Who was Richard Trevithick?
Pioneer of Steam Traction.
Date and Place of Birth:
13th April 1771, Illogan, Cornwall, England.
Family Background:
Son of the Manager of Dolcoath Mine.
Education:
Village school at Illogan, Cornwall where he
was described as “slow and obstinate”.
Chronology/Biography of Richard Trevithick:
1789: Riots in Redruth
and Camborne in Cornwall. John Wesley is
reputed to have stayed with his father who was a Methodist leader
whilst preaching tin the area.
1790: Becomes engineer
at Stray Park Mine.
1792: Writes a report
on the performance of the Tincroft Mine Engine
1796: Meets Davies
Giddy who becomes his mentor. Visits Boulton
and Watt's Soho Foundry, in Birmingham. Also
visits Coalbrookdale. His steam carriage began to run from Camborne
to Tuckingmill until 1801.
1797: His brother
in law, William West makes model engines to show in the case of
the Cornish Engineers versus Boulton and
Watt. Trevitihick refuses terms by Soho Foundry
to put up his engines. Death of his father. After his marriage the
couple go to live at Moreton House, Plain an Gwarry in Redruth,
Cornwall.
1798: Moves to
Camborne. Model of his road locomotive shown off in his kitchen
to Lady Bassett. Birth of his son, Richard.
1800: Expiry of
the James Watt steam engine patent. Birth
of daughter Anne.
1801: First high
pressure "Puffing Devil" built by Trevithick.
1802: Trevithick
Patent on the construction of steam engines to drive steam carriages
and other purposes. Birth of daughter Elizabeth.
1803. Builds his
London Road Locomotive which runs between Leather Lane and Paddington
via Oxford Street.
1804: Builds his
Pennydaren Locomotive.
1808: Patent for
machinery for towing, driving or discharging ships or other vessels
with Robert Dickinson.
1805: The Wylam
locomotive is built to his instructions at Newcastle-upon-Tyne to
to drive a paddle wheel barge.
1806: First use
of his steam dredger on the River Thames in London. Birth of his
son John Harvey.
1807: Appointed
engineer to the Thames Archway Company.
1808: Joined by
his wife and children in London. Designs first containers for ships.
Trials of his "Catch me who can" circular track steam
train at Euston. The public were entitled to travel on buying a
One Shilling ticket.
1809: Trevithick
Patents on floating docks, iron ships, iron masts, iron buoys,steam
engines for ships.
1810: New Trevithick
patents for propulsion of sea vessels. Contracts typhus and returns
to Cornwall.
1811: Declared bankrupt.
Installs first Cornish Engine and boiler.
1812: Applies his
high pressure machine to agricultural machinery for the first time.
Creates a rock boring machine for the Plymouth Breakwater and Screw
Propeller company. Birth of his son Francis.
1814: Arranges for
nine of his engines to be shipped to Peru.
1815: Trevithick
Patents on the high pressure steam engine, the plunger pole steam
engine the Reaction turbine and the Screw propeller.
1816: Birth of his
son Frederick Henry. Rents a house for the family in Penzance but
Jane lives at Hayle becoming the landlady of the White Hart Inn.
1818: First steam
boat fitted with a Trevithick puffer.
1821: Works on salvaging
ships near Callao.
1823: Travels to
Ecuador on business.
1827: Trevithick
Patent on new methods for centering ordnance on pivots. Arrives
in Nicaragua. Invents a recoil gun carriage for Simon Bolivar one
of the leaders in the civil war in South AMerica. Meets Robert Stephenson
who lends him his fare back to Britain.
1828: Trevithick
Patent on discharging ship's cargoes. Travels to Holland to see
the Zuyder Zee project.
1829: Trevithick
Patent on new improved steam engine.
1831: Trevithick
Patent on boiler and condenser. Portable stove.
1832: Trevithick
Patent on super heater for locomotion. jet propulsion of vessels.
Trevithick designs a thousand feet high iron column to commemorate
the Reform Bill which is passed by parliament. Needless to say it
is never built.
1833: Taken ill
whilst working for John Hall Engineering in Dartford, Kent.
Marriage:
1797 to Jane Harvey.
Places of Interest:
CORNWALL:
Home at Camborne
East Pool Mine, Camborne
Holman's Museum, Camborne
South Crofty Mine, Camborne
Levant Mine, St. Just.
Road Carriage at Hayle.
LONDON:
Science Museum
MIDDLESSEX:
Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford.
WALES:
Locomotive, Abercynon
Cyfartha Castle Museum, Merthyr Tidfyl, Mid Glamorgan.
Date and Place of Death:
22nd April 1833, Dartford, Kent, England. His
funeral had to be paid for by a subscription raised by the employees
at his Dartford workshop, as he died penniless.
Age at Death:
62.
Site of Grave:
Buried in unmarked pauper’s grave, Dartford,
Kent.
