The Life of George Stephenson and of his Son Robert Stephenson: Comprising Also a History of the Invention and Introduction of the Railway LocomotiveSmiles, Samuel
History
The Life of George Stephenson and of his Son Robert Stephenson: Comprising Also a History of the Invention and Introduction of the Railway Locomotive
"A Rechester of the children belonging Robert and Mabel Stepheson--
"James Stepheson Was Born March the 4 day 1779
"George Stepheson Was Born June 9 day 1781
"Elender Stepheson Was Born April the 16 day 1784
"Robert Stepheson Was Born March the 10 day 1788
"John Stepheson Was Born November the 4 day 1789
"Ann Stepheson Was Born July the 19 day 1792."
Of the two daughters, Eleanor married Stephen Liddell, afterward
employed in the Locomotive Factory in Newcastle. Ann married John
Nixon, with whom she emigrated to the United States; she died at
Pittsburg in 1860. John Stephenson was accidentally killed at the
Locomotive Factory in January, 1831.
[Illustration: NEWBURN ON THE TYNE. [By R. P. Leitch.]]
CHAPTER II.
NEWBURN AND CALLERTON--GEORGE STEPHENSON LEARNS TO BE AN ENGINE-MAN.
On quitting their humble home at Dewley Burn, the Stephenson family
removed to a place called Jolly's Close, a few miles to the south,
close behind the village of Newburn, where another coal-mine belonging
to the Duke of Northumberland, called "the Duke's Winnin," had recently
been opened out.
One of the old persons in the neighborhood, who knew the family well,
describes the dwelling in which they lived as a poor cottage of only
one room, in which the father, mother, four sons, and two daughters
lived and slept. It was crowded with three low-poled beds. The one
apartment served for parlor, kitchen, sleeping-room, and all.
The children of the Stephenson family were now growing apace, and
several of them were old enough to be able to earn money at various
kinds of colliery work. James and George, the two eldest sons, worked
as assistant firemen; and the younger boys worked as wheelers or
pickers on the bank-tops; while the two girls helped their mother with
the household work.
Other workings of the coal were opened out in the neighborhood, and
to one of these George was removed as fireman on his own account.
This was called the "Mid Mill Winnin," where he had for his mate a
young man named Coe. They worked together there for about two years,
by twelve-hour shifts, George firing the engine at the wage of a
shilling a day. He was now fifteen years old. His ambition was as
yet limited to attaining the standing of a full workman, at a man's
wages, and with that view he endeavored to attain such a knowledge of
his engine as would eventually lead to his employment as engine-man,
with its accompanying advantage of higher pay. He was a steady, sober,
hard-working young man, but nothing more in the estimation of his
fellow-workmen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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