The author’s object in publishing this book in its original form, was to describe, in connection with the ‘Life of George Stephenson,’ the origin and progress of the railway system,—to show by what moral and material agencies its founders were enabled to carry their ideas into effect, and work out results which even then were of a remarkable character, though they have since, as above described, become so much more extraordinary. The favour with which successive editions of the book have been received, has justified the author in his anticipation that such a narrative would prove of general, if not of permanent interest. The book was written with the concurrence and assistance of Robert Stephenson, who also supplied the necessary particulars relating to himself. Such portions of these were accordingly embodied in the narrative as could with propriety be published during his lifetime, and the remaining portions have since been added, with the object of rendering more complete the record of the son’s life as well as of the early history of the Railway system. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. NEWCASTLE AND THE GREAT NORTHERN COAL-FIELDS. The colliery districts of the Pages 1–11 North—Newcastle-upon-Tyne in ancient times—The Roman settlement—Social insecurity in the Middle Ages—Northumberland roads—The coal-trade—Modern Newcastle—Coal haulage—Early waggon-roads, tram-roads, and railways—Machinery of coal-mines—Newcomen’s fire-engine—The colliers, their character and habits—Coal-staiths—The keelmen CHAPTER II. WYLAM AND DEWLEY BURN—GEORGE STEPHENSON’S EARLY YEARS. Wylam Colliery and village—George Stephenson’s 12–30 birth-place—His parents—The Stephenson family—Old Robert Stephenson—George’s boyhood—Dewley Burn Colliery—Sister Nell’s bonnet—Employed as a herd-boy—Makes clay engines—Follows the plough—Employed as corf-bitter—Drives the gin-horse—Black Callerton Colliery—Love of animals—Made assistant-fireman—Old Robert and family shift their home—Jolly’s Close, Newburn—Family earnings—George as fireman—His athletic feats—Throckley Bridge—“A made man for life!”—Appointed engineman—Studies his engine—Experiments in egg-hatching—Puts himself to school, and learns to read—His schoolmasters—Progress in arithmetic—His dog—Learns to brake—Brakesman at Black Callerton—Duties of brakesman—Begins shoe-making—Fanny Henderson—Saves his first guinea—Fight with a pitman CHAPTER III. ENGINEMAN AT WILLINGTON QUAY AND KILLINGWORTH.