The　present　Messrs。　Fox　of　Derby；　who　continue　to　carry　on　the
  business　of　the　firm；　claim　for　their　grandfather；　its　founder；　that
  he　made　the　first　planing　machine　in　1814；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Engineer；　Oct。　10th；　1862。
  。。。＇
  and　they　add　that　the　original　article　continued　in　use　until　quite
  recently。　　We　have　been　furnished　by　Samuel　Hall；　formerly　a　workman
  at　the　Messrs。　Fox's；　with　the　following　description　of　the
  machine：　　　〃　It　was　essentially　the　same　in　principle　as　the　planing
  machine　now　in　general　use；　although　differing　in　detail。　　It　had　a
  self…acting　ratchet　motion　for　moving　the　slides　of　a　compound　slide
  rest；　and　a　self…acting　reversing　tackle；　consisting　of　three　bevel
  wheels；　one　a　stud；　one　loose　on　the　driving　shaft；　and　another　on　a
  socket；　with　a　pinion　on　the　opposite　end　of　the　driving　shaft
  running　on　the　socket。　　The　other　end　was　the　place　for　the　driving
  pulley。　　A　clutch　box　was　placed　between　the　two　opposite　wheels；
  which　was　made　to　slide　on　a　feather；　so　that　by　means　of　another
  shaft　containing　levers　and　a　tumbling　ball；　the　box　on　reversing　was
  carried　from　one　bevel　wheel　to　the　opposite　one。〃　　The　same　James　Fox
  is　also　said　at　a　very　early　period　to　have　invented　a　screw…cutting
  machine；　an　engine　for　accurately　dividing　and　cutting　the　teeth　of
  wheels；　and　a　self…acting　lathe。　　But　the　evidence　as　to　the　dates　at
  which　these　several　inventions　are　said　to　have　been　made　is　so
  conflicting　that　it　is　impossible　to　decide　with　whom　the　merit　of
  making　them　really　rests。　　The　same　idea　is　found　floating　at　the　same
  time　in　many　minds；　the　like　necessity　pressing　upon　all；　and　the
  process　of　invention　takes　place　in　like　manner：　　hence　the
  contemporaneousness　of　so　many　inventions；　and　the　disputes　that
  arise　respecting　them；　as　described　in　a　previous　chapter。
  There　are　still　other　claimants　for　the　merit　of　having　invented　the
  planing　machine；　among　whom　may　be　mentioned　more　particularly
  Matthew　Murray　of　Leeds；　and　Richard　Roberts　of　Manchester。　　We　are
  informed　by　Mr。　March；　the　present　mayor　of　Leeds；　head　of　the
  celebrated　tool…manufacturing　firm　of　that　town；　that　when　he　first
  went　to　work　at　Matthew　Murray's；　in　1814；　a　planing　machine　of　his
  invention　was　used　to　plane　the　circular　part　or　back　of　the　D　valve；
  which　he　had　by　that　time　introduced　in　the　steam…engine。　　Mr。　March
  says；　〃I　recollect　it　very　distinctly；　and　even　the　sort　of　framing
  on　which　it　stood。　　The　machine　was　not　patented；　and　like　many
  inventions　in　those　days；　it　was　kept　as　much　a　secret　as　possible；
  being　locked　up　in　a　small　room　by　itself；　to　which　the　ordinary
  workmen　could　not　obtain　access。　　The　year　in　which　I　remember　it
  being　in　use　was；　so　far　as　I　am　aware；　long　before　any
  planing…machine　of　a　similar　kind　had　been　invented。〃
  Matthew　Murray　was　born　at　Stockton…on…Tees　in　the　year　1763。　　His
  parents　were　of　the　working　class；　and　Matthew；　like　the　other
  members　of　the　family；　was　brought　up　with　the　ordinary　career　of
  labour　before　him。　　When　of　due　age　his　father　apprenticed　him　to　the
  trade　of　a　blacksmith；　in　which　he　very　soon　acquired　considerable
  expertness。　　He　married　before　his　term　had　expired；　after　which；
  trade　being　slack　at　Stockton；　he　found　it　necessary　to　look　for　work
  elsewhere。　　Leaving　his　wife　behind　him；　he　set　out　for　Leeds　with　his
  bundle　on　his　back；　and　after　a　long　journey　on　foot；　he　reached　that
  town　with　not　enough　money　left　in　his　pocket　to　pay　for　a　bed　at　the
  Bay　Horse　inn；　where　he　put　up。　　But　telling　the　landlord　that　he
  expected　work　at　Marshall's；　and　seeming　to　be　a　respectable　young
  man；　the　landlord　trusted　him；　and　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　obtain
  the　job　which　he　sought　at　Mr。　Marshall's；　who　was　then　beginning　the
  manufacture　of　flax；　for　which　the　firm　has　since　become　so　famous。
  Mr。　Marshall　was　at　that　time　engaged　in　improving　the　method　of
  manufacture；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  We　are　informed　in　Mr。　Longstaffe's　Annals　and　Characteristics　of
  Darlington；　that　the　spinning　of　flax　by　machinery　was　first　begun　by
  one　John　Kendrew；　an　ingenious　self…taught　mechanic　of　that　town；　who
  invented　a　machine　for　the　purpose；　for　which　he　took　out　a　patent　in
  1787。　　Mr。　Marshall　went　over　from　Leeds　to　see　his　machine；　and
  agreed　to　give　him　so　much　per　spindle　for　the　right　to　use　it。　　But
  ceasing　to　pay　the　patent　right；　Kendrew　commenced　an　action　against
  him　for　a　sum　of　nine　hundred　pounds　alleged　to　be　due　under　the
  agreement。　　The　claim　was　disputed；　and　Kendrew　lost　his　action；　and
  it　is　added　in　Longstaffe's　Annals；　that　even　had　he　succeeded；　it
  would　have　been　of　no　use；　for　Mr。　Marshall　declared　that　he　had　not
  then　the　money　wherewith　to　pay　him。　　It　is　possible　that　Matthew
  Murray　may　have　obtained　some　experience　of　flax…machinery　in　working
  for　Kendrew；　which　afterwards　proved　of　use　to　him　in　Mr。　Marshall's
  establishment。
  。。。＇
  and　the　young　blacksmith　was　so　fortunate　or　rather　so　dexterous　as
  to　be　able　to　suggest　several　improvements　in　the　machinery　which
  secured　the　approval　of　his　employer；　who　made　him　a　present　of　20L。；
  and　very　shortly　promoted　him　to　be　the　first　mechanic　in　the
  workshop。　　On　this　stroke　of　good　fortune　Murray　took　a　house　at　the
  neighbouring　village　of　Beeston；　sent　to　Stockton　for　his　wife；　who
  speedily　joined　him；　and　he　now　felt　himself　fairly　started　in　the
  world。　　He　remained　with　Mr。　Marshall　for　about　twelve　years；　during
  which　he　introduced　numerous　improvements　in　the　machinery　for
  spinning　flax；　and　obtained　the　reputation　of　being　a　first…rate
  mechanic。　　This　induced　Mr。　James　Fenton　and　Mr。　David　Wood　to　offer
  to　join　him　in　the　establishment　of　an　engineering　and　machine…making
  factory　at　Leeds；　which　he　agreed　to；　and　operations　were　commenced
  at　Holbeck　in　the　year　1795。
  As　Mr。　Murray　had　obtained　considerable　practical　knowledge　of　the
  steam…engine　while　working　at　Mr。　Marshall's；　he　took　principal
  charge　of　the　engine…building　department；　while　his　partner　Wood
  directed　the　machine…making。　　In　the　branch　of　engine…building　Mr。
  Murray　very　shortly　established　a　high　reputation；　treading　close
  upon　the　heels　of　Boulton　and　Wattso　close；　indeed；　that　that　firm
  became　very　jealous　of　him；　and　purchased　a　large　piece　of　ground
  close　to　his　works　with　the　object　of　preventing　their　extension。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  The　purchase　of　this　large　piece　of　ground；　known　as　Camp　Field；　had
  the　effect　of　〃plugging　up〃　Matthew　Murray　for　a　time；　and　it
  remained　disused；　except　for　the　deposit　of　dead　dogs　and　other
  rubbish；　for　more　than　half　a　century。　　It　has　only　been　enclosed
  during　the　present　year；　and　now　forms　part　of　the　works　of　Messrs。
  Smith；　Beacock；　and　Tannet；　the　eminent　tool…makers。
  。。。＇
  His　additions　to　the　steam…engine　were　of　great　practical　value；　one
  of　which；　the　self…acting　apparatus　attached　to　the　boiler　for　the
  purpose　of　regulating　the　intensity　of　fire　under　it；　and
  consequently　the　production　of　steam；　is　still　in　general　use。　　This
  was　invented　by　him　as　early　as　1799。　　He　also　subsequently　invented
  the　D　slide　valve；　or　at　least　greatly　improved　it；　while　he　added　to
  the　power　of　the　air…pump；　and　gave　a　new　arrangement　to　the　other
  parts；　with　a　view　to　the　simplification　of　the　powers　of　the　engine。
  To　make　the　D　valve　work　efficiently；　it　was　found　necessary　to　form
  two　perfectly　plane　surfaces；　to　produce　which　he　invented　his
  planing　machine。　　He　was　also　the　first　to　adopt　the　practice　of
  placing　the　piston　in　a　horizontal　position　in　the　common　condensing
  engine。　　Among　his　other　modifications　in　the　steam…engine；　was　his
  improvement　of　the　locomotive　as　invented　by　Trevithick；　and　it　ought
  to　be　remembered　to　his　honour　that　he　made　the　first　locomotive　that
  regularly　worked　upon　any　railway。
  This　was　the　engine　erected　by　him　for　Blenkinsop；　to　work　the
  Middleton　colliery　railway　near　Leeds；　on　which　it　began　to　run　in
  1812；　and　continued　in　regular　use　for　many　years。　　In　this　engine　he
  introduced　the　double　cylinderTrevithick's　engine　being　provided
  with　only　one　cylinder；　the　defects　of　which　were　supplemented　by　the
  addition　of　a　fly…wheel　to　carry　the　crank　over　the　dead　points。
  But　Matthew　Murray's　most　important　inventions；　considered　in　their
  effects　on　manufacturing　industry；　were　those　connected　with　the
  machinery　for　heckling　and　spinning　flax；　which　he　very　greatly
  improved。　　His　heckling　machine　obtained　for　him　the　prize　of　the　gold
  medal　of　the　Society　of　Arts；　and　this　as　well　as　his　machine　for　wet
  flax…spinning　by　means　of　sponge　weights　proved　of　the　greatest
  practical　value。　　At　the　time　when　these　inventions　were　made　the　flax
  trade　was　on　the　point　of　expiring；　the　spinners　being　unable　to
  produce　yarn　to　a　profit；　and　their　almost　immediate　effect　was　to
  reduce　the　cost　of　production；　to　improve　immensely　the　quality　of
  the　manufacture；