William Hamond Bartholomew
Encyclopedia
William Hamond Bartholomew (30 Jan 1831-19 Nov 1919) was an engineer in West Yorkshire, England who was responsible for the expansion of the Aire and Calder Navigation
in the 19th century and invented a number of improvements in coal-handling which led to the expansion of Goole
as one of the largest exporters of coal in the country.
and was appointed as engineer of the company at the age of 22, on the death of his father at a period when the company was generating up to 150% dividends to its shareholders.
At the age of 29 he married Maria Wilson with whom he had two daughters and a son.
As early as 1852 he proposed that steam boats be introduced on the navigation as cargo-carrying tugs and in 1857 he introduced the first two such tugs.
In the 1860s he proposed and supervised the expansion of the ship lock at Goole and patented a scheme for compartment boats commonly known as Tom Pudding
s. This improved the efficiency of carrying coal from the coalfields at Knottingley
, eventually allowing 4 men to control 800 tons of cargo. By 1913 there were over 1,000 of these boats in use transporting 1.5m tons of coal annually. He constructed mechanical hoists at Goole so that the contents of the boats could be transferred to ships mechanically, one of the first such transhipment schemes in the world.
In the 1880s he carried out the Ouse
improvement project, training the banks between Goole and Trent Falls
with thousands of tons of stone. The Victoria entrance to Goole docks was opened to take boats up to 500 feet (152.4 m) long.
One of his last functions was to direct the construction of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire
New Junction Canal
between 1896 and 1905.
Aire and Calder Navigation
The Aire and Calder Navigation is a river and canal system of the River Aire and the River Calder in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. The first improvements to the rivers above Knottingley were completed in 1704 when the Aire was made navigable to Leeds and the Calder to...
in the 19th century and invented a number of improvements in coal-handling which led to the expansion of Goole
Goole
Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately inland on the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
as one of the largest exporters of coal in the country.
Early life
His father, Thomas Hamond Bartholomew, was the chief engineer of the Aire and Calder Navigation, which was the transport hub of the expanding Yorkshire industry based on Leeds, Sheffield and the Yorkshire coalfields, from 1825 to 1853. William was born at Lake Lock, Stanley, West YorkshireStanley, West Yorkshire
Stanley is an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is about north-east of Wakefield city centre.Stanley was an Urban District in the West Riding of Yorkshire prior to 1974, being made up the four electoral wards of Lake Lock, Outwood, Stanley and Wrenthorpe...
and was appointed as engineer of the company at the age of 22, on the death of his father at a period when the company was generating up to 150% dividends to its shareholders.
At the age of 29 he married Maria Wilson with whom he had two daughters and a son.
Canal Engineer and Inventor
During his time as engineer he oversaw the rebuilding of the navigation with all the locks being lengthened to cope with increased tonnages, an unusual event in British canal history, and paving the way for future increases in the 20th century.As early as 1852 he proposed that steam boats be introduced on the navigation as cargo-carrying tugs and in 1857 he introduced the first two such tugs.
In the 1860s he proposed and supervised the expansion of the ship lock at Goole and patented a scheme for compartment boats commonly known as Tom Pudding
Tom Pudding
Tom Pudding was the name given to the tub boats on the Aire and Calder Navigation, introduced in 1863 and used until 1985, which were a very efficient means of transferring and transporting coal from the open cast collieries of the South Yorkshire Coalfield near Stanley Ferry to the port of Goole,...
s. This improved the efficiency of carrying coal from the coalfields at Knottingley
Knottingley
Knottingley is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the A1 road. It has a population of 13,503....
, eventually allowing 4 men to control 800 tons of cargo. By 1913 there were over 1,000 of these boats in use transporting 1.5m tons of coal annually. He constructed mechanical hoists at Goole so that the contents of the boats could be transferred to ships mechanically, one of the first such transhipment schemes in the world.
In the 1880s he carried out the Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
improvement project, training the banks between Goole and Trent Falls
Trent Falls
Trent Falls is the name of the confluence of the River Ouse and the River Trent which forms the Humber in Yorkshire, England.Despite a training wall and a mini-lighthouse called 'Apex Light', navigation at Trent Falls is not simple...
with thousands of tons of stone. The Victoria entrance to Goole docks was opened to take boats up to 500 feet (152.4 m) long.
One of his last functions was to direct the construction of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire
Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation
The Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation is a system of navigable inland waterways in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, England....
New Junction Canal
New Junction Canal
The New Junction Canal is a canal in South Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation , although it was jointly funded by the Aire and Calder Navigation, and was opened in 1905. It links the River Don Navigation and the Stainforth and Keadby Canal with the Aire...
between 1896 and 1905.