NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Thomas Telford

Thomas Telford (August 9, 1757 - September 2, 1834) was born in Westerkirk, Scotland. He was a stonemason, architect and civil engineer and a noted road, bridge and canal builder. Image File history File links ThomasTelford. ... Image File history File links ThomasTelford. ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1834 (MDCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... , Langholm, also known colloquially as the Muckle Toon, is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road. ... This article is about the country. ... The art and craft of the stonemason has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures and sculpture using stone and other raw materials from the earth. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering. ... For other uses, see Road (disambiguation). ... This article is about the edifice (including an index to articles on specific bridge types). ... For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation). ...

Early career

Telford's father, a shepherd, died soon after he was born. He was raised in poverty by his mother. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a stonemason, and some of his earliest work can still be seen on the bridge across the River Esk in Langholm in the Scottish borders. He worked for a time in Edinburgh and in 1782 he moved to London where (after meeting architects Robert Adam and Sir William Chambers) he was involved in building additions to Somerset House in London. Two years later he found work at Portsmouth dockyard and - although still largely self-taught - was extending his talents to the specification, design and management of building projects. The River Esk is a river in Dumfriesshire, Scotland that flows into the Solway Firth. ... , Langholm, also known colloquially as the Muckle Toon, is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 1728 - 3 March 1792) was a Scottish architect, interior designer and furniture designer, born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. ... The central courtyard of Chambers Somerset House in London. ... The central courtyard of Somerset House in London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. ...

In 1787, through his wealthy patron William Pulteney, he became Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire. Civil engineering was a discipline still in its infancy, so Telford was set on establishing himself as an architect. His projects included renovation of Shrewsbury Castle, the town's prison (during the planning of which he met leading prison reformer John Howard), St Mary Magdalene Church in Bridgnorth and another church in Madeley. Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet (October 1729 â€“ 30 May 1805) was an eminent Scottish lawyer, Member of Parliament, and at one time reputedly the wealthiest man in the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Shropshire (pronounced /, -/), alternatively known as Salop[6] or abbreviated Shrops[7], is a county in the West Midlands of England. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... For other places with the same name, see Shrewsbury (disambiguation). ... John Howard (September 2, 1726 - January 20, 1790) was a philanthropist and the first English prison reformer. ... , Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. ... Madeley is a district of Telford, in Shropshire. ...

As the Shropshire county surveyor, Telford was also responsible for bridges. In 1790 he designed a bridge carrying the London-Holyhead road over the River Severn at Montford, the first of some 40 bridges he built in Shropshire, including major crossings of the Severn at Buildwas, and Bridgnorth. The bridge was Telford's first iron bridge. He was influenced by the famous bridge at Ironbridge, and observed that it was grossly over-designed for its function, and many of the component parts were poorly cast. By contrast, his bridge was 30 ft (10 m) wider in span and half the weight, although it now no longer exists. He was one of the first engineers to test his materials thoroughly before construction. As his engineering prowess grew, Telford was to return to this material repeatedly. Year 1790 (MDCCXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Holyhead (Welsh: Caergybi, the fort of St. ... â€œSevernâ€ redirects here. ... Montford is a small village and parish in Shropshire, England. ... Buildwas is a village and a ward in Shropshire, England. ... , Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. ... For other uses, see Iron (disambiguation). ... The Iron Bridge The Iron Bridge The Iron Bridge The Iron Bridge crosses the River Severn at the Ironbridge Gorge, by the village of Ironbridge, in Shropshire, England. ... The village, seen from the bridge Ironbridge is a settlement beside the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England. ...

In 1795 the bridge at Bewdley, in Worcestershire was swept away in the winter floods and Telford was responsible for the design of its replacement. The same winter floods saw the bridge at Tenbury also swept away. This bridge across the River Teme was the joint responsibility of both Worcestershire and Shropshire and the bridge has a bend where the two counties meet. Telford was responsible for the repair to the northern Shropshire end of the bridge. 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a small town in Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... Tenbury Wells is a small town in Worcestershire, England, lying on the south bank of the River Teme. ... The River Teme rises in mid-Wales south of Newtown, Powys and flows through Ludlow in Shropshire, then between Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire and Burford, Shropshire on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester. ...

Ellesmere Canal

Telford's reputation in Shropshire led to his appointment in 1793 to manage the detailed design and construction of the Ellesmere Canal, linking the ironworks and collieries of Wrexham via the north-west Shropshire town of Ellesmere, with Chester, utilising the existing Chester Canal, and then the River Mersey. Year 1793 (MDCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Llangollen Canal we see today was previously called the Ellesmere Canal, but the Ellesmere Canal as originally envisaged was very different from what was eventually constructed. ... , Wrexham (Welsh: Wrecsam) is a large (former industrial) town, conurbation and principal area of Wales lying in north-eastern part of the country. ... Ellesmere is a market town in Shropshire, England. ... This article is about Chester in England. ... Chester Canal basin at Raymond Street, near the junction with the River Dee The Chester Canal was a canal linking the south Cheshire town of Nantwich with the River Dee at Chester, providing a route for produce (including salt) from Nantwich to reach Chester and, beyond it, the sea via... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ...

Among other structures, this involved the spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct over the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen, where Telford used a new method of construction consisting of troughs made from cast iron plates and fixed in masonry. The Aqueduct, view from the ground Crossing the aqueduct A view of the ground below from the aqueduct The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is an aqueduct which carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee, east of Llangollen in north Wales. ... For other Rivers Dee in the UK, see River Dee. ... Llangollen (IPA: ) is a small town in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. ... Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ...

Eminent canal engineer William Jessop oversaw the project, but he left the detailed execution of the project in Telford's hands. William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ...

The same period also saw Telford involved in the design and construction of the Shrewsbury Canal. When the original engineer, Josiah Clowes, died in 1795, Telford succeeded him. One of Telford's achievements on this project was the design of the cast-iron aqueduct at Longdon-on-Tern, pre-dating that at Pontcysyllte, and substantially bigger than the UK's first cast-iron aqueduct, built by Benjamin Outram on the Derby Canal just months earlier. The Shrewsbury Canal was a canal in Shropshire, England. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Longdon-on-Tern (also known as Longdon-upon-Tern) is a village in south Shropshire, England, situated approximately seven miles east of Shrewsbury and seven miles north-west of Telford. ... Benjamin Outram (1 April 1764 - 22 May 1805) was an English civil engineer. ... The Derby Canal ran 14 miles from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Swarkestone to the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre, Derbyshire, England. ...

Engineer in demand

The Ellesmere Canal was completed in 1805 and alongside his canal responsibilities, Telford's reputation as a civil engineer meant he was constantly consulted on numerous other projects. These included water supply works for Liverpool, improvements to London's docklands and the rebuilding of London Bridge(c.1800). Download high resolution version (599x800, 285 KB)A stone road bridge designed by Thomas Telford, featuring an unusual circular arch design. ... Download high resolution version (599x800, 285 KB)A stone road bridge designed by Thomas Telford, featuring an unusual circular arch design. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see London Bridge (disambiguation). ... // ON MAY 5 1853 MR.FADER HAD SEX WITH A MAN NAME MR WIEN THEN THEY HAD SON NAMEDMRS COTURE AND MR MANOOGIAN WENT INTO MRS HASKELLS OFFICE NAKED AND DANCED AROUND AND MASTERBATED ON HER CHEST AND SHE LICKED IT OFF THEN THEY HAD ORAL SEEX WITH NAPLOEAN OF...

Most notably (and again William Pulteney was influential), in 1801 Telford devised a master plan to improve communications in the Highlands of Scotland, a massive project that was to last some 20 years. It included the building of the Caledonian Canal along the Great Glen and redesign of sections of the Crinan Canal, some 920 miles of new roads, over a thousand new bridges (including the Craigellachie Bridge), numerous harbour improvements (including works at Aberdeen, Dundee, Peterhead, Wick, Portmahomack and Banff), and 32 new churches. The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... This article is about the country. ... The Caledonian Canal in Scotland connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast near Fort William. ... The Great Glen, also known as Glen Albyn or Glen Mor is a series of valleys in Scotland running 100 kilometres from Inverness on the Moray Firth to Fort William at the head of Loch Linnhe. ... Lock House on Crinan Canal The Crinan canal is a canal in the west of Scotland. ... Illustration of the bridge from the 1838 Atlas to the Life of Thomas Telford. ... A harbor (or harbour) or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ... For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). ... , There is also a suburb of Adelaide named Peterhead, South Australia Peterhead called Ceann Phadraig in Gaelic is a town in Scotland with a population of approximately 18,000. ... Location within the British Isles Noted point: Designer musician Douglas More hails from Wick! Wick (Inbhir Uige in Gaelic) is an estuary town in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, on the main highway (the A99-A9 road) linking John O Groats with southern Britain. ... Portmahomack is a small fishing village in Easter Ross, Scotland. ... This article is about the towns in Scotland. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ...

Telford also undertook highway works in the Scottish Lowlands, including 184 miles of new roads and numerous bridges, ranging from a 112 ft (34 m) span stone bridge across the Dee at Tongueland in Kirkcudbright (1805-1806) to the 129 ft (39 m) tall Cartland Crags bridge near Lanark (1822). The River Dee is a 50 mile (80 km) long river, which rises in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, and flowing to the Irish Sea in Kirkcudbright. ... Tongland is a small village about 2 miles north of Kirkcudbright, south west Scotland. ... Location within the British Isles. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article describes the town in Scotland. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Telford was consulted in 1806 by the King of Sweden about the construction of a canal between Gothenburg and Stockholm. His plans were adopted and construction of the Göta Canal began in 1810. Telford travelled to Sweden at that time to oversee some of the more important initial excavations. 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Gothenburg (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ... Bergs slussar (locks) at Berg near LinkÃ¶ping, descending to lake Roxen GÃ¶ta Kanal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The 'Colossus of Roads'

During his later years, Telford was responsible for rebuilding sections of the London to Holyhead road, a task completed by his assistant of ten years, John MacNeill; today, much of the route is the A5 trunk road. Between London and Shrewsbury, most of the work amounted to improvements. Beyond Shrewsbury, and especially beyond Llangollen, the work often involved building a highway from scratch. Notable features of this section of the route include the iron bridge across the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed, the ascent from there to Capel Curig and then the descent from the pass of Nant Ffrancon towards Bangor. Between Capel Curig and Bethesda, in the Ogwen Valley, Telford deviated from the original road, built by Romans during their occupation of this area. Download high resolution version (1750x1077, 79 KB)Personal Photograph taken by Mick Knapton on 17th June 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1750x1077, 79 KB)Personal Photograph taken by Mick Knapton on 17th June 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Menai Suspension Bridge from a viewpoint on the A4080 near the Britannia Bridge. ... The modern Watling Street crossing the Medway at Rochester near the Roman and Celt crossings Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. ... Sir John Benjamin Macneill (1792/3 - 2 March 1880) was an eminent Irish civil engineer of the 19th century, closely associated with Thomas Telford. ... The A5 is a major road in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the town. ... Village sign Betws-y-Coed is a village in the county borough of Conwy, within the traditional borders of Caernarfonshire, North Wales. ... Capel Curig is a village in Conwy, Wales. ... Llyn Ogwen (near the summit of the Nant Ffrancon Pass), taken from the A5. ... Bangor, in north Wales, is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. ... Capel Curig is a village in Conwy, Wales. ... Bethesda is a town lying on the River Ogwen and the A5 road in Snowdonia, north Wales, affectionately called Pesda by the locals. ... Dyffryn Ogwen, or Ogwen Valley, is a valley in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. ...

On the island of Anglesey a new embankment across the Stanley Sands to Holyhead was constructed, but the crossing of the Menai Strait was the most formidable challenge, overcome by the Menai Suspension Bridge (1819-1826). Anglesey (historically Anglesea; Welsh: , pronounced (IPA)) is a predominantly Welsh-speaking island off the northwest coast of Wales. ... The Menai Strait (in Welsh Afon Menai, the River Menai) is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about 14 miles (23 km) long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. ... The Menai Suspension Bridge from a viewpoint on the A4080 near the Britannia Bridge. ...

Telford also worked on the North Wales coast road between Chester and Bangor, including another major suspension bridge at Conwy, opened later the same year as its Menai counterpart. From Atlas to the Life of Thomas Telford, Civil Engineer containing eighty-three copper plates, illustrative of his professional labours, 1838 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... From Atlas to the Life of Thomas Telford, Civil Engineer containing eighty-three copper plates, illustrative of his professional labours, 1838 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Conwy Suspension Bridge. ... This article is about the town. ...

Further afield Telford designed a road to cross the centre of the Isle of Arran. Named the 'String road', this route traverses bleak and difficult terrain to allow traffic to cross from east to west Arran (and vice versa) avoiding the circuitous coastal route. The Isle of Arran (Scots Gaelic: Eilean Arainn) is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde with an area of 430 kmÂ² (167 square miles). ...

Telford improved on methods for the building of macadam roads by improving the selection of stone based on thickness, taking into account traffic, alignment and slopes.^[1] Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by John Loudon McAdam in the early 1800s. ...

The punning nickname Colossus of Roads was given to Telford by his friend and Poet Laureate Robert Southey. Telford’s reputation as a man of letters may have preceded his fame as an engineer: he had published poetry between 1779 and 1784, and an account of a tour of Scotland with Southey. His will left bequests to Southey (who would later write Telford’s biography), the poet Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) and to the publishers of the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia (to which he had been a contributor).^[2] EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... A Poet Laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events. ... Robert Southey, English poet Robert Southey (August 12, 1774 â€“ March 21, 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called Lake Poets, and Poet Laureate. ...

Late career

Other works by Telford include the St Katharine Docks (1824-1828) close to Tower Bridge in central London, where he worked with alongside the architect Philip Hardwick, the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal (today known as the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal), the second Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal (1827), and the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal (today part of the Shropshire Union Canal) - started in May 1826 but finished, after Telford's death, in January 1835. At the time of its construction in 1829, Galton Bridge was the longest single span in the world. He also built Whitstable harbour in Kent in 1832, in connection with the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway with an unusual system for flushing out mud using a tidal reservoir. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Ulva is a privately owned island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Mull. ... The Hebrides (Inner Hebrides in red) The Inner Hebrides are a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. ... St Katharine Docks were one of the commercial docks serving London, on the north side of the river Thames just east (downstream) of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1828 (MDCCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For the bridge of the same name in California, see Tower Bridge (California). ... Philip Hardwick (1792-1870) was an eminent English architect (son of architect Thomas Hardwick (junior) (1752-1829), and grandson of Thomas Hardwick Senior (1725-1798)). He is particularly associated with transport-related buildings (eg: railway stations, warehouses) in London and elsewhere. ... The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal is a canal in the south west of England, between Gloucester and Sharpness. ... The Trent and Mersey Canal is a canal linking the River Trent at Shardlow in Derbyshire to the River Mersey at Runcorn in Cheshire. ... The Shropshire Union Canal near Norbury Junction The Shropshire Union Canal is a canal linking Wolverhampton with the River Mersey. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Galton Bridge is a canal bridge in Smethwick, West Midlands, England built by Thomas Telford in 1829. ... The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, sometimes referred to colloquially as the Crab and Winkle Line, opened in 1830 between Canterbury and Whitstable in the county of Kent, England. ...

In 1820, Telford was appointed the first President of the recently-formed Institution of Civil Engineers, a post he held until his death. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Institutions headquarters Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineers. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ...

Places named after Telford

Telford New Town

When a new town was being built in the Wrekin area of Shropshire in 1968, it was named Telford in his honour. In 1990, when it came to naming one of Britain's first City Technology Colleges, to be situated in Telford, Thomas Telford was the obvious choice. Thomas Telford School is consistently among the top performing comprehensive schools in the country [1]. A new town, planned community or planned city is a city, town, or community that was designed from scratch, and grew up more or less following the plan. ... Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. ... Shropshire (pronounced /, -/), alternatively known as Salop[6] or abbreviated Shrops[7], is a county in the West Midlands of England. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Telford is a planned town in Shropshire, England, that was named after the engineer Thomas Telford. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... In England, City Technology Colleges (CTCs) are independent schools which charge no fees as their recurrent costs are paid by the DfES and businesses within the private sector. ... Thomas Telford School is a City Technology College in Telford, Shropshire, England. ... A comprehensive school is a secondary school that does not select children on the basis of academic attainment or aptitude. ...

Telford, Pennsylvania

The borough formerly called Hendrick’s Blacksmith in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania changed its name to Telford in 1857, after the North Pennsylvania Railroad Company named its new station there "Telford" in honour of Thomas Telford. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Telford is a borough located in Pennsylvania. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... North Pennsylvania Railroad (NPR) was a railroad company formed in 1855, and served Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County. ...

Edinburgh's Telford College

Edinburgh's Telford College, one of Scotland's largest colleges is named in the honour of the famous engineer. [2] Edinburghs Telford College, named after Thomas Telford, the great Scottish civil engineer, was established in 1968. ... This article is about the country. ...

Bibliography

Lionel Thomas Caswell Rolt (usually abbreviated to Tom Rolt or L.T.C. Rolt) (1910-1974) was a prolific English writer and the biographer of major civil engineering figures including Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Thomas Telford. ... Jan. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Notes

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in the British Isles. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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