Andrew Yarranton facts for kids

Andrew Yarranton (1619–1684) was an important English engineer in the 17th century. He was known for making several rivers easier for boats to travel on, which helped with trade and transport.

Biography

Andrew Yarranton was born in 1619 in Astley, a village in Worcestershire, England. His family were farmers who owned their own land. When he was about 13, he started learning to be a linen draper (someone who sells cloth) in Worcester. However, after a few years, he decided to live a country life instead. He died in 1684.

Life During the English Civil War

During the English Civil War, Andrew Yarranton fought for the Parliament's army, known as the New Model Army. He rose to the rank of captain. After the war ended, he helped manage things for the Parliament in Worcestershire. He also used the money he earned from the army to buy land that had belonged to people who supported the King.

Ironworks and New Ideas

Andrew Yarranton and other army officers started ironworks. They built a blast furnace in Astley, where they melted iron ore from the Forest of Dean with leftover materials from Worcester. They used charcoal from local trees for fuel. He was also involved in making tinplate, which is thin iron or steel coated with tin. This was a new and important technology.

He and another man, Ambrose Crowley, were sent to Saxony (part of modern-day Germany) to learn how tinplate was made. When they returned, they experimented with the process, even adding a step called rolling, which wasn't done in Saxony. Their success led to a mill being set up on the River Stour to produce tinplate.

Because Andrew Yarranton had been a strong supporter of Parliament during the Civil War, he was viewed with suspicion after the King returned to power. He was put in prison a few times in the 1660s because of his past political views.

Engineering Projects

Andrew Yarranton is best known for his work as an engineer, especially for making rivers navigable (suitable for boats).

Early River Projects

His first idea for a river project came in 1651. He suggested making Dick Brook navigable from the River Severn to an ironworks he owned.

In 1655, he proposed making the River Salwarpe navigable from the Severn to Droitwich. This project was meant to help transport coal to Droitwich for making salt, and then carry the salt away. Although an Act of Parliament was passed in 1662 to allow improvements to the Salwarpe and Stour rivers, the Salwarpe project was eventually stopped before it was finished. A century later, the Droitwich Canal was built to achieve the same goals.

Working on the River Stour

The River Stour, Worcestershire flows through Stourbridge and Kidderminster before joining the River Severn. Yarranton proposed bringing coal from nearby areas down to the river using special tracks, and then loading it onto barges to travel down the Stour.

Several attempts were made to improve the River Stour, but they often ran out of money. Even though the project was not fully successful in his lifetime, the ideas he had were later achieved by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Stourbridge Canal.

Success on the River Avon

Andrew Yarranton's work on the River Avon, Warwickshire was much more successful. This river had been improved before, but it needed more work. In 1664, he was hired to maintain the lower part of the Avon and to rebuild a lock (a water gate that helps boats move between different water levels) at Pershore.

He also took on partners to improve the upper part of the Avon. Within a couple of years, the river was again navigable for boats. The River Avon remained open for navigation for over two centuries above Evesham, and it is still navigable below Evesham today.