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An in-person only event. No need to sign up, just come along – all are welcome.

The last Georgian monarch was William IV, who reigned from 1765 to 1837, and during his sovereignty witnessed an astounding change in the industrial landscape. A vast rise in activity increased the demand for men who could design machines and work iron, resulting by 1800 in the start of the ‘Age of the Mechanist’.

Henry Maudslay was one of the most significant of the early engineers and, by the time he died in 1831, had built a substantial business. Although many company records were destroyed in 1900, it is possible to recreate an image of Maudslay’s enterprise at the time of his death. Using an examination of a marine side lever engine built for the Admiralty, one of the last products that he would have been involved with, together with other remaining records, the presentation will illustrate his personal business achievement – a truly Georgian enterprise.

About the Speaker

Ian Hoose, after gaining an engineering degree at the University of Leeds, followed a varied career path in what are best described as energy intensive industries. After starting work in the special steel industry, employment in energy conservation consultancy, refractory manufacturing and thermal process plant design and contracting followed, together with obtaining an MBA at the University of Bradford.

His interest in industrial history, shortly before retiring, has led to independent researching of various subjects, particularly those associated with marine steam engines, including the use of animated 3D CAD to illustrate their design and manufacture.