Technological Trendsetter
Lord William Armstrong
Although initially trained as a solicitor, William George Armstrong also had strong interests in the fields of science and engineering and was quite an enterprising industrialist.
Born in Shieldfield, Newcastle in 1810, the young William Armstrong initially trained as a solicitor and became a partner in a legal practice. Armstrong inherited some of his father's interests, particularly in the areas of science and engineering and it wasn't long before he began pursuing these interests.
In 1842 he constructed a hydro-electric generator using knowledge he gained following an accidental discharge of static electric from a colliery boiler. In 1846 his interests began to move more into hydraulics and after persuading some wealthy Newcastle men to back his development of hydraulic cranes, he gave up legal prcatice altogether to set up Newcastle Cranage in Elswick in 1847. Following the Crimean War in the 1850s he became increasingly involved in armament manufacture and many of his weapons were desired by armies and navies worldwide.
From 1863 he became less involved in the running of his company in order to pursue other interests, mainly landscape gardening. Initially his gardening interests were carried out at his home in Jesmond Dene. In fact he owned most of Jesmond Dene until he donated it to the city of Newcastle in 1883.
His final years were spent at Cragside House near Rothbury. As well as beautiful landscape gardens this was the first house to be lit using hydroelectric power, using lightbulbs made by Joseph Swan. The property also had many other technological advances such as flushing toilets and many other gadgets.
Submitted by: Vicky Harper, 26 August 2005
