William Moorsom
Encyclopedia
Captain William Scarth Moorsom (1804-1863) was an English
soldier and engineer. He was born in Whitby
to a military family, being the son of an admiral, and trained at Sandhurst
, becoming a captain in the 52nd regiment (Royal Engineers). After assisting Robert Stephenson
he created railway lines in England, Belgium, Germany and Ceylon.
, who had served at the Trafalgar
, and his wife Eleanor.
Moorsom seems to have made his mark when he served in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1820s, as a deputy quartermaster-general, publishing his Letters From Nova Scotia; comprising Sketches of a Young Country in 1830.
He then returned to England and, with experience of military surveying made the acquaintance of Robert Stephenson
and assisted him in the construction of the London and Birmingham Railway
. Seeing a future in railway engineering, he sold his commission in 1832
, who had found Brunel's
proposals out of its financial reach. His brief in 1836 was to build the line as cheaply as possible, which he did by following open country, avoiding populated areas where land prices would be higher. Arriving at the Lickey Hills
there was no option but to climb them, using cable assistance if necessary. The resulting Lickey Incline
has entered railway folklore. Since no English manufacturer would, or could, supply him, he ordered 4-2-0
locomotives from Norris
of Philadelphia in the United States
. In passing, one of his assistants was Herbert Spencer
, the philosopher, regarded as the founder of social science.
In 1843 he worked on a new line from Cologne
(Prussia's Rhine Province) to Antwerp in Belgium
for the Königlich Preußische und Großherzoglich Hessische Staatseisenbahn (K.P.u.G.H.St.E.), designing the award-winning twin 600 feet (182.9 m) span bridge at Cologne. This line appears to have been partly superseded in 1879 by a line to Mönchengladbach
known as the Iron Rhine. In 1845 he was in Ireland
working on the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and in 1856 the railway from Kandy
to Colombo
Ceylon (Sri Lanka
).
As a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
, he read a paper in 1852 Description of the viaduct erected over the river Nore, near Thomastown . Among his other railway work he was Engineer on the Southampton and Dorchester Railway (1847), known locally as "Castleman's Corkscrew" after its promoter, and the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway (1862). He also assisted with the lines from Plymouth to Falmouth and Penzance. He occupied his retirement by writing a history of his regiment
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...
soldier and engineer. He was born in Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
to a military family, being the son of an admiral, and trained at Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, becoming a captain in the 52nd regiment (Royal Engineers). After assisting Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
he created railway lines in England, Belgium, Germany and Ceylon.
Overview
Moorsom was the son of Admiral Sir Robert MoorsomRobert Moorsom
Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars...
, who had served at the Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
, and his wife Eleanor.
Moorsom seems to have made his mark when he served in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1820s, as a deputy quartermaster-general, publishing his Letters From Nova Scotia; comprising Sketches of a Young Country in 1830.
He then returned to England and, with experience of military surveying made the acquaintance of Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
and assisted him in the construction of the London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
. Seeing a future in railway engineering, he sold his commission in 1832
Lickey Incline
Moorsom was engaged by the Birmingham and Gloucester RailwayBirmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
, who had found Brunel's
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
proposals out of its financial reach. His brief in 1836 was to build the line as cheaply as possible, which he did by following open country, avoiding populated areas where land prices would be higher. Arriving at the Lickey Hills
Lickey Hills
The Lickey Hills are a range of hills in Worcestershire, England, eleven miles to the south-west of the centre of Birmingham near the villages of Lickey and Barnt Green...
there was no option but to climb them, using cable assistance if necessary. The resulting Lickey Incline
Lickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
has entered railway folklore. Since no English manufacturer would, or could, supply him, he ordered 4-2-0
4-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered and coupled driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
locomotives from Norris
Norris Locomotive Works
The Norris Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that produced about a thousand railroad engines between 1832 and 1866. It was the dominant American locomotive producer during most of that period, and even sold its popular 4-2-0 engines...
of Philadelphia in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In passing, one of his assistants was Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era....
, the philosopher, regarded as the founder of social science.
In 1843 he worked on a new line from Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(Prussia's Rhine Province) to Antwerp in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
for the Königlich Preußische und Großherzoglich Hessische Staatseisenbahn (K.P.u.G.H.St.E.), designing the award-winning twin 600 feet (182.9 m) span bridge at Cologne. This line appears to have been partly superseded in 1879 by a line to Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....
known as the Iron Rhine. In 1845 he was in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
working on the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and in 1856 the railway from Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
Ceylon (Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
).
As a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
, he read a paper in 1852 Description of the viaduct erected over the river Nore, near Thomastown . Among his other railway work he was Engineer on the Southampton and Dorchester Railway (1847), known locally as "Castleman's Corkscrew" after its promoter, and the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway (1862). He also assisted with the lines from Plymouth to Falmouth and Penzance. He occupied his retirement by writing a history of his regiment