George Stephenson

"George Stephenson, known as ‘The Father of the Railways’, was born in Wylam, on the banks of the River Tyne, in 1761.

He had no formal education and only learnt to read at the age of nineteen. He was a gifted young man, and it was he who invented the first successful steam engine, ‘The Rocket.’

The highlight of his brilliant career was when the nearby Darlington to Stockton Railway was opened in 1825, a train of eleven wagons, Stephenson driving the locomotive himself.

In 1824, George and his son Robert formed a successful business in Newcastle constructing locomotives and other engineering works. Apart from working with his father on locomotives, Robert was renowned for his work in civil engineering and was responsible for the construction of many famous bridges. He died in 1859."

http://www.borderreivers.co.uk/Border%20Families/Surnames/Stevenson.htm

George Stephenson was a gifted young man who didn't learn to read until he was 19 years old.

Imagine that going unnoticed in a home educating family these days.

And yet the guy was brilliant. He invented the first successful steam engine. Then he and his son formed and ran a successful engineering business in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Good old George (and Robert, of course).