necessary　to　give　up　his　holding；　whereupon　he　engaged　as　steward　to
  Mackenzie　of　Allengrange；　with　whom　he　remained　for　two　years。
  While　the　family　lived　at　Moy；　none　of　the　boys　were　put　to　school。
  They　could　not　be　spared　from　the　farm　and　the　household。　　Those　of
  them　that　could　not　work　afield　were　wanted　to　help　to　nurse　the
  younger　children　at　home。　　But　Andrew　Fairbairn　possessed　a　great
  treasure　in　his　wife；　who　was　a　woman　of　much　energy　of　character；
  setting　before　her　children　an　example　of　patient　industry；　thrift；
  discreetness；　and　piety；　which　could　not　fail　to　exercise　a　powerful
  influence　upon　them　in　after…life；　and　this；　of　itself；　was　an
  education　which　probably　far　more　than　compensated　for　the　boys'　loss
  of　school…culture　during　their　life　at　Moy。　　Mrs。　Fairbairn　span　and
  made　all　the　children's　clothes；　as　well　as　the　blankets　and
  sheeting；　and；　while　in　the　Highlands；　she　not　only　made　her　own　and
  her　daughters'　dresses；　and　her　sons'　jackets　and　trowsers；　but　her
  husband's　coats　and　waistcoats；　besides　helping　her　neighbours　to　cut
  out　their　clothing　for　family　wear。
  One　of　William's　duties　at　home　was　to　nurse　his　younger　brother
  Peter；　then　a　delicate　child　under　two　years　old；　and　to　relieve
  himself　of　the　labour　of　carrying　him　about；　he　began　the
  construction　of　a　little　waggon　in　which　to　wheel　him。　　This　was；
  however；　a　work　of　some　difficulty；　as　all　the　tools　he　possessed
  were　only　a　knife；　a　gimlet；　and　an　old　saw。　　With　these　implements；　a
  piece　of　thin　board；　and　a　few　nails；　he　nevertheless　contrived　to
  make　a　tolerably　serviceable　waggon…body。　　His　chief　difficulty
  consisted　in　making　the　wheels；　which　he　contrived　to　surmount　by
  cutting　sections　from　the　stem　of　a　small　alder…tree；　and　with　a
  red…hot　poker　he　bored　the　requisite　holes　in　their　centres　to
  receive　the　axle。　　The　waggon　was　then　mounted　on　its　four　wheels；　and
  to　the　great　joy　of　its　maker　was　found　to　answer　its　purpose
  admirably。　　In　it　he　wheeled　his　little　brotherafterwards　well　known
  as　Sir　Peter　Fairbairn；　mayor　of　Leeds　　in　various　directions　about
  the　farm；　and　sometimes　to　a　considerable　distance　from　it；　and　the
  vehicle　was　regarded　on　the　whole　as　a　decided　success。　　His　father
  encouraged　him　in　his　little　feats　of　construction　of　a　similar　kind；
  and　he　proceeded　to　make　and　rig　miniature　boats　and　ships；　and　then
  miniature　wind　and　water　mills；　in　which　last　art　he　acquired　such
  expertness　that　he　had　sometimes　five　or　six　mills　going　at　a　time。
  The　machinery　was　all　made　with　a　knife；　the　water…spouts　being
  formed　by　the　bark　of　a　tree；　and　the　millstones　represented　by　round
  discs　of　the　same　material。　　Such　were　the　first　constructive　efforts
  of　the　future　millwright　and　engineer。
  When　the　family　removed　to　Allengrange　in　1801；　the　boys　were　sent　to
  school　at　Munlachy；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　distant　from　the　farm。
  The　school　was　attended　by　about　forty　barefooted　boys　in　tartan
  kilt's；　and　about　twenty　girls；　all　of　the　poorer　class。　　The
  schoolmaster　was　one　Donald　Frazer；　a　good　teacher；　but　a　severe
  disciplinarian。　　Under　him；　William　made　some　progress　in　reading；
  writing；　and　arithmetic；　and　though　he　himself　has　often　lamented　the
  meagreness　of　his　school　instruction；　it　is　clear；　from　what　he　has
  since　been　enabled　to　accomplish；　that　these　early　lessons　were
  enough　at　all　events　to　set　him　fairly　on　the　road　of　self…culture；
  and　proved　the　fruitful　seed　of　much　valuable　intellectual　labour；　as
  well　as　of　many　excellent　practical　books。
  After　two　years'　trial　of　his　new　situation；　which　was　by　no　means
  satisfactory；　Andrew　Fairbairn　determined　again　to　remove　southward
  with　his　family；　and；　selling　off　everything；　they　set　sail　from
  Cromarty　for　Leith　in　June；　1803。　　Having　seen　his　wife　and　children
  temporarily　settled　at　Kelso；　he　looked　out　for　a　situation；　and
  shortly　after　proceeded　to　undertake　the　management　of　Sir　William
  Ingleby's　farm　at　Ripley　in　Yorkshire。　　Meanwhile　William　was　placed
  for　three　months　under　the　charge　of　his　uncle　William；　the　parish
  schoolmaster　of　Galashiels；　for　the　purpose　of　receiving　instruction
  in　book…keeping　and　land…surveying；　from　which　he　derived
  considerable　benefit。　　He　could　not；　however；　remain　longer　at　school；
  for　being　of　the　age　of　fourteen；　it　was　thought　necessary　that　he
  should　be　set　to　work　without　further　delay。　　His　first　employment　was
  on　the　fine　new　bridge　at　Kelso；　then　in　course　of　construction　after
  the　designs　of　Mr。　Rennie；　but　in　helping　one　day　to　carry　a
  handbarrow…load　of　stone；　his　strength　proving　insufficient；　he　gave
  way　under　it；　and　the　stones　fell　upon　him；　one　of　them　inflicting　a
  serious　wound　on　his　leg；　which　kept　him　a　cripple　for　months。　　In　the
  mean　time　his　father；　being　dissatisfied　with　his　prospects　at
  Ripley；　accepted　the　appointment　of　manager　of　the　Percy　Main
  Colliery　Company's　farm　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Newcastle…on…Tyne；
  whither　he　proceeded　with　his　family　towards　the　end　of　1803；　William
  joining　them　in　the　following　February；　when　the　wound　in　his　leg　had
  sufficiently　healed　to　enable　him　to　travel。
  Percy　Main　is　situated　within　two　miles　of　North　Shields；　and　is　one
  of　the　largest　collieries　in　that　district。　　William　was　immediately
  set　to　work　at　the　colliery；　his　first　employment　being　to　lead　coals
  from　behind　the　screen　to　the　pitmen's　houses。　　His　Scotch　accent；　and
  perhaps　his　awkwardness；　exposed　him　to　much　annoyance　from　the　〃pit
  lads；〃　who　were　a　very　rough　and　profligate　set；　and　as　boxing　was　a
  favourite　pastime　among　them；　our　youth　had　to　fight　his　way　to　their
  respect；　passing　through　a　campaign　of　no　less　than　seventeen　pitched
  battles。　　He　was　several　times　on　the　point　of　abandoning　the　work
  altogether；　rather　than　undergo　the　buffetings　and　insults　to　which
  he　was　almost　a　daily　martyr；　when　a　protracted　contest　with　one　of
  the　noted　boxers　of　the　colliery；　in　which　he　proved　the　victor；　at
  length　relieved　him　from　further　persecution。
  In　the　following　year；　at　the　age　of　sixteen；　he　was　articled　as　an
  engineer　for　five　years　to　the　owners　of　Percy　Main；　and　was　placed
  under　the　charge　of　Mr。　Robinson；　the　engine…wright　of　the　colliery。
  His　wages　as　apprentice　were　8s。　a　week；　but　by　working　over…hours；
  making　wooden　wedges　used　in　pit…work；　and　blocking　out　segments　of
  solid　oak　required　for　walling　the　sides　of　the　mine；　he　considerably
  increased　his　earnings；　which　enabled　him　to　add　to　the　gross　income
  of　the　family；　who　were　still　struggling　with　the　difficulties　of
  small　means　and　increasing　expenses。　　When　not　engaged　upon　over…work
  in　the　evenings；　he　occupied　himself　in　self…education。　　He　drew　up　a
  scheme　of　daily　study　with　this　object；　to　which　he　endeavoured　to
  adhere　as　closely　as　possible；　devoting　the　evenings　of　Mondays　to
  mensuration　and　arithmetic；　Tuesdays　to　history　and　poetry；
  Wednesdays　to　recreation；　novels；　and　romances；　Thursdays　to　algebra
  and　mathematics；　Fridays　to　Euclid　and　trigonometry；　Saturdays　to
  recreation；　and　Sundays　to　church；　Milton；　and　recreation。　　He　was
  enabled　to　extend　the　range　of　his　reading　by　the　help　of　the　North
  Shields　Subscription　Library；　to　which　his　father　entered　him　a
  subscriber。　　Portions　of　his　spare　time　were　also　occasionally　devoted
  to　mechanical　construction；　in　which　he　cultivated　the　useful　art　of
  handling　tools。　　One　of　his　first　attempts　was　the　contrivance　of　a
  piece　of　machinery　worked　by　a　weight　and　a　pendulum；　that　should　at
  the　same　time　serve　for　a　timepiece　and　an　orrery；　but　his　want　of
  means；　as　well　as　of　time；　prevented　him　prosecuting　this　contrivance
  to　completion。　　He　was　more　successful　with　the　construction　of　a
  fiddle；　on　which　he　was　ambitious　to　become　a　performer。　　It　must　have
  been　a　tolerable　instrument；　for　a　professional　player　offered　him
  20s。　for　it。　　But　though　he　succeeded　in　making　a　fiddle；　and　for　some
  time　persevered　in　the　attempt　to　play　upon　it；　he　did　not　succeed　in
  producing　any　satisfactory　melody；　and　at　length　gave　up　the　attempt；
  convinced　that　nature　had　not　intended　him　for　a　musician。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Long　after；　when　married　and　settled　at　Manchester；　the　fiddle；　which
  had　been　carefully　preserved；　was　taken　down　from　the　shelf　for　the
  amusement　of　the　children；　but　though　they　were　well　enough　pleased
  with　it；　the　instrument　was　never　brought　from　its　place　without
  creating　alarm　in　the　mind　of　their　mother　lest　anybody　should　hear
  it。　　At　length　a　dancing…master；　who　was　giving　lessons　in　the
  neighbourhood；　borrowed　the　fiddle；　and；　to　the　great　relief　of　the
  family；　it　was　never　returned。　　Many　years　later　Mr。Fairbairn　was
  present　at　the　starting　of　a　cotton　mill　at　Wesserling　in　Alsace
  belonging　to　Messrs。　Gros；　Deval；　and　Co。；　for　which　his　Manchester
  firm　had　provided　the　mill…work　and　water…wheel　（the　first　erected　in
  France　on　the　suspension　principle；　when