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industrial biography-第1部分

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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
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