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Born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Armstrong was originally launched on a career in law. However, his major interest was in engineering. In 1840, he invented a hydraulic engine, following it up with other electrical and labour-saving devices, including the hydraulic crane. In 1847, he founded the Elswick works at Newcastle, to produce various electrical devices and engines. The Armstrong breech-loading gun was one of his more successful developments, and in 1882 the works also began building ships. In 1897, the firm merged with Joseph Whitworth & Co, later becoming Vickers Armstrong Ltd.
Lord Armstrong purchased Bamburgh Castle as one of his residences, and also built the Victorian extravaganza, Cragside, now a National TrustThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty known usually as simply The National Trust and sometimes abbreviated to NT is an organization which works to preserve and protect coastline, countryside and buildings in England, Wales a property, further inland at RothburyRothbury is a town in Northumberland, England, located on the River Coquet near the Simonside Hills and the Northumberland National Park. The town is popular with walkers, and is known for the Victorian mansion Cragside, located nearby. Towns in Northumbe, NorthumberlandFor other places with this name, see Northumberland Northumberland is a county in England, on the border with Scotland. The county's largest boundaries were from the river Humber in the south, to the Forth in the North, as the kingdom of Northumbria under. The latter was the first house in BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly to be entirely powered by hydro-electricity, generated by a system of Armstrong's own design.