Charles Bage

Charles Woolley Bage (1751–1822) was an English architect, born in Derby, Derbyshire, in the United Kingdom.

He was the designer of the first ever iron framed building, the Ditherington Flax Mill, located in the outskirts of Shrewsbury town centre, built between 1796 and 1797.

Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Elford, Staffordshire, where his father founded a papermill, later becoming a partner in an ironworks. Throughout his life, Bage took an interest in the application of iron and gas technologies in construction and lighting, respectively. Bage senior was also a novelist.

By 1776, Bage was working as a wine merchant in Shrewsbury, and also as a surveyor, the latter being of interest to John Marshall and Thomas and Benjamin Benyon, who intended to develop mills in the town.

Bage had involvement in the local political affairs of Shrewsbury: he was in charge of the local workhouse from 1784 to 1787, and later served as the town's mayor in 1807.

Correspondence with William Strutt

A selection of letters:-

See here for an undated letter from Charles Bage to William Strutt airing his thoughts on aspects of iron-framed buildings, in particular the effects of thermal expansion and the strength of iron bars in bending and in compression. He refers to experiments by Joseph Reynolds of Ketley.

See here for an 1803 letter from Charles Bage to William Strutt concerning experiments on a single iron roof frame, with drawings and calculations

See here for an 1825 letter from Charles Bage to William Strutt thanking him for his suggestions regarding counters which Bage fitted to his looms. He closes the letter with observations about the danger of revolution as the government continues to oppress the wider population.

See here for an index of letters to William Strutt

See Also

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Sources of Information

• [5] Wikipedia