industrial biography-第62章

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Colliery　Company's　farm　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Newcastle…on…Tyne；

whither　he　proceeded　with　his　family　towards　the　end　of　1803；　William

joining　them　in　the　following　February；　when　the　wound　in　his　leg　had

sufficiently　healed　to　enable　him　to　travel。



Percy　Main　is　situated　within　two　miles　of　North　Shields；　and　is　one

of　the　largest　collieries　in　that　district。　　William　was　immediately

set　to　work　at　the　colliery；　his　first　employment　being　to　lead　coals

from　behind　the　screen　to　the　pitmen's　houses。　　His　Scotch　accent；　and

perhaps　his　awkwardness；　exposed　him　to　much　annoyance　from　the　〃pit

lads；〃　who　were　a　very　rough　and　profligate　set；　and　as　boxing　was　a

favourite　pastime　among　them；　our　youth　had　to　fight　his　way　to　their

respect；　passing　through　a　campaign　of　no　less　than　seventeen　pitched

battles。　　He　was　several　times　on　the　point　of　abandoning　the　work

altogether；　rather　than　undergo　the　buffetings　and　insults　to　which

he　was　almost　a　daily　martyr；　when　a　protracted　contest　with　one　of

the　noted　boxers　of　the　colliery；　in　which　he　proved　the　victor；　at

length　relieved　him　from　further　persecution。



In　the　following　year；　at　the　age　of　sixteen；　he　was　articled　as　an

engineer　for　five　years　to　the　owners　of　Percy　Main；　and　was　placed

under　the　charge　of　Mr。　Robinson；　the　engine…wright　of　the　colliery。

His　wages　as　apprentice　were　8s。　a　week；　but　by　working　over…hours；

making　wooden　wedges　used　in　pit…work；　and　blocking　out　segments　of

solid　oak　required　for　walling　the　sides　of　the　mine；　he　considerably

increased　his　earnings；　which　enabled　him　to　add　to　the　gross　income

of　the　family；　who　were　still　struggling　with　the　difficulties　of

small　means　and　increasing　expenses。　　When　not　engaged　upon　over…work

in　the　evenings；　he　occupied　himself　in　self…education。　　He　drew　up　a

scheme　of　daily　study　with　this　object；　to　which　he　endeavoured　to

adhere　as　closely　as　possible；　devoting　the　evenings　of　Mondays　to

mensuration　and　arithmetic；　Tuesdays　to　history　and　poetry；

Wednesdays　to　recreation；　novels；　and　romances；　Thursdays　to　algebra

and　mathematics；　Fridays　to　Euclid　and　trigonometry；　Saturdays　to

recreation；　and　Sundays　to　church；　Milton；　and　recreation。　　He　was

enabled　to　extend　the　range　of　his　reading　by　the　help　of　the　North

Shields　Subscription　Library；　to　which　his　father　entered　him　a

subscriber。　　Portions　of　his　spare　time　were　also　occasionally　devoted

to　mechanical　construction；　in　which　he　cultivated　the　useful　art　of

handling　tools。　　One　of　his　first　attempts　was　the　contrivance　of　a

piece　of　machinery　worked　by　a　weight　and　a　pendulum；　that　should　at

the　same　time　serve　for　a　timepiece　and　an　orrery；　but　his　want　of

means；　as　well　as　of　time；　prevented　him　prosecuting　this　contrivance

to　completion。　　He　was　more　successful　with　the　construction　of　a

fiddle；　on　which　he　was　ambitious　to　become　a　performer。　　It　must　have

been　a　tolerable　instrument；　for　a　professional　player　offered　him

20s。　for　it。　　But　though　he　succeeded　in　making　a　fiddle；　and　for　some

time　persevered　in　the　attempt　to　play　upon　it；　he　did　not　succeed　in

producing　any　satisfactory　melody；　and　at　length　gave　up　the　attempt；

convinced　that　nature　had　not　intended　him　for　a　musician。*

　＇footnote。。。

Long　after；　when　married　and　settled　at　Manchester；　the　fiddle；　which

had　been　carefully　preserved；　was　taken　down　from　the　shelf　for　the

amusement　of　the　children；　but　though　they　were　well　enough　pleased

with　it；　the　instrument　was　never　brought　from　its　place　without

creating　alarm　in　the　mind　of　their　mother　lest　anybody　should　hear

it。　　At　length　a　dancing…master；　who　was　giving　lessons　in　the

neighbourhood；　borrowed　the　fiddle；　and；　to　the　great　relief　of　the

family；　it　was　never　returned。　　Many　years　later　Mr。Fairbairn　was

present　at　the　starting　of　a　cotton　mill　at　Wesserling　in　Alsace

belonging　to　Messrs。　Gros；　Deval；　and　Co。；　for　which　his　Manchester

firm　had　provided　the　mill…work　and　water…wheel　（the　first　erected　in

France　on　the　suspension　principle；　when　the　event　was　followed　by　an

entertainment。　　During　dinner　Mr。　Fairbairn　had　been　explaining　to　M。

Gros；　who　spoke　a　little　English；　the　nature　of　home…brewed　beer；

which　he　much　admired；　having　tasted　it　when　in　England。　　The　dinner

was　followed　by　music；　in　the　performance　of　which　the　host　himself

took　part；　and　on　Mr。　Fairbairn's　admiring　his　execution　on　the

violin；　M。　Gros　asked　him　if　he　played。　　〃A　little；〃　was　the　almost

unconscious　reply。　　〃Then　you　must　have　the　goodness　to　play　some；〃

and　the　instrument　was　in　a　moment　placed　in　his　hands；　amidst　urgent

requests　from　all　sides　that　he　should　play。　　There　was　no

alternative；　so　he　proceeded　to　perform　one　of　his　best　tunes〃The

Keel　Row。〃　　The　company　listened　with　amazement；　until　the　performer's

career　was　suddenly　cut　short　by　the　host　exclaiming　at　the　top　of

his　voice；　〃Stop；　stop；　Monsieur；　by　gar　that　be　HOME…BREWED　MUSIC！〃

　。。。＇



In　due　course　of　time　our　young　engineer　was　removed　from　the

workshop；　and　appointed　to　take　charge　of　the　pumps　of　the　mine　and

the　steam…engine　by　which　they　were　kept　in　work。　　This　employment　was

more　to　his　taste；　gave　him　better　〃insight；〃　and　afforded　him

greater　opportunities　for　improvement。　　The　work　was；　however；　very

trying；　and　at　times　severe；　especially　in　winter；　the　engineer　being

liable　to　be　drenched　with　water　every　time　that　he　descended　the

shaft　to　regulate　the　working　of　the　pumps；　but；　thanks　to　a　stout

constitution；　he　bore　through　these　exposures　without　injury；　though

others　sank　under　them。　　At　this　period　he　had　the　advantage　of

occasional　days　of　leisure；　to　which　he　was　entitled　by　reason　of　his

nightwork；　and　during　such　leisure　he　usually　applied　himself　to

reading　and　study。



It　was　about　this　time　that　William　Fairbairn　made　the　acquaintance

of　George　Stephenson；　while　the　latter　was　employed　in　working　the

ballast…engine　at　Willington　Quay。　　He　greatly　admired　George　as　a

workman；　and　was　accustomed　in　the　summer　evenings　to　go　over　to　the

Quay　occasionally　and　take　charge　of　George's　engine；　to　enable　him

to　earn　a　few　shillings　extra　by　heaving　ballast　out　of　the　collier

vessels。　　Stephenson's　zeal　in　the　pursuit　of　mechanical　knowledge

probably　was　not　without　its　influence　in　stimulating　William

Fairbairn　himself　to　carry　on　so　diligently　the　work　of　self…culture。

But　little　could　the　latter　have　dreamt；　while　serving　his

apprenticeship　at　Percy　Main；　that　his　friend　George　Stephenson；　the

brakesman；　should　yet　be　recognised　as　among　the　greatest　engineers

of　his　age；　and　that　he　himself　should　have　the　opportunity；　in　his

capacity　of　President　of　the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　at

Newcastle；　of　making　public　acknowledgment　of　the　opportunities　for

education　which　he　had　enjoyed　in　that　neighbourhood　in　his　early

years。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃Although　not　a　native　of　Newcastle；〃　he　then　said；　〃he　owed　almost

everything　to　Newcastle。　　He　got　the　rudiments　of　his　education　there；

such　as　it　was；　and　that　was　（something　like　that　of　his　revered

predecessor　George　Stephenson）　at　a　colliery。　　He　was　brought　up　as　an

engineer　at　the　Percy　Main　Colliery。　　He　was　there　seven　years；　and　if

it　had　not　been　for　the　opportunities　he　then　enjoyed；　together　with

the　use　of　the　library　at　North　Shields；　he　believed　he　would　not

have　been　there　to　address　them。　　Being　self…taught；　but　with　some

little　ambition；　and　a　determination　to　improve　himself；　he　was　now

enabled　to　stand　before　them　with　some　pretensions　to　mechanical

knowledge；　and　the　persuasion　that　he　had　been　a　useful　contributor

to　practical　science　and　objects　connected　with　mechanical

engineering。〃Meeting　of　the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　at

Newcastle…on…Tyne；　1858。

　。。。＇



Having　finished　his　five　years'　apprenticeship　at　Percy　Main；　by

which　time　he　had　reached　his　twenty…first　year；　William　Fairbairn

shortly　after　determined　to　go　forth　into　the　world　in　search　of

experience。　　At　Newcastle　he　found　employment　as　a　millwright　for　a

few　weeks；　during　which　he　worked　at　the　erection　of　a　sawmill　in　the

Close。　　From　thence　he　went　to　Bedlington　at　an　advanced　wage。　　He

remained　there　for　six　months；　during　which　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to

make　the　acquaintance　of　Miss　Mar；　who　five　years　after；　when　his

wanderings　had　ceased；　became　his　wife。　　On　the　completion　of　the　job

on　which　he　had　been　employed；　our　engineer　prepared　to　make　another

change。　　Work　was　difficult　to　be　had　in　the　North；　and；　joined　by　a

comrade；　he　resolved　to　try　his　fortune　in　London。　　Adopting　the

cheapest　route；　he　took　passage　by　a　Shields　collier；　in　which　he

sailed　for　the　Thames　on　the　11th　of　December；　1811。　　It　was　then

war…time；　and　the　vessel　was　very　short…handed；　the　crew　consisting

only　of　three　old　men　and　three　boys；　with　the　skipper　and　mate；　so

that　the　vessel　was　no　sooner　fairly　at　sea　than　both　the　passenger

youths　had　to　lend　a　hand　in　working　her；　and　this　continued　for　the

greater　part　of　the　voyage。　　The　weather　was　very　rough；　and　in

consequence　of　the　captain's　anxiety　to　avoid　privateers　he　hugged

the　shore　too　close；　and　when　navigating　the　inside　passage　of　the

Swin；　between　Yarmouth　and　the　Nore；　the　vessel　very　narrowly　escaped

shipwreck。　　After　beating　about　along　shore；　the　captain　half　drunk

the　greater　part　of　the　time；　the　vessel　at　last　reached　the　Thames

with　loss　of　spars　and　an　anchor；　after　a　tedious　voyage　of　fourteen

days。



On　arriving　off　Blackwall　the　captain　went　ashore　ostensibly　in

search　of　the　Coal　Exchange；　taking　our　young　engineer　with　him。　　The

former　was　still　under　the　influence　of　drink；　and　though　he　failed

to　reach　the　Exchange　that　night；　he　succeeded　in　reaching　a　public

house　in　Wapping；　beyond　which　he　could　not　be　got。　　At　ten　o'clock

the　two　started　on　their　return　to　the　ship；　but　the　captain　took　the

opportunity　of　the　darkness　to　separate　from　his　companion；　and　did

not　reach　the　ship　until　next　morning。　　It　afterwards　came　out　that　he

had　been　taken　up　and　lodged　in　the　watch…house。　　The　youth；　left

alone　in　the　streets　of　the　strange　city；　felt　himself　in　an　awkward

dilemma。　　He　asked　the　next　watchman　he　met　to　recommend　him　to　a

lodging；　on　which　the　man　took　him　to　a　house　in　New　Gravel　Lane；

where　he　succeeded　in　finding　accommodation。　　What　was　his　horror　next

morning　to　learn　that　a　whole　familythe　Williamsonshad　been

murdered　in　the　very　next　house　during　the　night！　　Making　the　best　of

his　way　back　to　the　ship；　he　found　that　his　comrade；　who　had　suffered

dreadfully　from　sea…sickness　during　the　voyage；　had　nearly　recovered；

and　was　able　to　accompany　him　into　the　City　in　search　of　work。　　They

had　between　them　a　sum　of　only　about　eight　pounds；　so　that　it　was

necessary　for　them　to　take　immediate　steps　to　obtain　employment。



They　thought　themselves　fortunat