John Buddle (September 15, 1773 – October 10, 1843) was a self-made mining engineer in North East England, becoming one of the leading mining engineers of his day. He was an entrepeneur who had a huge influence on the development of the Northern Coalfield in the first half of the 19th Century, contributing major safety investments to mining coalfield, such as the introduction of the Davy Lamp, and the keeping of records of ventilation and the prevention of flooding. He was also incredibly interested in ships, personally owning three of them, and even built Seaham Harbour, establishing an important trade dock in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was chairman of the company that built the Tyne Dock at South Shields, and was also involved in the creation of two harbours and the development of a tunnel.
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Born on September 15th 1773 at West Kyo, near Stanley, County Durham, Buddle was the only son and the fourth of six children born to John Buddle (Senior) and Mary Reay. John Buddle Senior was a mathematician who worked at a local school before pursuing a career in the mining industry, being responsible for his son's wide education, particularly in maths and science. [1] One of his earliest notebooks resides in the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, containing notes on a wide range of scientific and geographical topics. [2] Buddle's Father also gave him a very practical education in mining, even as early, John Buddle commented as "six years old". At the age of 19, John Buddle became the underviewer to his Father, and in 1801 he was appointed viewer of Benwell Colliery, soon buying a thirteenth share in the colliery worth £2,700, beginning his role as a Director with a salary of £100 a year. [3]
John Buddle followed his father into the profession of colliery viewer, a calling which he helped to develop towards the modern concept of a mining engineer.[4] He succeeded his father as manager at Wallsend Colliery[5] in 1806, though his work was not limited to just the local colliery. Buddle soon helped introduce the safety lamp invented by Humphry Davy there, and was a member of the Sunderland Society, set up to investigate colliery safety,[6] and in this connection made scientific investigations into mine ventilation and advocated the keeping of proper records. The most important appointment, however, came when Buddle was appointed as General Manager to Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry. Londonderry had married an incredibly wealthy heiress, said to be the wealthiest woman in Britain, Lady Frances Anee Vane Tempest, and thus came to run her Durham collieries .[7] .Together, Londonderry and Buddle embarked on a project to develop a Port at Seaham, intending to bypass the Tyne and Wear monopolies. The building of the port began in 1828, and would not be finished until fifteen years later, in which the first shipment of coal was sent out on Buddle's personal ship, Lord Seaham. He even saw through much of the development of the town, his influence being so great that, when his sister Ann died, the ships dressed in black and the shops closed as a matter of respect. He also represented the Marquess on the committee of coalowners who regulated the North East coal trade with London.[8][9][10] Although he was mostly active in the Great North Coalfield, the records show Buddle took on work all over Britain, including matters in Portugal, South America, Russia and Novia Scotia. Two of his latest colliery appointments were in 1837 when he became the owner of West Towneley Colliery and also the viewer to the Bishop of Durham- a post previously held by his Father.
In collaboration with William Chapman, Buddle is also considered to have designed the pioneering locomotive Steam Elephant for Wallsend Colliery[11] and an eight-wheeled geared engine for the Lambton Waggonway.[12]
Buddle was a coalowner in his own right as well as a viewer and practical manager for many pits in the region of the rivers Tyne and Wear, and his advice was sought on both mining and railways from as far afield as Nova Scotia,[13][14]
Buddle was an active member of Newcastle society, and held numerous positions in his lifetime. In 1838, he was elected vice-president of the prestigous Literary and Philosophical Society and also became vice- president of the North of England Fine Arts Society. In 1842 he was appointed as Steward for Northumberland at the Newcastle Infirmary, a position which allowed him to appoint physicians to the hospital, and, due to his interest in theatre, he was Chairman of the committee for the new theatre in the 1830s, and he personally designed the heating system for the Theatre Royal. Throughout his life, Buddle donated money to numerous causes, including one to relieve the poverty of seamen employed in the Northern Whale Fishery, the benefit off widows and orphans of mining disasters, and the erection of Penshaw monument in memory of his friend John George Lambton, first Earl of Durham.
A Unitarian, Buddle died unmarried at his home in Wallsend in 1843, after becoming ill after riding with Lord Londonderry to inspect the collieries. He left a personal fortune of around £150,000 to his nephew, Robert Thomas Atkinson, who died less than two years later.[15][16] They are both buried at St James' Churchyard, Benwll, along with Robert's Aunt. When Buddle died, his funeral procession was over a mile long and took over three hours to travel from his home in Wallsend to his resting place in Benwell. The number of mourners was so great that, according to one contemporary newspaper report, "so large a concourse of people was perhaps never before assembled in Newcastle on such a mournful occasion". The long list of pall bearers and principal mourners included many of the most rich and powerful men in Newcastle, such as local councillor and wealthy corn merchant William Armstrong and his son, also William, who was just a few years away from setting up his great engineering works on the banks of the Tyne in Elswick.
This article is based upon the help of "The King of the Coal Trade"- John Buddle, Local People: Local Heroes- St James' Heritage and Environment Group Local History Series No 1.