Huntingdon Beaumont
Encyclopedia
Huntingdon Beaumont was an innovative entrepreneur in coal mining
, who built what is currently credited as the world's first wagonway
. Regrettably he was less successful as a businessman and died having been imprisoned for debt.
Beaumont was the youngest of four sons born to Sir Nicholas Beaumont and his wife Ann (Saunders). They were an aristocratic family in the English East Midlands
. There were several branches to the Beaumont dynasty and this was the one based at Coleorton
in Leicestershire
. He was therefore of gentleman status in the formal Elizabethan sense.
The family owned coal bearing lands and worked them. Beaumont was involved in this coal working and eventually in the late 16th century during the reign of Elizabeth I he began working in his own right in the Nottingham
area. During his partnership with Sir Percival Willoughby, Lord of the Wollaton
Manor, in 1603-4 he constructed the Wollaton Wagonway. The Wagonway may not be the world's first wagonway
with edged rails, but the earliest known specific documentary evidence relates to it, so that it was credited as the world's first. Recent work suggests that a wagonway in Shropshire may be earlier.
The Wagonway ran from Strelley
where he held mining leases to Wollaton Lane. Beaumont can therefore be credited with the title of the "Great Grandfather of railways"
. He had also worked in the Wollaton
and Lenton
areas previously.
Beaumont was a successful finder of coal and an innovator in the development of mining techniques. A key innovation currently attributed to him is the introduction of boring rods to assist in finding coal without sinking a shaft. His working life covered involvement in coal mining activities in Warwickshire
, Leicestershire
, Nottinghamshire
and Northumberland
. His coal mining and waggonway activities in the early 17th century near Blyth
in Northumberland were, like most of his ventures, unprofitable. However, the boring rod and wagonway technology he took with him was implemented by others to significant effect. The wagonway
evolutionary chain he started in the English north east was to later encompass George Stephenson
.
Beaumont lost his several family members considerable sums of money and died in Nottingham
Gaol in 1624 having been imprisoned for debt.
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, who built what is currently credited as the world's first wagonway
Wagonway
Wagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...
. Regrettably he was less successful as a businessman and died having been imprisoned for debt.
Beaumont was the youngest of four sons born to Sir Nicholas Beaumont and his wife Ann (Saunders). They were an aristocratic family in the English East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
. There were several branches to the Beaumont dynasty and this was the one based at Coleorton
Coleorton
Coleorton is a village and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England. It is situated on the A512 road approximately 2 miles east of Ashby de la Zouch...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. He was therefore of gentleman status in the formal Elizabethan sense.
The family owned coal bearing lands and worked them. Beaumont was involved in this coal working and eventually in the late 16th century during the reign of Elizabeth I he began working in his own right in the Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
area. During his partnership with Sir Percival Willoughby, Lord of the Wollaton
Wollaton
Wollaton is an area in the western part of Nottingham, England. It is home to Wollaton Hall with its museum, deer park, lake, walks and golf course...
Manor, in 1603-4 he constructed the Wollaton Wagonway. The Wagonway may not be the world's first wagonway
Wagonway
Wagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...
with edged rails, but the earliest known specific documentary evidence relates to it, so that it was credited as the world's first. Recent work suggests that a wagonway in Shropshire may be earlier.
The Wagonway ran from Strelley
Strelley, Nottingham
Strelley is the name of a village and civil parish to the west of Nottingham. It is also the name of the nearby post war council housing estate. The village lies within Broxtowe, whilst the estate is in the City of Nottingham...
where he held mining leases to Wollaton Lane. Beaumont can therefore be credited with the title of the "Great Grandfather of railways"
Timeline of railway history
-Ancient times:* ca. 600 BC - A basic form of the railway, the rutway, - existed in ancient Greek and Roman times, the most important being the ship trackway Diolkos across the Isthmus of Corinth...
. He had also worked in the Wollaton
Wollaton
Wollaton is an area in the western part of Nottingham, England. It is home to Wollaton Hall with its museum, deer park, lake, walks and golf course...
and Lenton
Lenton, Nottingham
Lenton is an area of the City of Nottingham in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. Politically, it falls within the Nottingham South constituency. Most of the area lies within the electoral ward of "Dunkirk and Lenton", however the "Lenton Triangle" area, considered by most residents to be part...
areas previously.
Beaumont was a successful finder of coal and an innovator in the development of mining techniques. A key innovation currently attributed to him is the introduction of boring rods to assist in finding coal without sinking a shaft. His working life covered involvement in coal mining activities in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. His coal mining and waggonway activities in the early 17th century near Blyth
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
in Northumberland were, like most of his ventures, unprofitable. However, the boring rod and wagonway technology he took with him was implemented by others to significant effect. The wagonway
Wagonway
Wagonways consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam powered railways. The terms "plateway", "tramway" and in someplaces, "dramway" are also found.- Early developments :...
evolutionary chain he started in the English north east was to later encompass George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
.
Beaumont lost his several family members considerable sums of money and died in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Gaol in 1624 having been imprisoned for debt.