William Hazledine, Shropshire ironmaster and millwright: a reconstruction of his life, and his contribution to the development of engineering, 1780 - 1840

Pattison, Andrew (2012). William Hazledine, Shropshire ironmaster and millwright: a reconstruction of his life, and his contribution to the development of engineering, 1780 - 1840. University of Birmingham. M.Phil.

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Abstract

The name of William Hazledine (1763 – 1840) is almost unknown, even to industrial historians. This is surprising, since he provided the ironwork for five world ‘firsts’, and he was described at the time of his death as ‘the first [foremost] practical man in Europe’. The five structures are Ditherington Flax Mill, Shrewsbury (the first iron- framed building in the world), Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (still one of the longest and highest in Britain), lock gates on the Caledonian Canal, a new genre of cast-iron arch bridges, and Menai Suspension Bridge. This thesis aims to rediscover Hazledine’s life and work, and place it in the context of social and industrial history. It particularly concentrates on the development of cast iron technology in Shropshire, which has been less studied than the work of earlier ironmasters, such as the Darbys and John Wilkinson. The thesis also examines Hazledine’s relationship with Thomas Telford, with whom he collaborated on many projects, and Hazledine’s contribution to the development of mills and millwrighting in Shropshire and surrounding counties. Having established an outline of Hazledine’s life and work, there is ample scope for follow up studies in the fields of metallurgy, engineering, mills and local history.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Phil.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Phil.

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