William Moorsom facts for kids

Captain William Scarth Moorsom (1804–1863) was an English soldier and a brilliant engineer. He helped build many important railway lines in England, Belgium, Germany, and even Ceylon. He worked with famous engineers like Robert Stephenson.

Early Life and Military Adventures

William Moorsom was born in Whitby in 1804. His family was involved in the military. His father, Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom, was a naval hero who fought at the famous Battle of Trafalgar.

William went to the Royal Military College in 1819. He became very good at building defenses and mapping land for the military. In 1823, he joined the 79th Highlanders Regiment in Ireland. While there, he created a detailed map of Dublin. This map was used for a long time!

In 1825, he served in the Mediterranean as a lieutenant. He then moved to other regiments, including the 52nd Light Infantry in Nova Scotia. He was promoted to Captain.

While in Nova Scotia, he mapped the harbor of Halifax. He also wrote reports about how to transport goods across the province. In 1830, he published a book called Letters From Nova Scotia.

Even though he was highly respected, William couldn't buy a higher rank in the army. So, he left the military in 1832. He had met his wife, Isabella Ann Morris, in Nova Scotia. They lived with his father until his father passed away in 1835.

Building Railways: A New Path

With his experience in military mapping, Moorsom started helping to build railways.

London and Birmingham Railway

He first helped with the London and Birmingham Railway, which started construction in 1833. His older brother, Constantine Richard Moorsom, was involved with the company. William's survey of the Ouse valley helped make the railway line straighter. This also meant they didn't need to build a huge dirt mound. This impressive work caught the eye of Robert Stephenson, a very famous engineer.

Birmingham and Gloucester Railway

After studying new railway lines, Moorsom took on a big project in 1836. He was asked to survey the land between Birmingham and Gloucester to build a railway. Another engineer's plans were too expensive. Moorsom's job was to build the line as cheaply as possible. He did this by choosing routes through open areas, avoiding expensive land in towns.

Conquering the Lickey Incline

When the railway reached the Lickey Hills, there was a very steep hill to climb. People thought trains couldn't go up such a steep slope on their own. They believed they would need stationary engines to pull the trains with cables.

However, Moorsom had seen how mineral railways in the north used locomotives on steep slopes. He believed locomotives could do it. The company directors wanted to buy expensive stationary engines. But Moorsom convinced them to try locomotives, which was a big risk at the time. The successful climb became known as the Lickey Incline, a famous part of railway history!

Since no English company would build the special locomotives he needed, Moorsom ordered them from Norris Locomotive Works in the United States.

Other Engineering Achievements

Moorsom also won an award called the Telford Medal. He earned it for his clever method of using iron boxes filled with concrete to build the foundations of a three-arch bridge over the River Avon near Tewkesbury.

One of his assistants was Herbert Spencer, who later became a famous philosopher. Spencer described Moorsom as a kind man.

From 1844 to 1845, Moorsom was incredibly busy. He worked on many new railway lines, including those connecting Birmingham to Wolverhampton and Chester. He also worked on lines in Ireland, like the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway. Here, he designed a huge timber bridge over the River Nore, which was the largest of its kind in the British Isles at the time.

In 1850, he won an engineering prize from the Prussian government. This was for his design of a bridge to cross the Rhine River in Cologne, Germany.

Challenges and Later Projects

After a busy period, the railway industry slowed down. In 1852, Moorsom got involved with a mining company looking for gold in the United Kingdom. While some gold was found, it wasn't enough to make the company successful.

During this time, he also became the engineer for the Cromford and High Peak Railway, which was having financial problems. He tried to improve this line, but it faced opposition and funding issues.

Over the years, Moorsom gained a reputation for taking on many projects at once. Sometimes, his surveys had small errors. He was very busy and faced many challenges. In 1856, he was asked to survey a railway line in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He worked quickly to finish before the rainy season, but parts of his work were later found to be faulty.

Last Years

In 1860, Moorsom's wife, Isabella, passed away. In 1862, he worked as an engineer for the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway.

He was a member of important engineering groups, like the Institution of Civil Engineers. He also wrote papers about his projects, including the viaduct over the River Nore.

William Scarth Moorsom spent his retirement writing a history of his old army regiment. He died from cancer on June 3, 1863, at the age of 61. He was buried at Kensal Green cemetery.