Stephenson, Robert

Stephenson, Robert (1803-59), engineer, b. Willington Quay, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Robert was the son of George Stephenson.

He studied at Edinburgh University and afterwards went to Colombia, South America as a mining engineer.

He returned to England in 1827 and helped his father to build the Rocket (first trully successful passenger steam train), and then himself built the London to Birmingham railway.

Afterwards he built railways in Canada, Egypt. Germany, India and Switzerland.

He built many long bridges too. The most famous are over the River Tyne at Newcastle and over the St. Lawrence at Montreal, Canada.

From 1847-59, Robert Stephenson was a Member of Parliament and he is buried in Westminster Abbey.

See Stephenson Power: The Story of George and Robert Stephenson ~ Ken Smith