George Stephenson's Birthplace

George Stephenson's whole family lived in this one room apartment, which was built around 1760 to house mining families.

When George was born in 1781, his father was a fireman at Wylam Colliery and as he grew up, George joined his father as colliery worker, becoming an engineman in 1802.

Stephenson was a practical engineer and was constantly looking into ways of making trains more efficient. After working on the Stockton & Darlington Railway, Stephenson won a contract to work on the Manchester & Liverpool Line in 1826. From here, he was asked to do more and the railway system gradually expanded, tansforming the British economy.

In 1838, George had became so successful that he bought Tapton House and invested his money in various ventures, including Coalmines, ironworks and quarries. He died at the house in 1848.

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