# James Kennedy (engineer)

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Scottish locomotive and marine engineer

James Kennedy Born (1797-01-13)13 January 1797 Gilmerton, Edinburgh, Scotland Died 25 September 1886(1886-09-25) (aged 89) Garston, Liverpool, England Citizenship British Engineering career Discipline Mechanical engineering

**James Kennedy** (13 January 1797 – 25 September 1886) was a Scottish locomotive and marine engineer. He was born in the village of [Gilmerton](/source/Gilmerton) near [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), [Scotland](/source/Scotland).[1]

## Career

### Early years

He was apprenticed at the age of 13 to a [millwright](/source/Millwright) near [Dalkeith](/source/Dalkeith), where he remained for five years. He spent some years working as a millwright, working with [winding](/source/Winding_engine) and pumping engines at several places before moving to Laverock Hall (now [Larkhall](/source/Larkhall)) near [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton%2C_South_Lanarkshire), where he was employed to erect pumping and winding engines of his own design.

### Robert Stephenson and Company

In [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool) to supervise the installation of a marine engine, he met [George Stephenson](/source/George_Stephenson), who was then establishing his locomotive works, [Robert Stephenson and Company](/source/Robert_Stephenson_and_Company), at [Newcastle-upon-Tyne](/source/Newcastle-upon-Tyne). Stephenson appointed Kennedy manager in 1824. While in this post, Kennedy constructed two pairs of stationary winding engines[*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*] and planned the first three [locomotives](/source/Locomotive) for the opening of the [Stockton and Darlington Railway](/source/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway) in 1825.

### Bury, Curtis and Kennedy

In 1825 he left Stephenson to return to Liverpool as manager of [Mather, Dixon and Company](/source/Mather%2C_Dixon_and_Company) but very soon joined locomotive builder [Edward Bury and Company](/source/Edward_Bury_and_Company) as foreman of the Clarence Foundry. In 1842 he became a partner in the firm, now renamed [Bury, Curtis and Kennedy](/source/Bury%2C_Curtis%2C_and_Kennedy).

### Thomas Vernon and Son

From 1844 he also acted as manager of the Liverpool [shipbuilder](/source/Shipbuilder#Industrial_Revolution) Thomas Vernon and Son where he introduced iron deck [beams](/source/Beam_(structure)).

## Professional appointments

He was a founder member of the [Institution of Mechanical Engineers](/source/Institution_of_Mechanical_Engineers) in 1847, becoming its President in 1860.

## Death

He died in 1886 at his home, Cressington Park, [Garston](/source/Garston%2C_Merseyside), near Liverpool. He was survived by his wife, Adelaide.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Biography"](http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/wiki/James_Kennedy). Gracesguide.co.uk. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2012.

Professional and academic associations Preceded by John Penn President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1860 Succeeded by William George Armstrong

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James Kennedy (engineer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kennedy_(engineer)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kennedy_(engineer)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.