CONTENTS

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-COAL—DUD 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 WORKS—THE DARBYS AND REYNOLDSES.

  Failure in the attempts to smelt iron with pit-coal
  Dr. Blewstone's experiment
  Decay of the iron manufacture
  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 uses of cast-steel
  Le Play's writings on the subject
  Early career of Benjamin Huntsman at Doncaster
  His experiments in steel-making
  Removes to the neighbourhood of Sheffield
  His laborious investigations, failures, and eventual success
  Process of making cast-steel
  The Sheffield manufacturers refuse to use it
  Their opposition foiled
  How they wrested Huntsman's secret from him
  Important results of the invention to the industry of Sheffield
  Henry Bessemer and his process
  Heath's invention
  Practical skill of the Sheffield artisans

CHAPTER VII.

THE INVENTIONS OF HENRY CORT.

  Parentage of Henry Cort
  Becomes a navy agent
  State of the iron trade
  Cort's experiments in iron-making
  Takes a foundry at Fontley
  Partnership with Jellicoe
  Various improvers in iron-making: Roebuck, Cranege, Onions
  Cort's improved processes described
  His patents
  His inventions adopted by Crawshay, Homfray, and other ironmasters
  Cort's iron approved by the Admiralty
  Public defalcations of Adam Jellicoe, Cort's partner
  Cort's property and patents confiscated
  Public proceedings thereon
  Ruin of Henry Cort
  Account of Richard Crawshay, the great ironmaster
  His early life
  Ironmonger in London
  Starts an iron-furnace at Merthyr Tydvil
  Projects and makes a canal
  Growth of Merthyr Tydvil and its industry
  Henry Cort the founder of the iron aristocracy, himself unrewarded

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SCOTCH IRON MANUFACTURE—Dr. ROEBUCK—DAVID MUSHET.

  Dr. Roebuck, a forgotten public benefactor
  His birth and education
  Begins business as a physician at Birmingham
  Investigations in metallurgy
  Removes to Scotland, and begins the manufacture of chemicals, &c.
  Starts the Carron Iron Works, near Falkirk
  His invention of refining iron in a pit-coal fire
  Embarks in coal-mining at Boroughstoness
  Residence at Kinneil House
  Pumping-engines wanted for his colliery
  Is introduced to James Watt
  Progress of Watt in inventing the steam-engine
  Interviews with Dr. Roebuck
  Roebuck becomes a partner in the steam-engine patent
  Is involved in difficulties, and eventually ruined
  Advance of the Scotch iron trade
  Discovery of the Black Band by David Mushet
  Early career of Mushet
  His laborious experiments
  His inventions and discoveries in iron and steel, and death

CHAPTER IX.

INVENTION OF THE HOT BLAST—JAMES BEAUMONT NEILSON.

  Difficulty of smelting the Black Band by ordinary process until the
    invention of the hot blast
  Early career of James Beaumont Neilson
  Education and apprenticeship
  Works as an engine-fireman
  As colliery engine-wright
  Appointed foreman of the Glasgow Gas-works; afterwards manager
    and engineer
  His self-education
  His Workmen's Institute
  His experiments in iron-smelting
  Trials with heated air in the blast-furnace
  Incredulity of ironmasters
  Success of his experiments, and patenting of his process
  His patent right disputed, and established
  Extensive application of the hot blast
  Increase of the Scotch iron trade
  Extraordinary increase in the value of estates yielding Black Band
  Scotch iron aristocracy

CHAPTER X.

MECHANICAL INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS.

  Tools and civilization
  The beginnings of tools
  Dexterity of hand chiefly relied on
  Opposition to manufacturing machines
  Gradual process of invention
  The human race the true inventor
  Obscure origin of many inventions
  Inventions born before their time
  "Nothing new under the sun"
  The power of steam known to the ancients
  Passage from Roger Bacon
  Old inventions revived
    Printing
    Atmospheric locomotion
    The balloon
    The reaping machine
    Tunnels
    Gunpowder
    Ancient firearms
    The steam gun
    The Congreve rocket
    Coal-gas
    Hydropathy
    Anaesthetic agents
    The Daguerreotype anticipated
    The electric telegraph not new
  Forgotten inventors
  Disputed inventions
  Simultaneous inventions
  Inventions made step by step
  James Watt's difficulties with his workmen
  Improvements in modern machine-tools
  Their perfection
  The engines of "The Warrior"

CHAPTER XI.

JOSEPH BRAMAH.

  The inventive faculty
  Joseph Bramah's early life
  His amateur work
  Apprenticed to a carpenter
  Starts as cabinet-maker in London
  Takes out a patent for his water-closet
  Makes pumps and ironwork
  Invention of his lock
  Invents tools required in lock-making
  Invents his hydrostatic machine
  His hydraulic press
  The leathern collar invented by Henry Maudslay
  Bramah's other inventions
  His fire-engine
  His beer-pump
  Improvements in the steam-engine
  His improvements in machine-tools
  His number-printing machine
  His pen-cutter
  His hydraulic machinery
  Practises as civil engineer
  Altercation with William Huntington, "S.S."
  Bramah's character and death

CHAPTER XII.

HENRY MAUDSLAY.

  The Maudslays
  Henry Maudslay
  Employed as powder-boy in Woolwich Arsenal
  Advanced to the blacksmiths' shop
  His early dexterity in smith-work
  His "trivet" making
  Employed by Bramah
  Proves himself a first-class workman
  Advanced to be foreman of the works
  His inventions of tools required for lock-making
  His invention of the leathern collar in the hydraulic press
  Leaves Bramah's service and begins business for himself
  His first smithy in Wells Street
  His first job
  Invention of the slide-lathe
  Resume of the history of the turning-lathe
  Imperfection of tools about the middle of last century
  The hand-lathe
  Great advantages of the slide rest
  First extensively used in constructing Brunel's Block Machinery
  Memoir of Brunel
  Manufacture of ships' blocks
  Sir S. Bentham's specifications
  Introduction of Brunel to Maudslay
  The block-machinery made, and its success
  Increased operations of the firm
  Improvements in the steam-engine
  Invention of the punching-machine
  Further improvements in the slide-lathe
  Screw-cutting machine
  Maudslay a dexterous and thoughtful workman
  His character described by his pupil, James Nasmyth
  Anecdotes and traits
  Maudslay's works a first-class school for workmen
  His mode of estimating character
  His death

CHAPTER XIII.

JOSEPH CLEMENT.

  Skill in contrivance a matter of education
  Birth and parentage of Joseph Clement
  Apprenticed to the trade of a slater
  His skill in amateur work
  Makes a turning-lathe
  Gives up slating, and becomes a mechanic
  Employed at Kirby Stephen in making power-looms
  Removes to Carlisle
  Glasgow
  Peter Nicholson teaches him drawing
  Removes to Aberdeen
  Works as a mechanic and attends College
  London
  Employed by Alexander Galloway
  Employed by Bramah
  Advanced to be foreman
  Draughtsman at Maudslay and Field's
  Begins business on his own account
  His skill as a mechanical draughtsman
  Invents his drawing instrument
  His drawing-table
  His improvements in the self-acting lathe
  His double-driving centre-chuck and two-armed driver
  His fluted taps and dies
  Invention of his Planing Machine
  Employed to make Babbage's Calculating Machine
  Resume of the history of apparatus for making calculations
  Babbage's engine proceeded with
  Its great cost
  Interruption of the work
  Clement's steam-whistles
  Makes an organ
  Character and death

CHAPTER XIV.

FOX OF DERBY—MURRAY OF LEEDS—ROBERTS AND WHITWORTH OF MANCHESTER.

  The first Fox of Derby originally a butler
  His genius for mechanics
  Begins business as a machinist
  Invents a Planing Machine
  Matthew Murray's Planing Machine
  Murray's early career
  Employed as a blacksmith by Marshall of Leeds
  His improvements of flax-machinery
  Improvements in steam-engines
  Makes the first working locomotive for Mr. Blenkinsop
  Invents the Heckling Machine
  His improvements in tools
  Richard Roberts of Manchester
  First a quarryman, next a pattern-maker
  Drawn for the militia, and flies
  His travels
  His first employment at Manchester
  Goes to London, and works at Maudslay's
  Roberts's numerous inventions
  Invents a planing machine
  The self-acting mule
  Iron billiard-tables
  Improvements in the locomotive
  Invents the Jacquard punching machine
  Makes turret-clocks and electro-magnets
  Improvement in screw-steamships
  Mr. Whitworth's improvement of the planing machine
  His method of securing true surfaces
  His great mechanical skill

CHAPTER XV.

JAMES NASMYTH.

  Traditional origin of the Naesmyths
  Alexander Nasmyth the painter, and his family
  Early years of James Nasmyth
  The story of his life told by himself
  Becomes a pupil of Henry Maudslay
  How he lived and worked in London
  Begins business at Manchester
  Story of the invention of the Steam Hammer
  The important uses of the Hammer in modern engineering
  Invents the steam pile-driving machine
  Designs a new form of steam-engine
  Other inventions
  How he "Scotched" a strike
  Uses of strikes
  Retirement from business
  Skill as a draughtsman
  Curious speculations on antiquarian subjects
  Mr. Nasmyth's wonderful discoveries in Astronomy
    described by Sir John Herschel

CHAPTER XVI.

WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN.

  Summary of progress in machine-tools
  William Fairbairn's early years
  His education
  Life in the Highlands
  Begins work at Kelso Bridge
  An apprentice at Percy Main Colliery, North Shields
  Diligent self-culture
  Voyage to London
  Adventures
  Prevented obtaining work by the Millwrights' Union
  Travels into the country, finds work, and returns to London
  His first order, to make a sausage-chopping machine
  Wanderschaft
  Makes nail-machinery for a Dublin employer
  Proceeds to Manchester, where he settles and marries
  Begins business
  His first job
  Partnership with Mr. Lillie
  Employed by Messrs. Adam Murray and Co.
  Employed by Messrs. MacConnel and Kennedy
  Progress of the Cotton Trade
  Memoir of John Kennedy
  Mr. Fairbairn introduces great improvements in the gearing, &c.
    of mill machinery
  Increasing business Improvements in water-wheels
  Experiments as to the law of traction of boats
  Begins building iron ships
  Experiments on the strength of wrought iron
  Britannia and Conway Tubular Bridges
  Reports on iron
  On boiler explosions
  Iron construction
  Extended use of iron
  Its importance in civilization
  Opinion of Mr. Cobden
  Importance of modern machine-tools
  Conclusion