Research papers of John Wesley Hackworth

Series contains research material gathered by John Wesley Hackworth and papers created by him. Much of the material in this series is likely to have been gathered for John Wesley’s planned publication on his father, which he never completed. Much of this material was re-used by Robert Young in his book published in 1923.

Research materials include declarations of individuals involved in building Timothy Hackworth designed locomotives, presumably gathered in order to use as evidence. One notebook also contains a transcript from a newspaper article where one of Stephenson’s former apprentices, now in a workhouse, apparently confesses that the burst cylinder on the Sanspareil was an act of sabotage. The series contains letters copied from originals including one letter not present from November 1831 elsewhere in the archive from Harris Dickinson to Timothy Hackworth discussing the possible infringement of a patent of Napier’s of Glasgow.

The series contains a notebook that describes some of his business, social and research activities on a trip to America. Records contain his lecture notes and research papers concerning early locomotive building and the recognition of his father.

John Wesley seems to have gathered copies of articles relating to his research, these include extracts from Nicholas Wood's treatise of 1825, Zerah Colburn, Daniel Kinnear Clark and the Rastrick Report to name a few. He also paid close attention to the writings of Samuel Smiles, an author that he openly criticised. Other parties appear to send him extracts, including one extract sent from Robert Young Pickering, who in correspondence with Robert Young ardently criticised John Wesley Hackworth’s writings. He also copied correspondence from newspapers that related to his own correspondence that he wrote to publicise his father.