BARNSLEY’S most famous engineer Joseph Locke made just as a great a contribution to the development of Brian’s railways as Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, according to the author of the latest book on the pioneer.
Anthony Burton says most historians recognise the work of three engineers as being the men who developed the railways from slow, lumbering colliery lines into fast, inter-city routes. Two are very well known - Robert Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and the third was Joseph Locke, who should be recognised for having made a contribution just as great as that of the other two, says the Gloucestershire-based author.
The Locke family had been colliery managers and overseers for many generations and Joseph, once he had completed his very rudimentary education at Barnsley Grammar School at the age of 13, seemed set to follow in their footsteps.
However, at the age of 19 he was taken on as an apprentice by an old friend of his father, George Stephenson, and sent to the new locomotive works at Newcastle. His enthusiasm and willingness to learn soon brought promotion, and he became a highly valued assistant engineer on the prestigious Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
During his time there he wrote a pamphlet with George’s son Robert Stephenson, arguing the case for steam locomotives and had the embarrassing task of having to correct calculations for a tunnel being built under the direct supervision of George Stephenson.
After its opening, he moved on to work on the Grand Junction Railway, at the start working alongside Stephenson rather than as his assistant. But before long, they had quarrelled and the directors handed the whole works over to Locke’s control. It was the turning point of his life.
Locke was to continue as chief engineer on some of the most important lines in Britain, and his reputation grew to the point where he was also in demand for work in mainland Europe, building major routes in France, the Netherlands and Spain. He became a wealthy man, purchasing the manor of Honiton in Devon and sat in Parliament as the Liberal member for that constituency. He received many honours during his lifetime and died while on holiday at Scotland in 1860 at the age of 55.
Anthony Burton is a professional author and broadcaster who has been writing about
industrial and transport history for more than forty years. He has written numerous railway books, including The Railway Builders, The Railway Empire, Steaming through Britain and The Locomotive Pioneers. He has also written biographies of three other major figures in the world of industry including Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Telford. He has also written and presented TV documentaries for
the BBC on the Rainhill trials and Crewe and, more recently, has been historical adviser on a ten-part series for Discovery, On The Rails.
Joseph Locke: Civil Engineer and Railway Builder features a new detailed biography, newly-researched material about Locke, full details of his engineering projects and many illustrations.
It is published by Pen and Sword Books and available from the Barnsley Chronicle Bookshop on Church Street, Barnsley.
