William Brown (mining engineer) facts for kids

William Brown (1717-1782) was a clever English engineer. He helped build coal mines, early railways called waggonways, and steam engines. He was very important in growing the coal industry in North East England and other parts of Britain and Ireland.

Early Life of William Brown

William Brown was born in 1717 at Heddon Pit House in Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland. His father, also named William Brown, worked in local mines. His mother was Ann Watson.

Around 1732, his family moved to Throckley. His father then became the manager of Throckley Colliery. Young William Brown started working in mines in the 1730s. He learned how mines worked and how to design waggonways.

Working in Coal Mines

Around 1750, Brown became a viewer. A viewer was an expert who knew how to develop a coal mine. They solved problems with geology (the ground) and water. They also managed machinery, waggonways, and the workers. Viewers also gave financial advice to mine owners.

Like many viewers, Brown became a part-owner of some mines. He owned half of Throckley Colliery. He also had shares in Shiremoor and Willington collieries, which made a lot of money.

Over 30 years, Brown used his skills to open new mines. He also installed steam engines for pumping water and built waggonways. He developed mines in places like Throckley, Heddon, Hartley, and Wallsend. He helped reach the "High Main Seam" of coal, which was very deep. This coal was hard to get because of water.

Brown also worked with other types of mines. He helped with copper mines in Yorkshire and lead mines in Grassington and Swaledale.

He also worked on new ideas for mines. Some people say he was the first to screen coal (sort it by size). He tried to make a machine called 'Willy Brown's Iron Man' to dig coal. He was also involved when steam power was first used to lift things at Hartley Colliery.

Building Waggonways

Waggonways were early railways. Horses pulled wagons on wooden rails. They were mostly used to carry coal from mines to docks. These waggonways grew into big networks, like modern railways. They helped the coal industry grow a lot.

It's not clear where Brown learned to build waggonways. He probably learned from the waggonways near Stella, across the River Tyne from Throckley.

Brown planned and costed many waggonway projects. Other companies did the actual building. He was very active in the Throckley area. In 1751, the first railway was built in Throckley. This allowed coal to be shipped by sea, especially to London. The Wylam Way was an extension that opened in 1756. More waggonways were added as new mines opened. In 1758, a waggonway he designed opened near Hartley Colliery.

Later, he designed important waggonways east of Newcastle. He also designed lines south of the Tyne, like from Harraton to the River Wear. In 1776, he planned a waggonway near Newcastle Town Moor, but it was not built.

His work wasn't just in North East England. In 1754, the Duke of Hamilton asked him to build an underground waggonway at Bo'ness Colliery near Edinburgh.

Designing Steam Engines

From about 1750 until he died in 1782, William Brown was known for building Newcomen steam engines. These engines were used for pumping water out of mines. He built engines at about 20 collieries in Northumberland and Durham. He also built them in other parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

He worked with famous engineers like John Smeaton and James Brindley. His clients included important people like dukes and earls.

Brown helped make steam engines more powerful. He introduced larger iron cylinders, some as big as 75 inches. He also realized engines needed a lot of steam. So, he built multiple boilers to make more steam. He also used larger pipes, like 24-inch wooden pipes, which were much bigger than what was normally used.

He got materials for his engines from different places. Early brass cylinders were probably made locally. Later, larger iron cylinders came from Abraham Darby's foundry at Coalbrookdale. He might have also gotten cylinders from the Carron Company in Scotland. The iron plates for boilers were likely made by local companies like Hawks of Gateshead.

Personal Life

William Brown married Mary Smith in 1741. They had seven children, but two died when they were young. There is a plaque for them at St. Andrew's Church in Heddon on the Wall.

His oldest son, William Brown (1743–1812), had eleven children. One of his grandsons, Dixon, became the High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1827.

William Brown died in February 1782. He is buried in Heddon churchyard.