Funeral of Robert Stevenson, Westminister Abbey, London, 1859.

Engraving from the 'London Illustrated News'. Robert Stephenson (1803-1859), the son of George Stephenson (1781-1848), was an innovative English engineer. His designs included the Britannia Tubular Bridge, which spans the Menai Straits between Anglesey and mainland and was completed in 1850, as was the Royal Border Bridge. The 1849 high level bridge crosed the Tyne to Newcastle and Tyne, supporting a railway above a road. Stephenson was also an important contributor to rail travel: in 1829 he designed the 'Rocket' locomotive and later became chief engineer of the London & Birmingham Railway, completed in 1838. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.