John Urpeth Rastrick
| John Urpeth Rastrick | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 January 1780 Morpeth, Northumberland |
| Died | 1 November 1856 (aged 76) Chertsey, Surrey |
John Urpeth Rastrick (26 January 1780 – 1 November 1856) was one of the first English steam locomotive builders. In partnership with James Foster, he formed Foster, Rastrick and Company, the locomotive construction company that built the Stourbridge Lion in 1829 for export to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad in America.
Rastrick was born in Morpeth, Northumberland, to John Rastrick and Mary (Urpeth). He attended local public schools; at age 15, in 1795 he was apprenticed in his father's engineering practice. In 1802 he was hired by the Ketley Iron Works in Shropshire.
After five years at Ketley, Rastrick partnered with John Hazledine, in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
While at Bridgnorth, Rastrick helped Richard Trevithick develop his ideas for the high pressure steam engine and locomotive, and he later testified in a parliamentary enquiry that he had built the locomotive that had been demonstrated in London in 1808. He also produced much equipment for Trevithick's abortive South American adventure.
On 1 April 1814, he was awarded UK patent number 3,799 for his steam engine design. Rastrick oversaw the construction of the Wye bridge at Chepstow, which opened in 1816. The partnership between Rastrick and Hazledine was a troubled one, ending in a dispute in 1817. He worked independently for a short period, but in 1819 he formed a partnership with James Foster, and he moved his family to Stourbridge.
The new company manufactured an extensive range of products from blast furnaces, and rolling mills, wrought iron rails, 'bearers' (beams) for some of the famous buildings of the age, etc. In 1822 Rastrick became the engineer for the Stratford and Moreton Tramway, an early horse-drawn line. The partnership was also responsible for the first steam locomotives for the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, the Stourbridge Lion in 1829.
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