Tales of scientific innovation and merchant enterprise, from steam power and life-saving medicines to new trade partners far away, and new ways to reach them.
As a young man, surveyor Thomas Telford was a red-hot political activist
who yearned for revolution, but admittedly he had read just one book on the matter.
14
Not Ready for Power
ByRobert W. Bruère
Man had proved spiritually unprepared for the discovery of coal, said
Robert Bruère, and was poised to squander the next energy revolution too.
15
A False Economy
BySamuel Smiles
Thomas Telford told the parish council of St Chad’s
Church in Shrewsbury that their leaky roof was the last thing they should worry about.
16
Lighting-Up Time
ByRaphael Meldola
William Murdoch and Samuel Clegg brought warmth and
light into the country’s streets, factories and homes, but the public didn’t make it easy.
17
The Richmond Shilling
FromThe London Journal of Arts and Sciences
For centuries our coal industry was plagued by regulations
and taxes, but a tax imposed in 1667 seemed to have nothing to do with coal at all.
18
Sunspots and Wheat Prices
ByJames Sime
William Herschel showed that variations in the brightness of the sun
were causing climate change, but hardly anyone believed him.
