A Letter by István Széchenyi to William Tierney Clark
A Letter by István Széchenyi to William Tierney Clark

Summary/Abstract: The English draft of Count István Széchenyi’s (1791–1860) letter to William Tierney Clark (1783–1852), who designed the first permanent bridge over the Danube between Buda and Pest, is first published here. The document is of interest for many reasons. It sheds light on a number of subjects that captivated Széchenyi’s mind in the 1840s, including his main obsession, the construction of the Chain Bridge, technical issues related to operating the Joseph Rolling Mill, finding coal and iron ore for establishing ironworks, etc. As most of his efforts aimed at starting and implementing an industrial revolution in his native country, it was natural that the Count, whose proficiency in the English language had been found worthy of noting in his military records, was fascinated by the modernization of Britain. In addition to visiting the Isles in the preceding three decades, Széchenyi frequently exchanged letters in English with engineers, investors and inventors. Recipients of his letters include English physician and author of the two-volume work Hungary and Transylvania John Paget (1808–1892), Scottish engineer and Fellow of the Royal Society George Rennie (1791–1866), etc. English-speaking travellers took a similarly vivid interest in 19th-century Hungary.

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