Early life and coal-mining childhood

George Stephenson started life in extremely humble circumstances, but his ingenuity and pursuit of education led him to an impressive legacy. He invented a miner’s lamp, but is most well known for his work on locomotives and railways.

Research:

• “George Stephenson (1781-1848).” https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stephenson_george.shtml#:~:text=In%201814%2C%20Stephenson%20constructed%20his%20first%20locomotive%2C,construction%20of%20the%20Stockton%20and%20Darlington%20railway.\
• Bellis, Mary. “George Stephenson and the Invention of the Steam Locomotive Engine.” ThoughtCo. May 13, 2025. https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-railroad-1992457
• Bellis, Mary. “Biography of James Watt, Inventor of the Modern Steam Engine.” ThoughtCo. April 27, 2020. https://www.thoughtco.com/james-watt-inventor-of-the-modern-steam-engine-1992685
• Bellis, Mary. “Biography of Thomas Newcomen, Inventor of the Steam Engine.” July 15, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/thomas-newcomen-profile-1992201
• Bibby, Miriam. “Rainhill Trials.” Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Rainhill-Trials/
• Burton, Ken. “Local History: John Blenkinsop 1783-1831.” South Leeds Life. April 29, 2023. https://southleedslife.com/local-history-john-blenkinsop-1783-1831/
• Cavendish, Richard. “George Stephenson's First Steam Locomotive.” History Today. July 7, 2014. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/george-stephensons-first-steam-locomotive
• Institution of Civil Engineers. “George Stephenson.” https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/meet-the-engineers/george-stephenson
• Network Rail. “George Stephenson (1781–1848).” https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/eminent-engineers/george-stephenson-1781-1848/
• Rolt, L.T.C. “George and Robert Stephenson.” Amberley Publishing. 2016.
• “Safety Lamps.” Smithsonian. https://www.si.edu/spotlight/mining-lights-and-hats/safety-lamps
• Smiles, Samuel. “Lives of Engineers. The Locomotive. GEORGE AND ROBERT STEPHENSON.” LONDON. JOHN MURRAY. 1879. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27710/27710-h/27710-h.htm#footnote129
• Stephenson Steam Railway Museum. https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/stephensonsteamrailway
• Stephenson, George. “A description of the safety lamp, invented by George Stephenson. To which is added, an account of the lamp constructed by sir H. Davy. [With] A collection of all the letters which have appeared in the Newcastle papers, with other documents, relating to the safety lamps.” London. Baldwin, Craddock and Joy. January 1817. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=SYkIAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-SYkIAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1

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