Letter from Samuel Holmes, Samuel Holmes Steamship Offices for Chartering and Building Steam Vessels, Broad Street, New York to Robert Young, Penang, Straits Settlement

14th February 1907.

My dear Bob,
Yours of January 8 to hand.

I didn’t know it was your intention to write a life of Timothy Hackworth but I think a good interesting life can be written and I hope you will have success.

What I will most strongly advise against is to avoid hurry or haste. This life has waited some time and when it does appear it should atone for the delay.

I can assist you in many items and suggestions and will take pleasure in doing so.

Little details are often interesting and many things I remember the telling of. For instance, the naming of Soho. One day Grandfather and Joseph (Pease (the first Quaker MP)) a great friend of Grandfathers were talking together and Mr Pease asked him what he was going to call his new works at New Shildon. Grandfather said

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he had not yet considered any name and asked Mr Pease to suggest a name whereupon Mr Pease suggest Soho and Grandfather immediately adopted it.

Joseph Pease and Grandfather were warm friends a more lovely man than Joseph Pease it was difficult to find he was a polished gentleman and most eloquent speaker and whilst I consider that his father Edward Pease deserves immense credit as a Railroad Pioneer, I believe Joseph Pease pushed and advised his father towards the path of railroad success they pursued, still Edward Pease risked his money and aided the Railroad when it’s needed friends. Of course they were interested in the South Durham collieries and wanted to get their coal to their centre still his was a great enterprising spirit that dared to spend money when success was not certain.

I would like the Pease family to be nicely spoken of and given good credit as financial men interested in the district.

I would suggest you getting all the family information on the elder Pease Family beginning with Edward Pease and his son Joseph Pease as no life of Timothy Hackworth would be complete without this being done. Remember Joseph Pease admired Grandfather’s ability and Grandfather was a great admirer of Joseph Pease. Photos of Edward and Joseph should appear. You must get their lives if published if not you must get whatever is published respecting them they were financial pioneers. Grandfather and Grandmother visited Joseph Pease in London for two weeks at a time which shows the appreciation on either side.

I have letters from Mr. Lord, 3rd Vice President of Baltimore and Ohio RR, the oldest RR in United States respecting Grandfather written me when they were preparing

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the duplicating of all the coal engines in their evolution of the locos for the Chicago World Fair 1893. Mr. Lord wrote to me June 29/93 “we are very much pleased indeed to know that at last we are in position to secure such information as is “deemed relative to the inventions of and the part played in the development of the “locomotive by Timothy Hackworth. There is no question whatever in my mind as “regards him being the inventor of the Blast Pipe, and his work generally in “connection with the preparation of the exhaust was of the utmost importance, “therefore we are most anxious indeed to accord him his deserved place in our “exhibits of the World’s Columbian Exposition.
“Our Mr. Pangborn who has designed and is perfecting will have sole charge of the “exhibits and will be in NY the latter part of next week, stopping over there from a trip “to Northern New York expressly to see you. He will advise before visit and will be “available any hour you may set as most convenient for you to have his company to “your house at Elizabeth. Yours very truly

sig C.K.Lord
Third Vice President”.

J. G. Pangborn wrote to me March 14th 1894 “I have delayed getting out the book but “It is now on the press and I hope within the next sixty or seventy days it will be “ready for delivery. I know you will be more than pleased as regards what I have said “therein relative to the actual part played by Timothy Hackworth in the early days of “the locomotive. Certainly the comparison between him and George Stephenson is “most marked and I do not hesitate to say that Timothy Hackworth should occupy the “place in history that has been accorded George Stephenson.

Yours very truly sig J.G. Pangborn”.

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I can get you photographs of the engines as they stand in the Field Columbian museum and are splendidly represented there. There is an old engineman in Barrie Canada that I believe was brought up at Soho who knows the old Nova Scotia engines. I am getting in touch with him. My little niece Gertrude visited our home last summer and was astounded to hear him talk of Timothy Hackworth who she knows through hearing me talk.

I will also put everything in correspondence with the original owners of Albion and Sampson (sic) and another.

Pangborn Oct 3 1892 in a letter referred “I find upon looking carefully over Theodore West series a very good representation there to scale of the Royal George together with both tenders, it having as I presume you remember both forward and rear tenders”.

I think the letter should be included as I sent you.

I have a Methodist book giving lives of Methodist Preachers which has a very good account of Grandfather. I wonder if you have it. I forget the exact title but will give all details to you.

I have lists of first thirty engines on your S&DR giving name of builders, name of enginemen, year etc. I think we have eleven engines and Stephenson twelve, however I know this is only a difference of one. This was prepared by Greener* the Trustee of Grandfather’s Estate. This tabulation should appear. It has never appeared.

I also have the cost of working and earnings of all engines during 1833 which was the first year Grandfather was the lessee of the road which he operated from 1833 to 1840. I have his books. No 1 Locomotion stands better than I could imagine but of course at that time she was made up to date. I have a business card of Grandfather’s, very interesting, it should appear.

Yours afft. Samuel Holmes.