The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

CHAP, xvm.] OPPOSITION TO THE SURVEY. 201
The survey was proceeded with, in the face of great oppo-
sition on the part of the proprietors of the lands through which
the railway was intended to pass. The prejudices of the farm-
ing and labouring classes were strongly excited against the per-
sons employed upon the ground, and it was with the greatest
diflSculty that the levels could be taken. This opposition was
especially manifested when the attempt was made to survey the
line through the property of Lord Derby and that of Lord
Sefton, and also where it crossed the Duke of Bridgewater's
canal. At Knowsley, Mr. Stephenson was driven off the ground
by the keepers, and threatened with rough handling if found
there again. Lord Derby's farmers also turned out their men
to watch the surveying party, and prevent them entering upon
any lands where they had the power of driving them off. Afterwards,
Mr. Stephenson suddenly and unexpectedly went upon
the ground with a body of surveyors and their assistants who
outnumbered Lord Derby's keepers and farmers, hastily collected
to resist them ; and this time they were only threatened with
the legal consequences of their trespass. The engineer's ex-
cuse for taking so many people with him was, that he " did not
like the instruments to be broken, as they had cost a great deal of
money ;
" and his reason for making the survey in spite of Lord
Derby's refusal to permit him to enter on his lands was, that he
" had received the orders of the committee to make the survey."*
The same sort of resistance was offered by Lord Sefton's keepers
and farm-labourers, so that only a very imperfect survey could
be made of the line where it passed through those two noble-
men's domains. The obstructions placed in the way by these
means, prevented borings being made of the soil at Kiiowsley
Moss, which was afterwards made a ground of objection to Mr.
Stephenson's estimates when the bill came before Parliament.
Great indignation was also expressed at the forcible entries made
by his survej'ors on the lands along the projected line, by which
the strawberry beds of gardeners had been damaged and the
corn fields of widows had been trampled under foot. Li all such
instances of even alleged damage, Mr. Stephenson paid com-
* Evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons on the Liver-
pool and Manchester Railroad Bill. Session 1825, pp. 272, 273.
9 *