English History

  • Poets
    • Byron
      • Letters
      • Poems
    • Keats
      • Letters
      • Poetry
    • Shakespeare
      • Poetry
      • Plays
    • Tennyson
  • Middle Ages
  • Vikings
  • Romans
  • Kings and Queens
    • Stuarts
    • Tudor
  • About
    • History of English Art
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Contact
    • The Right to Display Public Domain Images
    • Author & Reference Information For Students

George Stephenson

George Stephenson was a highly influential railway engineer and inventor of the ‘Rocket’, one of the most famous early railway locomotives. He helped to pioneer the use of steam locomotion on railways, and his work revolutionized transportation.

George Stephenson was born on 9 June 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland. His father was an engineman at a coalmine. George Stephenson became an engineman at a coalmine at the age of 18.

He gained a reputation for managing the primitive steam engines employed in mines, and worked in a number of different coalmines in the northeast of England and in Scotland.

George Stephenson married Frances Henderson on 14 October 1802 at Newburn, Northumberland. They had two children – Robert and Fanny – before Frances died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1806.

George then married Elizabeth Hindmarsh on 10 September 1808. They had eight children – including George (born 1813), Robert (born 1814) and Edward (born 1820).

In 1814, he constructed his first locomotive, ‘Blucher’, for hauling coal at Killingworth Colliery near Newcastle. In 1815, he invented a safety lamp for use in coalmines, nicknamed the ‘Geordie’.

In 1821, Stephenson developed a new locomotive, ‘The Rocket’, that won the Rainhill Trials. In 1825, he opened the first public railway in England – from Stockton to Darlington.

In 1830, Stephenson became involved with the London and Birmingham Railway project – which linked London with the industrial heartland of England at Birmingham. He built a number of railways in the Midlands and North of England.

In 1833, he was approached by several investors to build a canal between Liverpool and Manchester. Stephenson designed the line which became known as the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR).

The engineer was also involved in designing, building and managing many of the institutions which helped to create a vibrant community in the new industrial town.

George Stephenson died at Tapton House, Chesterfield, on 12 August 1848. He is buried in Holy Trinity Church, Chesterfield.

The ‘Stephenson’ family grave has a large obelisk, which includes an epitaph to George Stephenson’s work as the ‘Father of Railways’.

Link/cite this page

If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.

Link will appear as Hanson, Marilee. "George Stephenson" https://englishhistory.net/georgian/george-stephenson/, January 26, 2022

You are here: Home » Georgian » George Stephenson

Search English History

Popular Posts

Benjamin Robert Haydon
Battle of Waterloo 1815
The Peninsular War 1808-1814
Robert Walpole
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
William Pitt (The Younger)
J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851)
John Constable: The Man and His Work
Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823)
William Stukeley (1697-1765)

The Tudors

Lord Byron

John Keats

shakespeare

Copyright © 1999-2022 All Rights Reserved.
English History
Other Sites: Make A Website Hub

Copyright © 2022 · English History 2015

X We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. We use your personal data / cookies, for personalisation of ads and that cookies may be used for personalised and non-personalised advertising. Read more on our privacy policy here
Read More Accept Cookie Settings
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept