Richard Hornsby
Encyclopedia
Richard Hornsby was born in Elsham in Lincolnshire
on June 4, 1790. He lived with a farming family, the son of William Hornsby and his wife Sarah.
(North Lincolnshire
). He came to Grantham in 1810 looking for work. He approached Richard Seaman, the village blacksmith of Barrowby
. When working in Barrowby, he had the idea to put a set of wheels on an adjustable harrow
. Seeing this inventiveness, Seaman offered him a partnership in his company. Seaman & Hornsby was started with business partner and blacksmith, Richard Seaman, a fellow methodist. The firm became Richard Hornsby & Sons
in 1828, when Seaman retired. The company made plough
s and seed drill
s. By 1840, the company made steam engine
s, which were used for traction engine
s in the 1850s. These were used for harvesting crops.
He died on January 6, 1864. His wife, Mary, died on October 15, 1866, aged 66. At the time of his death he had eight grand children. Two of his great-grand children would go to Eton
. Although there is no monument to Richard Hornsby, one of his great-grandsons, Richard William Hornsby, is listed on the war memorial in Barrowby, after being killed in the First World War in Greece. His family were quite wealthy owning 421 acres (1.7 km²) of land, as the Hornsby company was a world leader in engine manufacture, until 1918.
His firm went on to invent the caterpillar track
in 1905, which revolutionized land warfare, and built the first working (experimental) diesel engine in 1892.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
on June 4, 1790. He lived with a farming family, the son of William Hornsby and his wife Sarah.
The formation of his company
He started his apprenticeship for Havercroft Wheelwright in BarnetbyBarnetby
Barnetby is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England, between Scunthorpe and Grimsby. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,593. Barnetby railway station serves the village and surrounding area...
(North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
). He came to Grantham in 1810 looking for work. He approached Richard Seaman, the village blacksmith of Barrowby
Barrowby
Barrowby is a large village and Civil Parish lying just to the west of Grantham, in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, separated from that town by the main A1 road...
. When working in Barrowby, he had the idea to put a set of wheels on an adjustable harrow
Harrow (tool)
In agriculture, a harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations...
. Seeing this inventiveness, Seaman offered him a partnership in his company. Seaman & Hornsby was started with business partner and blacksmith, Richard Seaman, a fellow methodist. The firm became Richard Hornsby & Sons
Richard Hornsby & Sons
Richard Hornsby & Sons was an engine and machinery manufacturer in Lincolnshire, England from 1828 until 1918. The company was a pioneer in the manufacture of the oil engine developed by Herbert Akroyd Stuart and marketed under the Hornsby-Akroyd name. The company developed an early track system...
in 1828, when Seaman retired. The company made plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s and seed drill
Seed drill
A seed drill is a sowing device that precisely positions seeds in the soil and then covers them. Before the introduction of the seed drill, the common practice was to plant seeds by hand. Besides being wasteful, planting was very imprecise and led to a poor distribution of seeds, leading to low...
s. By 1840, the company made steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s, which were used for traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
s in the 1850s. These were used for harvesting crops.
His family
Five of his children were Richard (born 1827), Louisa, James (born 1836), Helen Mary Anne and William (born 1838).He died on January 6, 1864. His wife, Mary, died on October 15, 1866, aged 66. At the time of his death he had eight grand children. Two of his great-grand children would go to Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. Although there is no monument to Richard Hornsby, one of his great-grandsons, Richard William Hornsby, is listed on the war memorial in Barrowby, after being killed in the First World War in Greece. His family were quite wealthy owning 421 acres (1.7 km²) of land, as the Hornsby company was a world leader in engine manufacture, until 1918.
His firm went on to invent the caterpillar track
Caterpillar track
Continuous tracks or caterpillar tracks are a system of vehicle propulsion in which modular metal plates linked into a continuous band are driven by two or more wheels...
in 1905, which revolutionized land warfare, and built the first working (experimental) diesel engine in 1892.