Robert Mushet

Robert Mushet was born in 1812 at Coleford, the son of David Mushet and his wife Agnes. He was baptised on 23 July 1812 at Newland parish church.

David Mushet, a Scot, came to Coleford in 1810 to run the Whitecliff Furnace but very shortly decided to build his own Iron Works on the edge of Coleford at Gorsty Knoll. His Iron Works were referred to as Dark Hill Iron Works (a misnomer as Dark Hill is on the other side of the road). There was also a Brick Works. David Mushet is buried at Staunton Churchyard, just over 2 miles from Coleford, together with his wife and daughters - Henrietta (Roberts) and Agnes (Jarrett). His son Robert Forester Mushet, born in Coleford in 1811, was also a metallurgist and perfected the Bessemer process for making steel in 1856/7. The first steel rail was forged at Ebbw Vale from his metal and placed in Derby Station in 1857. He also invented high-speed self-hardening steel in 1868, though because of lack of funding and ill health he lost his patents. Robert's daughter Lisowna Mary visited Bessemer and persuaded him to pay off her father's debts. Robert, his wife Mary Ann (nee Thomas of St Briavels) and their daughter Lisowna Mary are all buried at Cheltenham Cemetery. His sons Edward Maxwell Thomas and Henry Charles Brooklyn both moved to Sheffield to work with the Osborn family in developing their father's invention. A chairman of the company, Frederick Marmaduke Osborn, wrote the story of the Mushets as known to him personally in 1950 and his book was published posthumously by his brother Samuel Osborn in 1952. The achievements of both David and Robert Mushet are acknowledged locally with a road and the local industrial estate being named after them, but outside the Forest of Dean very little is known of their considerable achievements. . Left: Forest House, Coleford. The home of the Mushet family. [ also see "In Mushet's Footsteps" - a Coleford town walk ]

ROBERT FORESTER MUSHET (1811-1891)
By Keith Thomas

The end of the Iron Age and the beginning of the Steel Age.

Born in Coleford, Gloucestershire. The eldest son of David Mushet an iron experimenter, and one of the first true metallurgical chemists.

Robert had been taught the principles and processes of iron making by his father in his iron works at Darkhill, and also at his fathers experimental works house in a stone shed near their house in Coleford. This small barn sized stone shed was reserved for secret experiments and was equipped with a blowing engine and a furnace for melting. After the death of his father in1847 and the closure of Darkhill Iron works, Robert set up his own works 'R Mushet & Co.' the principle equipment of this works consisted of a multi-hole crucible furnace and a pair of wooden tilt hammers. In these works Robert Mushet concentrated on making crucible cast steel into ingots for converting into tools of various kinds for engineering works mines and quarries.

Right: Robert Mushet's Shed, on what is now the corner of Mushet Close, Coleford

In 1848 an incident occurred in Robert's life which had profound results not only in his trade, but also to the world at large.

Mr Henry Burgess editor of 'The Bankers Circular' brought him a lump of white crystallised metal that he had obtained from the Queens envoy. He said it was found in Rhenish Prussia where he was told a mountain of it existed. Robert decided to melt the sample in the furnace then cast into small cakes. When cold these were broken up and showed large beautiful bright facets and crystals. It was called from its brightness 'Spiegel Eisen', (looking glass iron). He analysed the sample (iron-86.25% Manganes-8.5% Carbon-5.25%). From his experience in Metallurgy, he knew that this metal was of the utmost importance in steel making and immediately took a bold step and ordered 12 Tons of this Ore.

Right: Whitecliff Furnace

At this time, the main process for the production of iron was by pudding - 'wrought iron', which could easily become worthless as 'Burnt Iron'. Mushet experimented by alloying some of this burnt iron with Spiegel and found he could restore its original quality and improve it. Knowing the powerful affinity of manganese for oxygen, his metallic manganese brought about the required elimination of this occluded (trapped) oxygen into the slag as an oxide of manganese.

Realising the enormous value of his discovery he continued with his experiments to master the facts concerning spiegeleisen when alloyed in various ways.

In 1856 Henry Bessemer read his celebrated paper on the manufacture of steel and iron before the British Association at Cheltenham.

Bessemer was an inventor and should be rightly credited with the final design of the Bessemer converter. He was unfortunately ignorant of the true importance of the metallurgical and chemical processes of steel making. He had originally experimented and gained success by unknowingly using Bleanavon iron ore having the rare properties of being phosphorous free.

After Bessemer's presentation Mushet was given by Thomas Brown of the Ebbw Vale Iron Company, a piece of iron that had been decarbonised by Bessemer's process.

Mushet studied Bessemer's paper and recognised the product Bessemer had obtained was in effect 'burnt iron'.

At the request of Robert Mushet, Thomas Brown set up a small Bessemer Hearth and decarbonised a few charges of Haematite Pig Iron, which they made into ingots. Trying to forge these at the Ebbw Vale works, the ingots cracked and failed as the temperature fell.

Above: The railway sidings at Dark Hill
Left: Dark Hill

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Brown took one of the bars to Mushet and asked if he could help. Mushet with enthusiasm said "Yes I can!" Taking the ingot to his experimental shed he proceeded to cut part of the Bessemer metal sample into small pieces, which he melted in a clay crucible. To this he added melted Spiegel, then poured the combined mixture into an ingot mould.

Having heated this ingot to a fair steel cast heat and with his wife Mary Mushet holding the red hot ingot in a pair of tongs, Robert with a sledge hammer drew one half into a flat bar. He continued to heat and twist it in a vice at white heat, red heat and low red heat - it remained perfectly sound. He continued to double and shape the bar into a chisel which he hardened and tempered and successfully tested it on hard cast iron. Robert Mushet now knew that the Bessemer process was perfected and that with fair play, wealth would reward Mr Bessemer and himself.

Mushet immediately sent to Thomas Brown to have the whole of the Bessemer metal cut into pieces and sent to his works, in which he had 10 melting furnaces and a pair of Helves (old fashioned tilt hammers). Mushet melted the cut up metal in crucibles and poured the exact amount of Spiegel to each charge. The contents were then poured into an ingot mould. The ingot was sent to Ebbw Vale and rolled into a perfectly sound double headed rail. This was the first steel rail of 'Bessemer-Mushet' metal ever produced. Early in 1857 the Midland railway placed this rail in situ at Derby station.

Robert Mushet drew up a patent specification for perfecting the Bessemer process of steel manufacture by the addition of Spiegeleisen triple compound of Manganese, Iron and Carbon. This was the essence of his patent process he intended to file. However, Thomas Brown of the Ebbw Vale Iron Co. persuaded him to have patent councils opinion first, and much against his wishes Bessemer's name was replaced by that of Mr I. G. Martien, whose patent process was filed on 22 September 1856. Royalties were shared with Mr Brown and his partners, the Ebbw Vale Iron Company.

After lodging the provisional specification, the final specification had to be filed within the period of 6 months. Whilst Mushet from his previous experiments, had no doubt that on a large scale Spiegeleisen could be added directly to the Bessemer converter to perfect the process, the Ebbw Vale Iron Co. were sceptical and consulted an eminent London chemist who pronounced Mr Mushet as a visionary dreamer. There was then a lack of co-operation from Ebbw Vale and Mushet was almost in despair, for he could not afford the expense of obtaining the apparatus and there was no time to lose.

Mushet turned to an old friend S. H. Blackwell and assigned half his share of the patent to him to obtain the finance for the equipment and facilities to continue his experiments. The direct method of producing Bessemer-Mushet Steel was successfully perfected and the complete patent specification was filed in March 1857, with the Ebbw Vale Iron Co. now having the largest share of the patent rights.

For Henry Bessemer the sales of licences for his process had been an outstanding success, until the iron companies having installed their Bessemer converters came to use the process, and resulted in failure after failure to make quality steel.

Bessemer was baffled at the failure of his invention, the cause of which he did not recognise or understand. When Bessemer learned that Mushet had succeeded where he had failed, he took the decision to travel to Coleford to see Mushet. Indeed it is reported he went to see him several times but Mushet avoided him. When they finally met Bessemer asked Mushet to confide in him about his process. Although at that time no agreement had been drawn up Mushet was in honour bound to Thomas Brown and the Ebbw Vale Iron Co. and felt unable to do this.

To find the answer Bessemer at great expense built laboratories and engaged a highly paid professor of chemistry to help him, but after a year's hard work he had nothing to show but crushing defeat. Bessemer was under attack from the Iron-masters who had taken out licences, scorn and ridicule were poured upon him and eminent chemists derided his process. Bessemer had become antagonistic to the Ebbw Vale Iron Co. and from the date of Mushet's Patent specification in 1857. Bessemer commenced infringing the patent and used the process without a licence.

Being a man of honour Mushet had given total loyalty and trust to his 'friends' Brown and Blackwell, the trustees of the patent. Instead of them taking advantage of Mushet's process, the process was allowed to slumber and when on the required payment of the third year's patent stamp duty of £50 fell due they omitted to pay it or give notice to Mushet of their intention. The process became public property and Bessemer then had the perfect right to use it. Bessemer's prosperity dated from that time and the revolution of the world's iron and steel industries began.

Right: The old Titanic Works

Mushet knew that both Brown and Blackwell were in hopeless financial difficulties and it was pointless to sue them, and unfortunately through this grave financial misfortune he also did not have the finances or health to fight Bessemer in the law courts. Mushet's creditors were pursuing him and the bailiffs were at his door, and he was sick with worry. His only daughter Mary, at the age of 16 upset by the way her father had been treated and the possible loss of the family home decided to travel alone to London to confront Bessemer. On arriving at Bessemer's premises refusing to give her name she demanded to see him. Bessemer allowed her into a private office. Mary told him of the gravest misfortune that had overtaken her father and without financial help their home would be taken from them. She said "They tell me that you used my father's invention and are indebted to him for your success". Bessemer replied "I use what your father had no right to claim!"

The consequence of their conversation, Bessemer requested to know the sum that would render the house secure. Mary gave him a piece of paper on which she had written the total legal sums against her father and Bessemer gave her a cheque from his personal account. It was for £377 14s 10d.

Some time afterwards Bessemer offered and agreed to pay Mushet an allowance of £300 a year until his death. (Whether this was a noble selfless gesture or a way of keeping Mushet quiet, I leave that to the reader to consider, but it was on the understanding that it would silence any future claim against him).

Returning to the world's first steel railway line placed in situ at Derby station in 1857. The wrought iron rails previously set down in this position suffered from rapid wear and had to be replaced every 3 to 6 months.

On 26 December 1867 Mushet wrote to John Crossley at the Engineers Office Midland Railway Derby requesting if the company would sell the rail to him. This was Crossley's reply:

Derby 31 December 1867

Dear Sir

In reply to your favour of the 26th inst. I beg to say -

1st, that the number of trains daily passing over the rail, is about two hundred and fifty; but that number may at least be doubled, for detached engines and tenders.

2nd, I should not recommend the sale of the rail; but if it is ever taken out, you shall have the first refusal of it.

Yours truly
J. S. Crossley

On 16 June 1973 Robert Mushet again wrote to Mr Crossley, asking him about the rail, and also reminding him about his promise of 31 December 1867. This was his reply:

Derby July 1873

Dear Sir

I am sorry to find that the rail referred to in your letter of 16 June was taken up about ten days before the receipt of your letter.

Yours truly
J. S. Crossley

During its life of 'sixteen years', 1,252,000 detached engines and tenders, at the very least, had passed over it, in safety. Mushet was angry and claimed it was an act of vandalism, on the part of the Midland Railway Company and its employees. Surely this rail, as the first steel rail ever to be laid down, deserved a better fate than to be 'used up'.

Robert continued his experiments and went on to invent self hardening tool steel , and Mary the courageous young girl who saved her father and the family debts - sadly she died in 1875 at the age of 25.

Robert Mushet shows up clearly in the 1881 Census

10 Sydenham Villas, Cheltenham, Gloucester
Source: PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2569 Folio 16 Page 30

Robert F. MUSHET, Married, age 68, born Coleford, Gloucester. Rel: Head
Occ: Co-Inventor of steel rails with Sir Henry Bessemer

Mary A. MUSHET, Married, age 62, born St Brivels, Gloucester.  Rel: Wife

Edward M. MUSHET, Married, age 38, born Coleford, Gloucester. Rel: Son.
Occ: Steel Manufacturer

Maria V. PENDER ,Widow, age 42, born London Edgeware Rd, Middlesex.  Rel: Servt
Occ: Cook (Dom)

Kate REES, Unmarried, age 17, born Tenby, Carmarthen, Wales.  Rel: Servt
Occ: Housemaid

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What appears to be Robert's grandson, appears on the 1881 census at boarding school in Cheltenham.

4 Waresley Villas, Old Bath Road, Cheltenham
Source: PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2577 Folio 66 Page 37

Mary Ann BAMBER Widow, age 70, born Hastings, Sussex. Rel: Head
Occ: Superintendent Proprietor School

Edward R. MUSHET, age 9, born Coleford, Gloucester. Rel: Boarder
Occ: Scholar

These are apparently the only Mushets living in Gloucestershire in 1881.

 [ also see "In Mushet's Footsteps" - a Coleford town walk ]

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