Regency Personalities Series
In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency, today I continue with one of the many period notables.
Nicholas Wood
April 24 1795-December 19 1865
Wood was born in County Durham, the son of Nicholas who was a mining engineer at Crawcrook colliery. Wood attended the village school and stared work at the Killingworth Colliery as an apprentice colliery viewer. He eventually became manager and an associate of George Stephenson. Wood helped Stephenson develop the safety lamp and contributed to the building of the locomotive Blucher. Wood had drawn the “Geordie” lamp design. Wood also designed the system of actuating the valves on the Blucher. In 1818 Wood carried out experiments on rolling resistance, lubrication and laminated steel springs of locomotives. In 1823 he was part of the meeting that set up the Stockton and Darlington railway. Robert Stephenson even became Wood’s apprentice.
By 1825 he had a reputation that he published a book, A Practical Treatise on Rail-roads and Interior Communication. Which analyzed various types of motive power then in use from horses to steam locomotives. He gave evidence to Parliament about the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Bill and was appointed as one of the three judges for the Rainhill Trials. He published a second edition of the book in 1831 and a third in 1838.
In 1832 Wood was involved in building the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway and in 1845 became one of its directors. He also was noted for his geographical knowledge and when a mining accident took fifty lives, his knowledge of coal safety was consulted. He became a founder and first president of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. He remained president until his death.
In 1844 he became a partner in the company that owned the Hetton Colliery and moved to Hetton Hall as the colliery manager. He was also invested in other collieries and businesses. When the Mines Inspection Act of 1850 passed he was appointed President of the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers. He campaigned for a College of Science in Newcastle which came about after his death. Later this became the University of Newcastle.
He married Maria Lindsay of Alnwick in 1827 and they had four sons and three daughters. All four of his sons made names for themselves in the coal industry and the youngest became chairman of Hetton Collieries and a baronet.
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