The Life of Thomas Telford, Civil Engineer: With an Introductory History of Roads and Travelling in Great Britain

by Samuel Smiles

Overview

This biography of the civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757–1834) was published in 1867 by Samuel Smiles (1812–1904), the author of Self-Help and of other biographies of engineers and innovators. Smiles had already written about Telford's life and achievements in Volume 2 of his Lives of the Engineers (which is also reissued in this series), but in returning to the topic he adds to this new edition an introductory section (taken from Volume 1 of Lives of the Engineers) on the history of roads in Britain, from prehistoric trackways, via the Romans, to the modern road-building system pioneered by John Metcalf (the extraordinary 'Blind Jack of Knaresborough') and Telford himself. This illustrated work gives engaging accounts from earlier writers of the perils of road travel, and also deals in detail with Telford's own career as a builder of roads, bridges and canals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789356899438
Publisher:	Alpha Editions
Publication date:	02/28/2023
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.52(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Part I. Early Roads and Modes of Travelling: 1. Old roads; 2. Early modes of conveyance; 3. Manners and customs influenced by the state of the roads; 4. Roads and travelling in Scotland in the last century; 5. Roads and travelling in England towards the end of the last century; 6. John Metcalf, road-maker; Part II. Life of Thomas Telford: 1. Eskdale; 2. Langholm - Telford a stonemason; 3. Working mason in London, and foreman at Portsmouth; 4. Surveyor for the county of Salop; 5. First employment as engineer; 6. The Ellesmere canal; 7. Iron and other bridges; 8. Highland roads and bridges; 9. Telford's Scotch harbours; 10. Caledonian and other canals; 11. Telford as a road-maker; 12. The Menai and Conway suspension bridges; 13. Docks, drainage, and bridges; 14. Southey's tour in the Highlands; 15. Telford's later years - death and character; Index.