George Stephenson

George Stephenson was an English engineer and principal inventor of the railroad locomotive. He was born on June 9, 1781 in Wylam, Northumberland, England. He was the second child of Robert and Mabel Stephenson, neither of whom could read or write. Robert was the fireman for Wylam Colliery pumping engine, earning a very low wage, so there was no money for schooling. George realised the value of education and paid to study at night school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic – he was illiterate until the age of 18. He married Frances Henderson in 1802 and had two children, Robert and Frances. Frances died in infancy and his wife died of tuberculosis in 1806. He then moved to Scotland and worked as a brakesman at a coal mine. He married Elizabeth Hindmarsh in 1820 and moved to Liverpool, where he became involved in the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. He designed and built the famous steam locomotive named Rocket, which won a competition at Rainhill in 1829 and proved the superiority of steam power over horses. He also advocated for the standard gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches for railways, which became widely adopted around the world. He became a wealthy and influential man, and was involved in many other railway projects in Britain and abroad. He married Ellen Gregory in 1848, shortly before his death. He died of pleurisy on August 12, 1848 at Tapton House in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was buried at Holy Trinity Churchyard in Chesterfield. He is regarded as the father of British steam railways and one of the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution. His son Robert followed his footsteps and became a renowned engineer as well.