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George Stephenson was born on the 9th June 1781 in Wylam. He was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. Pioneered by Stephenson, rail transport was one of the most important technological inventions of the 19th century and a key component of the Industrial Revolution. Built by George and his son Robert's company Robert Stephenson and Company, the Locomotion No. 1 is the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. George also built the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use locomotives, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened in 1830.
He died on the 12th August 1848 (aged 67) at Tapton House in Chesterfield.
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- Famous Locals