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{{Short description|English railway locomotive and transatlantic cable engineer}}
{{Other people|Daniel Gooch}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox engineer
|image                = Daniel Gooch by Thomas Dewell Scott (Illustrated London News, 1866-12-08).jpg
|image_size           = 
|caption              = Sir Daniel Gooch, 1866 engraving<br />(''[[The Illustrated London News]]'')
|name                 = Daniel Gooch
|honorific_prefix     = [[Sir]]
|honorific_suffix     = [[Baronet|Bt]]
|nationality          = English
|birth_date           = {{birth date|1816|8|24|df=y}}
|birth_place          = [[Bedlington]], [[Northumberland]], England
|death_date           = {{death date and age|1889|10|15|1816|8|24|df=y}}
|death_place          = 
|education            =
|spouse               = {{unbulleted list |{{marriage|Margaret Tanner|1838|1868|end=died}}| {{marriage|Emily Burder|1870|<!-- Omission per Template:Marriage instructions -->}} }}
|occupation           = Railway locomotive engineer, transatlantic cable engineer
|parents              =
|children             =
|discipline           =
|institutions         =
|practice_name        =  
|significant_projects = [[Great Western Railway]]<br /> [[Transatlantic telegraph cable]]
|significant_design   = 
|significant_advance  =
|significant_awards   = 
}}

'''Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet''' (24 August 1816 &ndash; 15 October 1889) was an English railway locomotive and transatlantic cable engineer. He was the first [[Locomotive Superintendent|Superintendent of Locomotive Engines]] on the [[Great Western Railway]] from 1837 to 1864 and its chairman from 1865 until his death in 1889.

Between 1865 and 1885 Gooch was [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] for [[Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency)|Cricklade]].

==Early life==
Gooch was born in [[Bedlington]], [[Northumberland]], the son of John Gooch, an [[iron founder]], and his wife, Anna Longridge.{{sfn|Mair|1881|loc=[https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1881londuoft#page/92/mode/2up p. 93]}} In 1831 his family moved to [[Tredegar Iron and Coal Company|Tredegar Ironworks]], [[Monmouthshire]], South Wales, where his father had accepted a managerial post, and it was there that Daniel would begin training under Thomas Ellis senior, who together with Ironmaster [[Samuel Homfray]] and [[Richard Trevithick]] pioneered steam railway locomotion. Gooch wrote in his diaries "Large works of this kind are by far the best school for a young engineer to get a general knowledge of what he needs in after life." and "...I look back upon the time spent at Tredegar as by far the most important years of my life...".{{sfn|Gooch|1892|loc=[https://archive.org/stream/diariessirdanie00goocgoog#page/n50/mode/2up p. 20]}}

He trained in engineering with a variety of companies, including a period with [[Robert Stephenson and Company]], in Newcastle upon Tyne, as a draughtsman. At the age of 20 he was recruited by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] for the Great Western Railway, under the title "[[Chief mechanical engineer|Superintendent of Locomotive Engines]]", taking office on 18 August 1837.{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|p=51}}

While working in Newcastle he met his future wife, Margaret Tanner, the daughter of Henry Tanner, a [[Sunderland]] shipowner. He stayed in touch with Margaret when he moved south to work for Brunel.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

==Railway engineer==
In Gooch's earliest days with the Great Western Railway, he struggled to keep the miscellaneous collection of {{Track gauge|84.25in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] [[steam locomotive]]s previously ordered by Brunel in working order. When working at Robert Stephenson and Company, he had helped design two {{Track gauge|66in|lk=on}} gauge locomotives for the [[New Orleans Railway]], which had never been delivered. Gooch persuaded Brunel to buy the two locomotives, North Star and Morning Star, and had Stephenson convert them to {{Track gauge|84.25in}} gauge before delivery.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0850598192 |page=73}}</ref>

As the only reliable locomotives that the company had at that time, they were the basis of the [[GWR Star Class]]. He and Brunel improved the [[blastpipe]] arrangement of the North Star to improve its fuel efficiency. Eventually Gooch moved on from the Star class and designed the new [[GWR Firefly Class]] of [[Whyte notation|2-2-2]] express passenger locomotives, introduced in 1840.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0850598192 |pages=73–74}}</ref>

In comparative trials by the Gauge Commissioners, ''Ixion'' of this class proved capable of speeds greater than its {{Track gauge|56.5in|allk=on}} challenger. In 1843 Gooch introduced a [[Stephenson valve gear#Gooch valve gear|new form]] of locomotive [[valve gear]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0850598192 |page=77}}</ref>

In 1840, Gooch was responsible for identifying the site of [[Swindon Works]] and in 1846 for designing the first complete locomotive to be constructed there, ''Great Western'', prototype of the [[GWR Iron Duke Class]] of [[Whyte notation|4-2-2]] locomotives, which were able to achieve {{convert|70|mph|km/h}}. Much renewed, they lasted to the end of the [[Great Western Railway#Brunel's 7-foot gauge and the "gauge war"|GWR broad gauge era]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0850598192 |page=21}}</ref>

Although Gooch's locomotives were principally for the broad gauge, between 1854 and 1864 he also had to design a number of [[Daniel Gooch standard gauge locomotives|standard gauge classes]] for the GWR's new Northern Division. At the end of September 1864, he resigned from his post of Locomotive Superintendent,{{sfn|MacDermot|1927|p=789}} though he continued as a member of the GWR Board.

==Cable engineer and other roles==
From 1859, Gooch lived at [[Clewer Park]] in Windsor and was a [[Deputy Lieutenant]] for Berkshire.{{sfn|Mair|1881|loc=[https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1881londuoft#page/92/mode/2up p. 93]}} 

In 1865, he was recalled to the Great Western Railway Company as chairman, replacing [[Richard Potter (businessman)|Richard Potter]] in November 1865; he remained chairman until his death in October 1889, when F.G. Saunders was elected to succeed him.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nock |first=O.S. |authorlink=O. S. Nock |title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. III: 1923–1947 |date=September 1967 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |location=Shepperton |id=1584/387/DXX/967 |page=257 }}</ref> He was also chief engineer of the [[Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Daniel_Gooch |title=Daniel Gooch - Graces Guide |website=gracesguide.co.uk |access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Telegraph_Construction_and_Maintenance_Co|title=Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Co - Graces Guide |website=gracesguide.co.uk |access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref> 

In this role, he was instrumental in laying the first successful [[transatlantic telegraph cable]], using the {{SS|Great Eastern}} (1865/66).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://atlantic-cable.com/Article/Gooch/index.html |title=History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - Daniel Gooch |website=atlantic-cable.com |access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.historytoday.com/archive/atlantic-cable |title=The Atlantic Cable |first=Philip |last=Cowburn |date=August 1966 |access-date=7 November 2021 |website=historytoday.com}}</ref> On completion of the cable, on 27 July 1866, Gooch, who was on the ''Great Eastern'', sent a cable message to the [[Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (UK)|Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs]], [[Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby|Lord Stanley]], saying "Perfect communication established between England and America; God grant it will be a lasting source of benefit to our country."<ref name="Raynes">{{Cite Q|Q115680227|page=89}}</ref>

==Political career==
In 1865, while out of the country laying the cable, Gooch was elected [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] for [[Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency)|Cricklade]].{{sfn|Seatrobe|2012}} He held the seat until 1885.{{sfn|Channon|2013}} During his time as MP, he never addressed Parliament; he noted this in his diary when Parliament was dissolved on 18 November 1885 with the comment <q>It would be a great advantage to business if there were a greater number who followed my example.</q>{{sfn|MacDermot|1931|p=369}}{{sfn|Gooch|1892|loc=[https://archive.org/stream/diariessirdanie00goocgoog#page/n292/mode/2up p. 248]}}

==Later business activities==
In 1866 Gooch was created a [[baronet]] in recognition of his cable work.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=23183 |date=13 November 1866 |page=5994}}</ref> 

In 1868, he became chairman of the Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company after [[John Pender]], the first chairman, resigned.  He led the Great Western Railway out of near-bankruptcy and took a particular interest in construction of the [[Severn Tunnel]]. Final abandonment of the broad gauge did not take place until after his death at the age of 73.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

From 1850 on he was an active Freemason, holding office and founding a number of Lodges.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Stephens |location=Wellingborough |isbn=0850598192 |page=23}}</ref>

==Family==
[[File:Grave of Sir Daniel Gooch, Clewer Village, Windsor - geograph.org.uk - 4717048.jpg|thumb|right|Gooch's grave at St Andrew's church in [[Clewer]]]]
{{More citations needed|section|date=September 2023}}
Gooch married Margaret Tanner in 1838; they had six children: Anna (1839), Emily (1849), Henry (1841), Charles (1845), Alfred (1846) and Frank (1847).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=Denis |title=Locomotive Engineers of the GWR |date=1987 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Wellingborough, Northamptonshire |isbn=0850598192 |page=22}}</ref> Following Margaret's death in 1868, he married Emily Burder in 1870; she died in 1901. 

His elder brothers, [[Thomas Longridge Gooch|Thomas]], [[John Viret Gooch|John]], and younger brother [[William Frederick Gooch|William]], were also railway engineers. His grandson, also named Daniel, briefly served as dog handler on [[Ernest Shackleton]]'s [[Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition]].

==Legacy==

[[GWR Castle Class]] steam locomotive no. 5070 and [[Western Region of British Railways|British Rail Western Region]] [[British Rail Class 47|class 47]] diesel locomotive no. D1663 (later 47078, then 47628) were both named ''Sir Daniel Gooch''. Continuing with this tradition, the present [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] company has named [[British Rail Class 800|class 800]] no. 800004 after Gooch; it runs on the line that Gooch helped to create.

A pub in [[Bayswater]], [[London]] was named the Daniel Gooch; it closed in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/london/w2_bayswater_danielgooch.html|title=Daniel Gooch, Bayswater|website=www.closedpubs.co.uk}}</ref> The Sir Daniel Arms, a [[Wetherspoons]] pub in Swindon, is also named after Gooch, as is Gooch Street in the same town, one of several streets built to house Great Western railway workers.

==See also==
*[[Locomotives of the Great Western Railway#Daniel Gooch (1837–1864)|GWR locomotives by Gooch]]
*[[Daniel Gooch standard gauge locomotives]]
*[[Gooch valve gear]]
*[[Gooch baronets#Gooch Baronets of Clewer Park|Gooch Baronets of Clewer Park]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite ODNB|id=10939|title=Gooch, Sir Daniel
|last1=Channon|first1=Geoffrey|orig-year=2004
|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10939
|date=September 2013|access-date=3 February 2015}}
* {{cite book| author=Gooch, Daniel| title=Memoirs & Diary| year=1972| publisher=David & Charles| isbn=0-7153-5609-7 }}
* {{cite book
|last1=Gooch|first1=Daniel
|title=Diaries of Sir Daniel Gooch, Baronet
|date=1892|publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner
|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/diariessirdanie00goocgoog
|via=Internet Archive
|oclc=12832410
}}
* {{cite book| author=Griffiths, Derek| title=Locomotive Engineers of the GWR| year=1987| publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd| isbn=0-85059-819-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=MacDermot |first=E.T. |title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863 |year=1927 |publisher=[[Great Western Railway]] |location=Paddington }}
*{{cite book |last=MacDermot |first=E.T. |title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. II: 1863-1921 |year=1931 |publisher=[[Great Western Railway]] |location=Paddington |oclc=55853736 }}
* {{cite book
|editor1-last=Mair
|editor1-first=Robert Henry
|title=Debrett's Illustrated House of Commons and the Judicial Bench
|date=1881
|publisher=Dean & Son
|location=London|url=https://archive.org/details/debrettshouseo1881londuoft
|via=Internet Archive
|access-date=4 February 2015
}}
* {{cite web|last1=Seatrobe |first1=J B |title=They were also MPs: Daniel Gooch (1816-1889) |url=http://www.totalpolitics.com/print/304057/they-were-also-mps-daniel-gooch-18161889.thtml |website=Total Politics |publisher=Warners Group Publications |access-date=3 February 2015 |date=15 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204023409/http://www.totalpolitics.com/print/304057/they-were-also-mps-daniel-gooch-18161889.thtml |archive-date=4 February 2015}}
* (24 September 2004), ''[https://steamindex.com/people/gooch.htm Sir Daniel Gooch]''. Retrieved 9 February 2005.

== External links ==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Gooch, Sir Daniel}}
* {{Hansard-contribs | sir-daniel-gooch | Daniel Gooch }}
* Gooch's letter proposing [[Swindon railway works]] - [http://www.mybrunel.co.uk/buildings/swindon.php Gooch’s Historic letter to Brunel - A Piece of Paper That Changed A Town’s Destiny]
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw117430/Sir-Daniel-Gooch-1st-Bt?LinkID=mp01812&role=sit&rNo=1 Photograph of Gooch taken in the 1860s.] [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]].
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw02614/Sir-Daniel-Gooch-1st-Bt?LinkID=mp01812&role=sit&rNo=0 Portrait of Gooch.] National Portrait Gallery, artist, [[Francis Grant (artist)|Francis Grant]], 1872.
{{s-start}}
{{s-bus}}
{{succession box| before=None | title=[[Locomotive Superintendent|Superintendent of Locomotive Engines]]<br />on the [[Great Western Railway]] | years=1837 &ndash; 1864 | after=[[Joseph Armstrong (engineer)|Joseph Armstrong]]}}
{{succession box| before=[[Richard Potter (businessman)|Richard Potter]] | title=Chairman of the [[Great Western Railway]] | years=1865 &ndash; 1889 | after=Frederick Saunders}}{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
 | title  = [[Cricklade (UK Parliament constituency)|Member of Parliament for Cricklade]]
 | with   = [[Ambrose Lethbridge Goddard]] 1865&ndash;1868
 | with2  = [[Frederick William Cadogan]] 1868&ndash;1874
 | with3  = [[Ambrose Lethbridge Goddard]] 1874&ndash;1880
 | with4  = [[Nevil Story-Maskelyne]] 1880&ndash;1885
 | with5  = (representation reduced to one member 1885)
 | before = [[Ambrose Lethbridge Goddard]]<br />[[Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury|Lord Ashley]]
 | after  = [[Nevil Story-Maskelyne]]
 | years  = 1865 &ndash; 1885
}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{s-new | creation }}
{{s-ttl
 | title = [[Gooch baronets|Baronet]]<br />'''(of Clewer Park)'''
 | years = 1866 &ndash; 1889
}}
{{s-aft | after= Henry Daniel Gooch }}
{{s-end}}

{{GWR Locomotives}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gooch, Daniel}}
[[Category:1816 births]]
[[Category:1889 deaths]]
[[Category:Gooch baronets|201]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies]]
[[Category:English railway mechanical engineers]]
[[Category:Locomotive builders and designers]]
[[Category:People from Bedlington]]
[[Category:People from Windsor, Berkshire]]
[[Category:British rail transport pioneers]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1865–1868]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1868–1874]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1874–1880]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1880–1885]]
[[Category:Great Western Railway people]]
[[Category:Directors of the Great Western Railway]]
[[Category:19th-century English engineers]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Cricklade]]
[[Category:19th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:Deputy lieutenants of Wiltshire]]
[[Category:English Freemasons]]