Tarquin O’Flaherty continues his discourse on the development of the steam locomotive.

The Guardian newspaper of today was, in Stephenson’s time known as ‘The Manchester Guardian’.  Incensed by the endless vitriolic attacks George Stephenson was being made to suffer, the newspaper launched a highly articulate, well informed attack on ‘The Mechanics’ Magazine’.  Describing their attitude to the Stephensons as ‘….persecution…’ and nothing more than a  ‘…system of petty detraction so long and insistently levelled at Mr Stephenson’s engines by a little knot of pseudo-mechanics…’ The ‘Mechanics’ Magazine’ dismissed the accusation and accused the Manchester Guardian of  being careless with the truth.

The Manchester Guardian, sensibly, did not rise to this bait.  Instead in an editorial they noted that the ‘Novelty’ simply hadn’t been up to the job, ‘…their engines will not work…’ and that Stephenson’s engines had ‘…performed their tasks in an admirable manner…which…our readers have… witnessed…’

This shut the ‘pseudo-mechanics’ up, but his enemy, Cropper, was waiting.  Cropper, in an effort to humiliate Stephenson, and aware that the still unfinished line was way past the promised finishing date, had persuaded the board to bring in a William Chapman to report on the reason for the delays.  George took so high a degree of umbrage at this that the letter he composed, doubtless with the help of both his son Robert and a more than able secretary, was so professional, and occupied so much of the moral high ground that the board was forced to dismiss Chapman and organise an effusive vote of confidence in George.

On the day of the Grand Opening, George Stephenson excelled himself.  He provided eight locomotives pulling eight trains packed to the rafters with 722 Lords, Ladies and gentlemen.  The Prime Minister (the Duke of Wellington) had his own carriage, smothered in red and gilt and plushly accoutred.  Three future Prime Ministers, Lord Grey, Lord Melbourne and Sir Robert Peel were just three of the VIPs in attendance.  There were Viscouts, Barons and Earls of every stripe and altogether too many ambassadors to mention.  You could hardly move without tripping over a Bishop or a potential Prime Minister.  William Husskisson, former President of the Board of Trade, MP for Liverpool and long time friend and supporter of Stephenson had a place of honour, whilst other Members of Parliament swarmed there like wasps round a jampot.

George Stephenson doubtless derived real satisfaction from the fact that the ‘cream’ of that august body, the society of engineers, lined up like lapdogs to shake his  hand.

TO BE CONTINUED

George Stephenson