Charles Cheffins

Contemporary drawing of the Rainhill Trials from the Illustrated London News.

Novelty, Braithwaite and Ericsson's entry for the Rainhill Trials. Illustration from The Mechanics Magazine, 1829.

About the year 1830, he was engaged by Captain John Ericsson to assist in making the drawings for the Novelty locomotive engine, then about to be constructed by Messrs. Braithwaite and Ericsson, to compete against the Stephenson's Rocket and other locomotives on the Rainhill Trials on the Manchester and Liverpool Railway. The competition went against the Novelty, on account of the failure of its blast apparatus.

Cheffins was present at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and remained some time longer with Captain Ericsson, making drawings for other inventions, among which was a steam fire-engine and a caloric engine – machines which gained public attention, the former of which coming into general use. Cheffins's practical knowledge of machinery rendered him a valuable assistant in the preparation of the designs.[2]

In 1830, Cheffins reputation was such that he testified for the "defendants" in the patent infringement case of Lord Galloway and Alexander Cochrane versus John Braithwaite and John Ericsson, in the Court of Chancery, where it was alleged that the boilers of the Novelty locomotive were of a type too similar to a design of the plaintiffs and where the Lord Chancellor found for the defendants.[8][9][lower-alpha 2]

Subsequently, Cheffins took the stand in court more often. In one 1847 case narrated in The Railway Record, "Charles F. Cheffins, engineer and surveyor, was called for the defence, proved that he had examined the plans and sections in question, and detected so many errors that the case became quite clear."[11]

In 1831, Cheffins was introduced to railway pioneer George Stephenson by Stephenson's oldest associate and surveyor, a Mr. Padley. After the successful opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, Stephenson became prominently involved in numerous other schemes.

Cheffins' first occupation under Stephenson was the preparation of the plans and sections of the projected Grand Junction Railway, which was to connect the towns of Birmingham and Liverpool; and his persevering industry was noticed by, among other eminent engineers, Joseph Locke, Frederick Swanwick, Daniel Gooch.[2]

Entrance Front of the London Station by C.F. Cheffins, published 3 April 1837.

In 1830, Cheffins started making lithographs, which were published in magazines such as an engraving representing the London Terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway, at Button Grove, in an 1837 issue of John Limbird's The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. The engraving was reduced from a drawing by Thomas Allom and lithographed by Cheffins.[12]

The structure was being erected at the time of the publication. The building was designed by Philip Hardwick, an architect of St. Katherine's Docks, Goldsmith's Hall, the City Clubhouse, and other buildings. The facade of the railway station would occupy about 300 feet towards Drummond Street, opposite a wide opening into Euston Square. The principal elevation consisted of a Grecian Doric portico, with two antae, and two lodges, one on each side, the latter to house the offices of the company; the spaces between the columns and antae of the portico, and also of the lodges, were enclosed by iron gates.[12]

Map of 1854 cholera outbreak by John Snow, drawn and printed by C.F. Cheffins.

Proposed railway from Cairo to the Sea of Suez by C.F. Cheffins, 1840s

Gladioli: Red, Pink & White by C.F. Cheffins, 1860

In his studio at 9, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, Cheffins lithographed work for numerous other artists:

• 1837 – In the month of August, Cheffins published a lithographed plate of a view of the apparatus used in the steamboat Francis B. Ogden, with a description of its construction and use.[13]
• 1837 – Illustrations for the book Scenery in the north of Devon. George Rowe; Charles F. Cheffins; Paul Gauci; George Hawkins; Henry Strong; G. Wilkins. Published by J. Banfield, Ilfracombe.
• 1844 – Illustrations for Quarterly papers on architecture. : Forty-one engravings, many of which are coloured. by Richard Hamilton Essex; John Richard Jobbins;[lower-alpha 3] John Henry Le Keux; Charles F. Cheffins; R Gould; Published by London: Iohan Weale.
• 1848 – Illustration "Perspective view of machinery in Fulton's Clermont" for Henry Bernoulli Barlow[14]
• 1848 – Illustrations for A sketch of the origin and progress of steam navigation from authentic documents by Bennet Woodcroft.[15]
• 1852 – Lithographed illustrations of The Garden Companion and Florists' Guide by Thomas Moore.
• 1852 – Lithographed London map designed by Benjamin Rees Davies.
• 1854 – Drawing and publication of the famous map by John Snow that shows the clusters of cholera cases in the London epidemic of 1854.[16]

On the completion of the parliamentary submissions for the Grand Junction Railway, Cheffins terminated his engagement with Stephenson. Foreseeing that railway schemes were only then in their infancy and that much work might be anticipated, Cheffins devoted himself exclusively to the surveying department of the profession and established himself in London, working independently, while retaining the patronage of those with whom he had been previously associated and adding other names to his list of friends. Robert Stephenson, the son of George, was among the latter, and under his direction and superintendence, Cheffins prepared many of the designs for the construction of the bridges on the London and Birmingham Railway. Cheffins was also engaged by Stephenson on other matters. Their friendship lasted until Stephenson's death, and Cheffins continued to hold him in high regard as someone crucial to his own success.[2]

In his further professional career, Cheffins completed numerous projects for the London and Blackwall Railway, the Great Eastern Railway (then the Eastern Counties Railway), the Trent Valley Line, and the North Staffordshire Railway—a few of which he lived to see to completion, although they were opposed in both houses of Parliament by other companies and large landed proprietors.

In 1846, in recognition for Cheffins's services, a service of plate was presented to him by, among others, the leading engineers of the day.

The last initiative Cheffins was a part of was the projected Great Eastern Northern Junction Railway Bill of 1860, (known familiarly as the "Coal Line"), which his friend George Parker Bidder had put in his hands, and in which he took an interest; but he died before its completion.[2]