Portrait of Richard Trevithick by John Linnell, 1816 (Science Museum, London)
These pages have been created by the Trevithick Society, one of the oldest industrial preservation societies in the UK, using Google maps to locate the most important places in the life of Richard Trevithick – an inventor of brilliance and one of the great pioneers of the Industrial Revolution.
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Places in the life of Richard Trevithick
Midlands and northern England
Birmingham
1795. Boulton and Watt served a writ for the infringement of their patent on Trevithick whilst he was visiting their factory at Soho, Birmingham with Edward Bull.
Bridgnorth Map
1802. John Hazeldine of the Bridgnorth Foundry commences the construction of industrial ‘Puffer’ engines for Trevithick. These similar engines are produced in such a manner that their components can be assembled to permit a wide variety of applications. This is a significant break from the previous method of bespoke engine production.
1807-8. John Hazeldine and John Urpeth Rastrick build the ‘Catch-me-who-Can’ railway locomotive for Trevithick at Bridgnorth Foundry.
1813. Rastrick received an order for six engines and pipework specially designed in parts not weighing more than 300lbs (136 kg) to be carried by mules up to the mine.
Shining Sough
In 1802, barely any time after Trevithick had introduced his new high-pressure steam engine into Cornwall, he was asked to supply an engine to improve the drainage of a sough in the lead mines in Derbyshire. This was an important and significant show of interest in Trevithick’s new, convenient power source.
Wylam Map
1805. Trevithick supplies a railway locomotive to Christopher Blackett at Wylam colliery. Again the weight of the locomotive is too great for the rails. This locomotive is similar to, and often confused with, the 1804 Penydarren locomotive.
List of places
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