Edward Short and the 1714 Newcomen Engine at Bilston, Staffs

Abstract

Setting aside the possibility that Newcomen’s first attempt at building an engine, apparently unsuccessful, was in Cornwall at Balcoath, near Porkellis or at Wheal Vor, Breage, it has been accepted that the first successful engine was the so-called Dudley Castle engine built at Coneygree Coalworks, Tipton, Staffordshire in 1712. For many years the approximate site of this engine was not clear but papers have confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that this was at Tipton at Coneygree Colliery and was overlooked by the Dudley Castle itself. Apparently conflicting evidence, which was not contemporary, suggested a site in or near to Wolverhampton and perhaps on the Wolverhampton to Walsall Road. With the lack of other evidence and the identification of the Tipton site for the 1712 engine the possibility of a very early engine at or near to Wolverhampton has latterly been neglected. Very recently an account book has been re-discovered of a colliery at Bilston, on the edge of Wolverhampton, at which a Newcomen Engine was at work by perhaps September or certainly by December 1714. This account book is by Edward Short and has been preserved by a descendant to whom we are greatly indebted for his permission to transcribe and quote.5 A factor which makes this colliery account unique is that it has Newcomen’s signature and also those of others known to have been associated with him, and who operated on his behalf. Of the now six early engines with which Newcomen was involved this is the first direct evidence that Newcomen visited the sites although there could be little doubt that generally he did. The date of this engine makes it but the third or fourth positively identified and follows the first Newcomen engine at Griff in Warwickshire and/or the engine at Hawarden in Flintshire. The account book contains the work of Edward Short, Thomas Newcomen, John Dunsford and Charles Trengrove. This paper will examine the evidence from the accounts and consider the relevance of the other earlier evidence referred above. It will attempt to locate the likely site of the engine.