John Curr (c. 1756 – 27 January 1823) was the manager or viewer of the Duke of Norfolk's collieries in Sheffield, England from 1781 to 1801. During this time he made a number of innovations that contributed significantly to the development of the coal mining industry and railways.[1]
Curr was born in County Durham, England in around 1756.[2] He was raised and remained a Catholic throughout his life. He moved to Sheffield some time before 1776. In 1780 he was appointed superintendent of the Duke of Norfolk's Sheffield collieries.[2] He married Hannah Wilson (18 May 1759 – 10 June 1851[3]) in about 1785, and they had eight children, including Joseph Curr, a Catholic priest, and Edward Curr, who was Secretary of the Van Diemen's Land Company from 1824 to 1841. He died in Sheffield on 27 January 1823.[4]
Career
The career of John Curr has been subject to significant dispute, due to inaccurate statements by early authors about him and misinterpretation.[5] Older works (such as (or those quoting them) often give the date of his colliery inventions as 1776.[6] Curr probably came to Sheffield in 1778. That August, shortly before the expiry of the lease of Sheffield colliery (in Sheffield Park), he wrote a report on it for the Duke of Norfolk.[7] Contrary to statements by his son, he was probably not there in 1774, when there were riots against the colliery lessees, who insisted on selling coal only at a yard in Sheffield.[8] From Michaelmas 1779, he became superintendent of the Duke's Coal Works.[9]
In 1787, John Buddle, senior reported on the transport system introduced by Curr. He reported Curr's method using L-shaped cast iron plates cost 6¼d per waggon, whereas the old method cost 10½d per waggon, a saving of 3¾d. He also referred to Mr Curr's method of 'drawing 2 corves abreast up a shaft 8½ to 9-foot diameter by means of steadying conductors'.[10] Curr substituted small four-wheeled carriages for the sledges that had previously been used to transport coal underground,[11] but this meant that underground haulage by boys, rather than ponies.[12] The corf wheels and 'roadplates' came from Binks, Booth, and Hartop's nearby Park Ironworks.[13]
The use of these rails was subsequently promoted by Benjamin Outram and adopted at many other English mines,[2] quarries and ironworks. In south Wales, railways using his system were known as tramroads (or dramroads). Today, the term plateway is sometimes applied to them.
Patents
Year
Number
Subject
1788
1660
For raising coals out of mines using "conductors" with tiplers at the surface
1792
1924
For using double ropes
1798
1924
For using flat ropes wound in coils on the winding drum[14]
3711|Applying flat ropes to horse-gins
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2012)
Publications
Curr, John (1797). The Coal Viewer, and Engine Builder's Practical Companion. Sheffield: John Northall. OCLC 637327681.
^Miscellanea IV. Catholic Record Society. 1907. p. 366.
^"Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". The Bury and Norwich Post. 5 February 1823.
^The historiography of the subject is dealt with at Mott 1969, pp. 15–17 20–23 and Lewis 1970, pp. 316–9 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFLewis1970 (help).
^Lewis 1970, p. 319 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFLewis1970 (help)
^Lewis 1970, p. 318 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFLewis1970 (help) Identification of ironworks from C. Ball et al., Water Power on Sheffield Rivers (2nd edn, South Yorkshire Industrial History Society, Sheffield, 2006), 192
Ashton, Thomas Southcliffe; Sykes, Joseph (1929). The Coal Industry of the Eighteenth Century. Manchester: Manchester University Press. OCLC 3634819.
Day, Lance; McNeil, Ian (1996). Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. London: Routledge. ISBN0-415-06042-7.
Galloway, Robert Lindsay (1898). Annals of Coal Mining and the Coal Trade: The invention of the steam engine and the origin of the railway. London: The Colliery Guardian Company, Limited.
Mott, R.A. (1969–70). Tramroads of the eighteenth century and their originator: John Curr. Transactions of the Newcomen Society. Vol. XLII. pp. 1–23.
Medlicott, Ian R. (1983). "John Curr and the Development of the Sheffield Collieries, 1781–1805". Transactions of the Hunter Archaeological Society. 12: 51.
Alexander Lock, Catholicism, Identity and Politics in the Age of Enlightenment: The Life and Career of Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 1745–1810 (Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 2016), ch. 5
Alexander Lock, ‘Curr, John (1756–1823)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2015)
March 20, 2023
john, curr, 1756, january, 1823, manager, viewer, duke, norfolk, collieries, sheffield, england, from, 1781, 1801, during, this, time, made, number, innovations, that, contributed, significantly, development, coal, mining, industry, railways, contents, persona. John Curr c 1756 27 January 1823 was the manager or viewer of the Duke of Norfolk s collieries in Sheffield England from 1781 to 1801 During this time he made a number of innovations that contributed significantly to the development of the coal mining industry and railways 1 Contents 1 Personal life 2 Career 3 Patents 4 Publications 5 See also 6 References and notesPersonal life EditCurr was born in County Durham England in around 1756 2 He was raised and remained a Catholic throughout his life He moved to Sheffield some time before 1776 In 1780 he was appointed superintendent of the Duke of Norfolk s Sheffield collieries 2 He married Hannah Wilson 18 May 1759 10 June 1851 3 in about 1785 and they had eight children including Joseph Curr a Catholic priest and Edward Curr who was Secretary of the Van Diemen s Land Company from 1824 to 1841 He died in Sheffield on 27 January 1823 4 Career EditThe career of John Curr has been subject to significant dispute due to inaccurate statements by early authors about him and misinterpretation 5 Older works such as or those quoting them often give the date of his colliery inventions as 1776 6 Curr probably came to Sheffield in 1778 That August shortly before the expiry of the lease of Sheffield colliery in Sheffield Park he wrote a report on it for the Duke of Norfolk 7 Contrary to statements by his son he was probably not there in 1774 when there were riots against the colliery lessees who insisted on selling coal only at a yard in Sheffield 8 From Michaelmas 1779 he became superintendent of the Duke s Coal Works 9 In 1787 John Buddle senior reported on the transport system introduced by Curr He reported Curr s method using L shaped cast iron plates cost 6 d per waggon whereas the old method cost 10 d per waggon a saving of 3 d He also referred to Mr Curr s method of drawing 2 corves abreast up a shaft 8 to 9 foot diameter by means of steadying conductors 10 Curr substituted small four wheeled carriages for the sledges that had previously been used to transport coal underground 11 but this meant that underground haulage by boys rather than ponies 12 The corf wheels and roadplates came from Binks Booth and Hartop s nearby Park Ironworks 13 The use of these rails was subsequently promoted by Benjamin Outram and adopted at many other English mines 2 quarries and ironworks In south Wales railways using his system were known as tramroads or dramroads Today the term plateway is sometimes applied to them Patents EditYear Number Subject1788 1660 For raising coals out of mines using conductors with tiplers at the surface1792 1924 For using double ropes1798 1924 For using flat ropes wound in coils on the winding drum 14 3711 Applying flat ropes to horse ginsThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items January 2012 Publications EditCurr John 1797 The Coal Viewer and Engine Builder s Practical Companion Sheffield John Northall OCLC 637327681 See also EditEdward Micklethwaite Curr John Curr s grandsonReferences and notes EditReferences Alexander Lock Curr John 1756 1823 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford Oxford University Press September 2015 a b c Day amp McNeil 1996 p 184 Miscellanea IV Catholic Record Society 1907 p 366 Births Deaths Marriages and Obituaries The Bury and Norwich Post 5 February 1823 The historiography of the subject is dealt with at Mott 1969 pp 15 17 20 23 and Lewis 1970 pp 316 9harvnb error no target CITEREFLewis1970 help Galloway 1898 pp 322 4 Mott 1969 pp 3 citing Sheffield Archives ACM S217 Universal Magazine 2 December 1774 reprinted Mott 1969 pp 16 Mott 1969 p 4 Mott 1969 pp 5 citing Sheffield Archives ACMS223 Galloway 1898 p 322 Lewis 1970 p 319harvnb error no target CITEREFLewis1970 help Lewis 1970 p 318harvnb error no target CITEREFLewis1970 help Identification of ironworks from C Ball et al Water Power on Sheffield Rivers 2nd edn South Yorkshire Industrial History Society Sheffield 2006 192 Mott 6 SourcesAshton Thomas Southcliffe Sykes Joseph 1929 The Coal Industry of the Eighteenth Century Manchester Manchester University Press OCLC 3634819 Day Lance McNeil Ian 1996 Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology London Routledge ISBN 0 415 06042 7 Galloway Robert Lindsay 1898 Annals of Coal Mining and the Coal Trade The invention of the steam engine and the origin of the railway London The Colliery Guardian Company Limited Mott R A 1969 70 Tramroads of the eighteenth century and their originator John Curr Transactions of the Newcomen Society Vol XLII pp 1 23 Medlicott Ian R 1983 John Curr and the Development of the Sheffield Collieries 1781 1805 Transactions of the Hunter Archaeological Society 12 51 Alexander Lock Catholicism Identity and Politics in the Age of Enlightenment The Life and Career of Sir Thomas Gascoigne 1745 1810 Woodbridge Boydell and Brewer 2016 ch 5 Alexander Lock Curr John 1756 1823 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford Oxford University Press September 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Curr amp oldid 1017642770, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
