Matthew Kirtley (1813-1873)
Born at Tatfield, County Durham. Locomotive Engineer. Son of a colliery owner.
Apprenticed under George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson and also trained under Timothy Hackworth
- First Locomotive Superintendent of the Midland Railway
- Initiated use of the brick-arch and deflector plate in fire-boxes enabling the burning of coal rather than the more expensive coke.
- Enlargement of Derby Works
- Provision of 2-2-2 and 2-4-0 classes for passenger work and the 0-6-0 class for freight.
1874 Obituary [1]
MATTHEW KIRTLEY was born on 6th February 1813 at Tanfield near Newcastle-on-Tyne, and up to the age of about thirteen was engaged under his father, who was a viewer in one of the collieries there.
He then obtained employment under Mr. George Stephenson on the Stockton and Darlington Railway, both in the shops and on the engines; after which he was for a short time on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
He was next engaged under Mr. Robert Stephenson at the London end of the London and Birmingham Railway, and was stationed at Watford, and drove the first locomotive which entered London.
About 1837 he was appointed to the position of locomotive foreman of the running shed at Hampton; and in 1839, on the opening of the Birmingham and Derby Railway, he was selected as the Locomotive Superintendent; on the amalgamation of this line with the North Midland and Midland Counties in 1844, he became Locomotive Superintendent of the new Midland Railway thus formed.
The engine-building and repairing shops at Derby and at the other principal stations on the Midland Railway were planned and their erection superintended by him; and the whole of the engines and rolling stock were built from his plans and under his direction.
He was one of the original Members of the Institution at its formation in 1847, and was also for several years a member of the Council.
He died on 24th May 1873, in the sixty-first year of his age, after suffering from illness for about a year.