Robert Tipping (1760- )
1760 Born in Matlock the son of Peter Tipping
Butterley Gangroad: 'By 1801 the railway, mine and limeworks were being operated by Robert Tipping of Crich. In the period 1802/3 he was paid for work he had carried out, "new railway and tunnel, bottoming, opening and levelling the quarry and making drains." This is a reference to the opening out of the mine into a quarry beyond, so that the mine became a tunnel about 100 yards long.'[1]
Was this the same Robert Tipping who was responsible for the Haie Hill Tunnel and the First (aborted) Severn Tunnel?
1815 'It appears, from Tuesday’s Gazette, that at about seven o'clock in the evening of Monday, the 30th January last, the house of Mr. Robert Tipping, at Newnham, in the county of Gloucester, was assailed with stones, and his opening the street-door, a gun or pistol, loaded with shot, was discharged at him, and wounded him in ten places his legs, and his wife, who accompanied him the door, also received two wounds in the arm, his Royal Highness, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the persons concerned in the atrocious act, has been pleased to offer ins Majesty’s most gracious pardon to any one of them (except the person who actually fired such gun or pistol; who shall discover his or their accomplice accomplices therein, that he, she, they, may apprehend and convicted thereof. And, as a further encouragement, reward One Hundred Pounds is offered to any person (except as before excepted) who shall discover his, her, or their accomplice or accomplices therein, that he, she, or they, may apprehended and convicted thereof, or to any person or persons who shall apprehend and bring the said offenders, or any them, conviction, cause them, or any of them, apprehended and convicted, aforesaid; such reward to paid either Mr. F. Lawson, Charles Saudeford, Richard Wetherell, Esqrs. Magistrates of the county of Gloucester.'[2]
Information about Tipping came to light in 2006 [3]. A distant relative - Mrs Pearlman of Monmouth - identified Tipping's origins as Matlock. He moved to the Forest of Dean, and was later joined by his cousin or nephew, Lawrence Tipping, a surveyor, who later moved to Pontypool where he remained as the surveyor for the local turnpike trust for 49 years. The source also quotes information from 'The Hay & Kingston Railways' by G. Rattenbury and R. Cook, and we learn that in 1812 he contracted to build the line from Llanvihangel Talyllyn to Llangorse, including Tal-y-llyn Tunnel. He also subcontracted under John Hodgkinson when Hodgkinson built the new bridge over the Usk at Caerleon in 1805.