　the　field　of　Industrial　Biography　is　a　wide　one；and

is　open　to　all　who　will　labour　in　it。





London；　October；　1863。



CONTENTS





CHAPTER　I。



IRON　AND　CIVILIZATION。



The　South　Sea　Islanders　and　iron

Uses　of　iron　for　tools

The　Stone；　Bronze；　and　Iron　ages

Recent　discoveries　in　the　beds　of　the　Swiss　lakes

Iron　the　last　metal　to　come　into　general　use；　and　why

The　first　iron　smelters

Early　history　of　iron　in　Britain

The　Romans

Social　importance　of　the　Smith　in　early　times

Enchanted　swords

Early　scarcity　of　iron　in　Scotland

Andrea　de　Ferrara

Scarcity　of　iron　in　England　at　the　time　of　the　Armada

Importance　of　iron　for　national　defence





CHAPTER　II。



BEGINNINGS　OF　THE　IRON…MANUFACTURER　IN　BRITAIN。



Iron　made　in　the　Forest　of　Dean　in　Anglo…Saxon　times

Monkish　iron…workers

Early　iron…smelting　in　Yorkshire

Much　iron　imported　from　abroad

Iron　manufactures　of　Sussex

Manufacture　of　cannon

Wealthy　ironmasters　of　Sussex

Founder　of　the　Gale　family

Extensive　exports　of　English　ordnance

Destruction　of　timber　in　iron…smelting

The　manufacture　placed　under　restrictions

The　Sussex　furnaces　blown　out





CHAPTER　III。



IRON　SMELTING　BY　PIT…COALDUD　DUDLEY。



Greatly　reduced　production　of　English　iron

Proposal　to　use　pit…coal　instead　of　charcoal　of　wood　in　smelting

Sturtevant's　patent

Rovenson's

Dud　Dudley；　his　family　his　history

Uses　pit…coal　to　smelt　iron　with　success

Takes　out　his　patent

The　quality　of　the　iron　proved　by　tests

Dudley's　works　swept　away　by　a　flood

Rebuilds　his　works；　and　they　are　destroyed　by　a　mob

Renewal　of　his　patent

Outbreak　of　the　Civil　War

Dudley　joins　the　Royalists；　and　rises　to　be　General　of　artillery

His　perilous　adventures　and　hair…breadth　escapes

His　estate　confiscated

Recommences　iron…smelting

Various　attempts　to　smelt　with　pit…coal

Dudley's　petitions　to　the　King

His　death





CHAPTER　IV。



ANDREW　YARRANTON。



A　forgotten　patriot

The　Yarranton　family

Andrew　Yarranton's　early　life

A　soldier　under　the　Parliament

Begins　iron　works

Is　seized　and　imprisoned

His　plans　for　improving　internal　navigation

Improvements　in　agriculture

Manufacture　of　tin　plate

His　journey　into　Saxony　to　learn　it

Travels　in　Holland

His　views　of　trade　and　industry

His　various　projects

His　'England's　Improvement　by　Sea　and　Land'

His　proposed　Land　Bank

His　proposed　Registry　of　Real　Estate

His　controversies

His　iron…mining

Value　of　his　labours





CHAPTER　V。



COALBROOKDALE　IRON　WORKSTHE　DARBYS　AND　REYNOLDSES。



Failure　in　the　attempts　to　smelt　iron　with　pit…coal

Dr。　Blewstone's　experiment

Decay　of　the　ironmanufacture

Abraham　Darby

His　manufacture　of　cast…iron　pots　at　Bristol

Removes　to　Coalbrookdale

His　method　of　smelting　iron

Increased　use　of　coke

Use　of　pit…coal　by　Richard　Ford

Richard　Reynolds　joins　the　Coalbrookdale　firm

Invention　of　the　Craneges　in　iron…refining

Letter　of　Richard　Reynolds　on　the　subject

Invention　of　cast…iron　rails　by　Reynolds

Abraham　Darby　the　Second　constructs　the　first　iron　bridge

Extension　of　the　Coalbrookdale　Works

William　Reynolds：　　his　invention　of　inclined　planes　for　working　canals

Retirement　of　Richard　Reynolds　from　the　firm

His　later　years；　character；　and　death





CHAPTER　VI。



INVENTION　OF　CAST　STEEL　…　BENJAMIN　HUNTSMAN。



Conversion　of　iron　into　steel

Early　Sheffield　manufactures

Invention　of　blistered　steel

Important　u