Thomas Edmondson
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edmondson is the inventor of the
Edmondson railway ticket
.
He was a member of the Religious Society of Friends
and originally worked in the Lancaster cabinet making
business of Gillow.
While working as a station master on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
he
devised the idea of a new type of railway ticket: a small piece of cardboard,
pre-printed with journey details (as opposed to the then current hand-written
paper bill). The tickets would be numbered by hand, and validated by a
separate date-stamping press when purchased. He also invented and built a
foot-operated version of the latter device.
When the Manchester and Leeds Railway
opened in 1839 Edmondson became
the company's chief booking clerk at Manchester.
The invention which made Edmondson's fortune was his final development: a
machine which would print tickets in batches complete with the serial numbers.
He patented this machine, and was able to charge a royalty to railway
companies amounting to ten shilling
s per annum per mile of the company's
routes.
His machines and their improved successors quickly became the standard for
British and other railways. He died a wealthy man; members of his family carried
on the business for many years afterwards.
Edmondson railway ticket
Edmondson railway ticket
The Edmondson railway ticket was a system for validating the payment of railway fares, and accounting for the revenue raised, introduced in the 1840s. It is named after its inventor, Thomas Edmondson, a trained cabinet maker, who became a station master on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway in...
.
He was a member of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
and originally worked in the Lancaster cabinet making
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
business of Gillow.
While working as a station master on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, occasionally referred to as the Tyne Valley Line, is a railway line in northern England. The line was built in the 1830s, and links the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear with in Cumbria. Formal opening took place on 18 June 1838.The line follows the...
he
devised the idea of a new type of railway ticket: a small piece of cardboard,
pre-printed with journey details (as opposed to the then current hand-written
paper bill). The tickets would be numbered by hand, and validated by a
separate date-stamping press when purchased. He also invented and built a
foot-operated version of the latter device.
When the Manchester and Leeds Railway
Manchester and Leeds Railway
The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting Manchester with Leeds via the North Midland Railway which it joined at Normanton....
opened in 1839 Edmondson became
the company's chief booking clerk at Manchester.
The invention which made Edmondson's fortune was his final development: a
machine which would print tickets in batches complete with the serial numbers.
He patented this machine, and was able to charge a royalty to railway
companies amounting to ten shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s per annum per mile of the company's
routes.
His machines and their improved successors quickly became the standard for
British and other railways. He died a wealthy man; members of his family carried
on the business for many years afterwards.
See also
- Birthplace of Thomas Edmondson, corner of Moor Lane, Lancaster