George Sorocold facts for kids
George Sorocold (born around 1668, died around 1738) was a very important English engineer from the 1700s. He was a pioneer in building systems that brought water to towns and used water power for machines all over Great Britain. He is often called Britain's first civil engineer!
Contents
A Life of Engineering
Early Life and Family
George Sorocold was born in Lancashire, England, around 1666. He went to Cambridge University. He married Mary Franceys in 1684, and they had many children together.
Starting His Career
After university, George started working in Derby. Between 1685 and 1687, he helped with the water supply for the town of Macclesfield. In 1687, he also worked on rehanging the bells at All Saints Church, which is now Derby Cathedral.
Building Water Systems
In 1692, George built Derby's first waterworks. He used a large waterwheel to pump water through about four miles of pipes. These pipes were made from elm tree trunks! To make these pipes, he invented a special machine that could bore holes through the wood. He later got a patent for this invention.
Derby's waterworks worked for almost 100 years. George built many other water systems in towns across the country, including Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Norwich. In London, he built and improved several important water systems, like the London Bridge Water Works. He also invented special pumps that could move up and down with the water level in a river.
Improving Rivers
George also worked on making rivers easier to travel on. He created plans to improve the River Derwent in Yorkshire and the River Derwent in Derbyshire. He also helped improve other rivers like the Lea, Aire, and Cam.
The Silk Mills
One of George's biggest challenges was building silk mills. He first built a silk mill in Derby for Thomas Cotchett. This mill used machines copied from Dutch spinners. However, this first project did not succeed.
Later, two brothers, John and Thomas Lombe, hired George to build a much bigger silk mill. This new mill was based on Italian designs and was built on the site of the old one. It was finished in 1722. This was a huge project for George, who was used to building pumps and water wheels.
The machinery inside the mill was amazing! It had 10,000 spindles, 25,000 spinning reel bobbins, almost 5,000 star wheels, over 9,000 twist bobbins, and 46,000 winding bobbins. All of these parts were powered by just one large water wheel! This mill, called Lombe's Mill, is now part of the Derby Industrial Museum.
A Close Call at the Mill
Building Lombe's Mill was almost the end of George Sorocold! One day, while showing visitors around the mill, he slipped on a walkway. He fell into the fast-moving water that powered the wheel. The water carried him into the huge wheel, but luckily, one of the wooden paddles broke, pushing him out into the water below the mill. He was very lucky to survive!
Other Engineering Work
George also used his skills to improve drainage systems in mines. He built iron forges and worked on early steam engines. He also gave advice on building docks, including the Old Dock in Liverpool.
Britain's First Civil Engineer
George Sorocold became very famous for his work. Two people who lived at the same time as him called him the Great English Engineer. He was also the first person who was not in the military to be called an "engineer." His exact death date is not known, but it is thought to be sometime after 1738.
