Robert Stirling Newall
Encyclopedia
Robert Stirling Newall FRS (27 May 1812 – 21 April 1889) was a Scottish
engineer
and astronomer
.
Born in Dundee
, he was befriended by civil engineer
L.D.B. Gordon
. In 1838, whilst studying at the Freiburg School of Mines, Germany
, Gordon visited the mines at Clausthal, and met Wilhelm Albert
. Impressed by what he saw, he wrote to Newall, urging him to "Invent a machine for making wire rope
s". On receipt of Gordon's letter, Newall designed a wire rope machine, consisting of four strands and four wires to a strand. On Gordon's return to the UK in 1839, he formed a partnership with Newall and Charles Liddell
, registering R.S. Newall and Company in Dundee
. On 17 August 1840, Newall took out a patent
for "certain improvements in wire rope and the machinery for making such rope."
R.S. Newall and Company established a factory in Gateshead
, England
, and commenced making wire ropes for "Mining, Railway, Ships' Rigging, and other purposes". From this point forward, Newall was instrumental in developing substantial improvements to submarine telegraph
cables, devising a method involving the use of gutta percha surrounded by strong wires.
The first successful Dover
-Calais
cable, laid in 1851, was manufactured in Newall's works, and approximately half of the Atlantic cable was also manufactured at his works. In 1853 he also invented the brake-drum and cone for laying cables in deep waters.
Newall was a keen astronomer, and he commissioned Thomas Cooke to build a telescope
for his private observatory at Ferndene, his Gateshead residence. For many years, the 25 inch refracting telescope
was the largest in the world, and it was gifted to the Cambridge Observatory
after his death in 1889. By the end of the 1950s, the telescope had fallen into disuse, and in 1958 it was donated to the Penteli Observatory, at the time just north of the city of Athens
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
Born in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, he was befriended by civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
L.D.B. Gordon
Lewis Gordon (civil engineer)
Lewis Dunbar Brodie Gordon was a Scottish civil engineer.A student and assistant to Isambard Kingdom Brunel, during the construction of the Thames Tunnel, he made a career change to mining...
. In 1838, whilst studying at the Freiburg School of Mines, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Gordon visited the mines at Clausthal, and met Wilhelm Albert
Wilhelm Albert
Wilhelm August Julius Albert was a German mining administrator, best remembered as the first person to record observations of metal fatigue....
. Impressed by what he saw, he wrote to Newall, urging him to "Invent a machine for making wire rope
Wire rope
thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....
s". On receipt of Gordon's letter, Newall designed a wire rope machine, consisting of four strands and four wires to a strand. On Gordon's return to the UK in 1839, he formed a partnership with Newall and Charles Liddell
Charles Liddell
Charles Liddell , was an English railway engineer.Born in Easington, County Durham, he was the son of the Rector. A student and educated by George Stephenson, he resultantly became involved in a number of Styephenson's projects, including the Grand Junction Railway and London and Birmingham...
, registering R.S. Newall and Company in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. On 17 August 1840, Newall took out a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
for "certain improvements in wire rope and the machinery for making such rope."
R.S. Newall and Company established a factory in Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and commenced making wire ropes for "Mining, Railway, Ships' Rigging, and other purposes". From this point forward, Newall was instrumental in developing substantial improvements to submarine telegraph
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
cables, devising a method involving the use of gutta percha surrounded by strong wires.
The first successful Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
-Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
cable, laid in 1851, was manufactured in Newall's works, and approximately half of the Atlantic cable was also manufactured at his works. In 1853 he also invented the brake-drum and cone for laying cables in deep waters.
Newall was a keen astronomer, and he commissioned Thomas Cooke to build a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
for his private observatory at Ferndene, his Gateshead residence. For many years, the 25 inch refracting telescope
Refracting telescope
A refracting or refractor telescope is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image . The refracting telescope design was originally used in spy glasses and astronomical telescopes but is also used for long focus camera lenses...
was the largest in the world, and it was gifted to the Cambridge Observatory
Cambridge Observatory
Cambridge Observatory is an astronomical observatory at the University of Cambridge in the East of England. It was first established in 1823 and is now part of the site of the Institute of Astronomy...
after his death in 1889. By the end of the 1950s, the telescope had fallen into disuse, and in 1958 it was donated to the Penteli Observatory, at the time just north of the city of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.