John Curr facts for kids

John Curr (born around 1756 – died 1823) was an important manager for the Duke of Norfolk's coal mines in Sheffield, England. He worked there from 1781 to 1801. During this time, he invented many new things that greatly helped the coal mining industry and the development of railways.

Personal Life

John Curr was born in County Durham, England, around 1756. He was Catholic his whole life. He moved to Sheffield before 1776. In 1780, he became the boss of the Duke of Norfolk's coal mines in Sheffield.

He married Hannah Wilson around 1785. They had eight children together. Two of his notable children were Joseph Curr, who became a Catholic priest, and Edward Curr, who was a secretary for a company called the Van Diemen's Land Company. John Curr passed away in Sheffield on January 27, 1823.

Innovations in Mining

John Curr's work life has been a bit confusing because some early writers made mistakes about him. He probably came to Sheffield in 1778. In August of that year, he wrote a report about the Sheffield coal mine for the Duke of Norfolk.

In 1787, another expert named John Buddle, senior, wrote about a new transport system Curr had created. Curr's method used L-shaped cast iron plates, which were like early rails. This new way of moving coal cost much less than the old methods. It saved a lot of money!

Curr also improved how coal was lifted out of the mines. He used "steadying conductors" to help lift two coal baskets (called corves) at the same time up a mine shaft. He replaced the old sledges used underground with small four-wheeled carriages. This made it easier to move coal, though it meant boys, not ponies, pulled them. The wheels for these corves and the "roadplates" (the L-shaped rails) were made at a nearby ironworks.

The use of these early rails became very popular. Benjamin Outram helped spread their use, and many other mines, quarries, and ironworks in England started using them. In south Wales, railways using Curr's system were known as tramroads. Today, these types of railways are sometimes called plateways.

Patents

John Curr also received patents for his inventions. A patent is like a special permission that protects an invention, so others can't copy it without permission.

See also

• Edward Micklethwaite Curr, John Curr's grandson