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Senate House Library, University of London

Rastrick, John Urpeth: London Bridge


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0096 MS158

Held at: Senate House Library, University of London

Title: Rastrick, John Urpeth: London Bridge

Date(s): 1823

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 78 pages

Name of creator(s): Rastrick | John Urpeth | 1780-1856 | civil engineer

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

John Urpeth Rastrick was born at Morpeth in Northumberland on 26 January 1780, the son of John Rastrick, an engineer to whom he became articled in 1795. In about 1801, he was working at the Ketley Iron Works in Shropshire and, in or after 1805, he joined in partnership with John Hazledine (soon succeeded by Robert Hazledine) of Bridgenorth, Shropshire. During this time, Rastrick assisted in the construction of the locomotive 'Catch me who Can' for Richard Trevithick in 1808, and in 1814, he took out a patent for a steam engine and soon started experimenting with steam traction on railways. His first major work was the cast iron road bridge over the Wye at Chepstow (1815-1816). In 1817 Rastrick left that partnership, to join with James Foster, in about 1819, at the iron works which then became known as Foster, Rastrick and Co., at Stourbridge, Worcestershire. His association with railway engineering began in 1822 when he became an engineer for the Stratford and Moreton Railway. Rastrick became an active supporter of railway proposals put before Parliament, an adviser to railway companies, and a designer and builder of locomotives - the 'Agenoria' and 'Stourbridge Lion' for example. He acted as surveyor or engineer to parts of a large number of lines, among them the Liverpool and Manchester (1829 onwards), the Manchester and Cheshire Junction (1835 onwards), and the series of lines later known as the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (1836 onwards). About 1847, he retired from engineering work, although he continued to occupy himself with railway business, and was active in a number of arbitrations concerning railway disputes. He retired to Sayes Court, Chertsey, Surrey and died on 1 November 1856.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

'Specification for rebuilding London Bridge to the design of the late John Rennie, Esq'. Dated at the Guildhall, 5 Dec 1823. Belonged to John Urpeth Rastrick but may not have been created by him.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Open for research. 24 hours notice should be given before a research visit.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

T D Rogers, The Rastrick Papers, University of London Library (1968), no 658.

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Imported from the Senate House catalogue and edited by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions: General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Feb 2009.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Bridge engineering | Civil engineering | Construction engineering

Personal names
Rastrick | John Urpeth | 1780-1856 | civil engineer

Corporate names

Places