- John Buddle
John Buddle (
September 15 ,1773 —October 10 ,1843 ) was amining engineer inNorth East England .Life and work
Born at
West Kyo , nearLanchester, County Durham , Buddle followed his father into the profession of colliery viewer, a calling which he helped to develop towards the modern concept of a mining engineer. [cite book|author=Heesom, A. J.|chapter=Buddle, John (1773–1843)|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2004|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3884|accessdate=2008-08-26] He succeeded his father as manager atWallsend Colliery [cite web|title=Coal Mining in Wallsend 1778-1854|publisher=North Tyneside Libraries|url=http://www.tynelives.org.uk/colliery/coliery1.htm|accessdate=2008-08-14] in 1806 and introduced thesafety lamp invented byHumphry Davy there. He was a member of the Sunderland Society, set up to investigate colliery safety, [cite web|author=Lumsdon, John|title=Felling Colliery Explosion May 1812|url=http://www.wardleycolliery.com/felling_collieryexplosion.htm|accessdate=2008-08-14] and in this connection made scientific investigations into mine ventilation and advocated the keeping of proper records. In collaboration with William Chapman, Buddle is also considered to have designed the pioneering locomotive "Steam Elephant " for Wallsend Colliery. [cite book|author=Rees, Jim|editor=Guy, Andy & Rees, Jim (ed.)|title=Early Railways|year=2001|publisher=Newcomen Society|location=London|isbn=0-904685-08-X|pages=145-70|chapter=The strange story of the "Steam Elephant"]Buddle was a coalowner in his own right as well as a viewer and practical manager for many pits in the region of the rivers Tyne and Wear, and his advice was sought on both mining and railways from as far afield as
Nova Scotia , [cite book|author=MacDonald, Herb|editor=Guy, Andy & Rees, Jim (ed.)|title=Early Railways|year=2001|publisher=Newcomen Society|location=London|isbn=0-904685-08-X|pages=266-77|chapter=The Albion Mines Railway of 1839-40: some British roots of Canada’s first industrial railway] but his most important appointment was as general manager and agent toCharles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry in 1819 on the latter inheriting the Vane-Tempest collieries by marriage. [cite book|author=Sturgess, R. W.|title=Aristocrat in Business: the Third Marquess of Londonderry as coalowner and portbuilder|publisher=Durham County Local History Society|date=1975|isbn=0-902958-02-X] Buddle managed the Londonderry family’s extensive collieries and estates prudently until his death, participating in development of the new port atSeaham . He also represented the Marquess on the committee of coalowners who regulated the North East coal trade withLondon . [cite journal|author=Taylor, A. J.|title=The Third Marquis of Londonderry and the North-Eastern coal trade|journal=Durham University Journal|volume=48|pages=21-7|date=1955] [cite journal|author=Heesom, A. J.|title=Entrepreneurial Paternalism: the Third Lord Londonderry (1778-1854) and the Coal Trade|journal=Durham University Journal|volume=66|pages=238-56|date=1974] [cite journal|author=Hiskey, Christine E.|title=The Third Marquess of Londonderry and the regulation of the coal trade: the case re-opened|journal=Durham University Journal|volume=75|pages=1-9|date=1983]A Unitarian, Buddle died unmarried at his home in
Wallsend in 1843 leaving a personal fortune of around £150,000. [cite web|publisher=Durham Mining Museum|title=Obituary: John Buddle|url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/archives/a_obit01.htm|accessdate=2008-08-27] [cite book|author=Flinn, Michael|title=The History of the British Coal Industry. Vol. 2, 1700-1830: The Industrial Revolution|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|date=1984|isbn=0-19-828283-4]References
Persondata
NAME = Buddle, John
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Mining engineer
DATE OF BIRTH =15 September 1773
PLACE OF BIRTH =West Kyo ,England
DATE OF DEATH =10 October 1843
PLACE OF DEATH =Wallsend ,England
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