ailway 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.

Sobriety and studiousness--Inventiveness--Removes to 31-46
Willington Quay--Marries Fanny Henderson--Their
cottage at Willington--Attempts at perpetual
motion--William Fairbairn and George
Stephenson--Ballast-heaving--Chimney on fire, and
clock-cleaning--Birth of Robert Stephenson--George
removes to West Moor, Killingworth--Death of his
wife--Engineman at Montrose, Scotland--His
pump-boot--Saves money--His return to
Killingworth--Brakesman at West Moor--Is drawn for
the Militia--Thinks of emigrating to America--Takes
a contract for brakeing engines--Improves the
winding-engine--Cures a pumping-engine--Becomes
famous as an engine-doctor--Appointed engine-wright
of a colliery

CHAPTER IV.

THE STEPHENSONS AT KILLINGWORTH--EDUCATION AND SELF-EDUCATION OF
FATHER AND SON