Richard Trevethick

When one considers the many technological achievements of mankind, few people can match those of Richard Trevethick (See Appendix 1). He was a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution and undoubtedly one of the greatest engineers to have ever lived. The range and magnitude of his inventive genius is truly astounding, and yet few outside Cornwall are aware of the immense contribution he made to the development of the modern world (See Appendix 2). Born on April 13, 1771 in …

…engine as powerful as the contemporary leviathans of Newcomen or Boulton and Watt. It was this engine and developments of it, which powered the Industrial Revolution during the nineteenth century, both on land and at seam, and its importance should never be underestimated. Richard Trevethick was a genius in the field of mechanical engineering whose inventions proved to be of immense importance in helping shape the development of the industrialised world during the 19th century.