Draft foreword by Samuel Holmes to Robert Young's Timothy Hackworth and the Locomotive

Points of interest from the preface.

[Page 1]

‘The favouritism of the unworthy adherents and the attempt to crush the independent spirit of others, have tended to obliterate the wonders performed, because the crown could not be placed where the controlling influence desired to place it’.

[Page 2]

‘It is amazing that he [Robert Young] does not rebuke the writers of fiction on their subject ………’

‘It was wicked, to allow a writer for profit, like Samuel Smiles, to delude the world in his life of George Stephenson’.

[Page 3]

‘He [Smiles] made the cold statement that Stephenson invented the blast pipe ……. This is thoroughly disproved by Mr Stephenson himself in his letter to Timothy Hackworth dated July 25th 1828 ……. [Note – the original letter is in my possession, in my box in Safe Deposit Vault, 40 feet below Broadway]’.

Royal George and the blast pipe [see references to G.A. Sekon ‘Evolution of the Locomotive 1899’ and J.G. Pangborn ‘The World’s Railway 1894’].

[Page 4.

When the result of the working of the ‘Royal George’ was known [shares on the S&DR had fallen to £50] the shares commenced to rise and did not stop until they reached the price of £300 per share and over.

Robert Stephenson supported steam power; Rastrick and Walker’s report did not. [Note – although Rastrick had wanted Timothy to see the Royal George [1829] working, he returned to the Liverpool and Manchester recommending the use of stationary [fixed] engines.]

Attached to the bottom of [Page 4 to [Page 7 is an exchange of correspondence between Robert Stephenson and Timothy Hackworth [verbatim].

[Pages 7 - 8]

Robert Stephenson got the following inserted into Rastrick and Walker’s report –
‘Mr R. Stephenson has reported to us an experiment from Hackworth’s engine [Royal George] which I prefer because that engine has a safety-valve ….. the engine took forty-eight and three quarter tons of goods, 2,500 yards upon a level, at the rate of eleven and two-tenths of a mile per hour, and that the steam was blowing off when the experiment concluded. [underlined] ‘I state the preceding as it has been given to us ….. Hackworth’s engine is undoubtedly the most powerful that has yet been made……’.

[Also given is the testimony of William Gowland, first fireman of Locomotion, engine driver of Royal George and the Sanspareil at Rainhill].

[Page 9]

Refers to Rainhill when George Stephenson was astonished to see Sanspareil ejecting red sparks from her chimney. Refers to previous letter of July 25th 1828 [NRM].

[Page 10]

Refers to Hackworth at Wylam, G. Stephenson at Killingworth who had served no apprenticeship ‘which was the accepted way to learn the trade’. Timothy did his apprenticeship at Wylam.

[Page 11]

1. ‘He [Timothy] first constructed a test carriage … [in which his brother Thomas Hackworth, took a part. He assisted Thomas Walters in building the first locomotive at Wylam [four wheels, only one cylinder] was very irregular’.
2. ‘1812, second made by Timothy Hackworth with Jonathan Forster. Two cylinders, four wheels, but owing to the weight of it, it broke the rails’.
3. ‘1813, Timothy Hackworth constructed an eight wheeled engine, [known as the ‘’Bogie’’ or Truck Engine]’. General use in America. In their history the Truck is claimed to be the invention of Mr. John B. Jarvis who visited England from 1827-1829

[Page 12]

George Stephenson copied this at Killingworth.

1821 George Stephenson and Nicholas Wood visited Edward Pease.

1822 Pease and Thomas Richardson visited Killingworth.

[Page 13]

The Railway Act was passed. Pease invited George Stephenson toast as surveyor and contractor to build the railroad. Pease was a cotton manufacturer and 20 miles from the coal mine.

[Page 14]

Land surveyor appointed to aid Stephenson. 1824 partnership of George Stephenson, Robert Stephenson, Edward Pease and M. Longridge.


[Page 16]

It was Pease who promoted Darlington. Hackworth went to Forth Street as a borrowed man. George Stephenson offered Timothy Hackworth half of his interest in Stephenson and Son. [Holmes does not mention that Robert had gone to Colombia].

[Page 17]

Says Timothy Hackworth took up position on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in June 1825 [it was May].

[Page 18]

Argues some people are born with engineering acumen, but the pertinent question ‘what has George Stephenson left to show his engineering ability? Answer NOTHING !’

[Page 19]

When Pease suggested improvements in December 1824, it was written “George Stephenson has stated to this meeting, that he does not at present see any additions can be made”. This was when the locomotive was not a successful engine.

[Page 20]

Refers to the first public suggestion of a railway in 1810. Refers to idea of a canal in 1767. The wars with France and the United States of America held both back until 1816.

[Page 21]

First idea of a railway in Edward Pease’s mind was 1817.

[Pages 24 - 25]

Finance of the railway. Edward Pease was established as Head of the Stockton and Darlington Railway when he had loaned £10,000. “To all public appearances he [Edward Pease] became the head, not by reason of competition, but in the light of a deliverer, a benefactor. It was certainly clever”.

[Page 27]

Overton was passed over for George Stephenson. ”The flesh overcame the spirit, in a way it couldn’t have worked with his son, Mr. Joseph Pease and he shouldn’t have worked for him”.

“Mr. [Edward] Pease’s influence accounts for the wrong impressions the world has on the subject”.

[Pages 27 - 30]

He repeats his condemnation of George Stephenson and to a lesser extent Edward Pease. Overton’s unfair dismissal as engineer, succeeded by George Stephenson. Succeeded in 1824 by Michael Longridge.

[Page 31]

Describes the merits of the Royal George, Sanspareil and Globe. “The accident of the burst cylinder during the race was the result of George Stephenson’s unscrupulous act in misplacing the core so the metal forming the partition between the bore and the cylinder and the port-way, along the cylinders side, was cast and bond so thin in one part as to leave less than one–sixteenth of an inch of metal, when there should have been seven-eighths of an inch of metal.

“The boiler even, which was made for Mr. Hackworth by the Bedlington Iron Company. [of which another partner of Stephenson’s ‘Michael Longridge’ was the manager” had to have copper run into the seams to make it tight, so poorly was it built by the Iron Company. Still it proved itself far superior to the Rocket when it was fully and properly repaired’.

[Page 32]

Details of the Globe. “Was the first passenger engine ever constructed. Speed often 50 miles per hour”.

[Page 33]

“Camouflaged into the position by false writing, false claims and persistent effort to keep the a clique in countenance”.

Edward Pease made George Stephenson. Timothy Hackworth made Timothy Hackworth, and Timothy Hackworth helped mightily to build Mr. Edward Pease’s fortune.
‘[Pages 33 - 34]

Refers to Edward Pease’s diaries ‘Growth of the Port of Middlesbrough’.

1831 population 154
1891 population 75,516

[Page 36]

Timothy Hackworth’s bridge [Tees] not adopted.

1839 shipping coals at Middlesbrough. Mr. Hackworth competed and obtained the first prize.


[Page 37]

Majestic and Wilberforce Class. Robert Napier and Timothy Hackworth agreed to take their own courses re patents building on what we now know as Timothy Hackworth’s Soho Works.

[Page 38]

Relations with Joseph Pease and the naming of Soho.

[Page 39]

Stated he lived at Soho for eight years and he is the only person living who knew Timothy Hackworth, Joseph Pease and Henry Pease.

Ran the Stockton and Darlington Railway Works and his own Works Dom 1833 – must not be confused.

Nelson [not Braddyll] built by Timothy Hackworth circa 1835 withdrawn 1876 – snow plough.

[Page 40]

Russian locomotive no. 28. ‘Drawing in my possession. Signed Thomas McNay’.
Development of Timothy Hackworth’s design.

38 Albion [1920 same skill in steam].

[Pages 41 - 43]

History of the Nova Scotia Railway. Chicago 1893.

[Page 44]

Chicago exhibition. Pangborn saw Timothy Hackworth Young then a superintendent of Division on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul R. R. He went to Penang to interview Mr. Robert Young. He learned Locomotive building with the eminent firm of Kitson and Co. of Leeds with whom he remained for nine years before working in India.

[Page 45]

Numerous JWH patents valve gear. Visited USA 1873. Full sized replicas made 29th June 1892 letter from Lord and Major Pangborn to Samuel Holmes, recognises Timothy Hackworth