26 Facts About Thomas Telford

Thomas Telford was raised in poverty by his mother Janet Jackson.

Thomas Telford 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 there.

Thomas Telford's projects included renovation of Shrewsbury Castle, the town's prison, the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth and another church, St Michael's, in Madeley.

Thomas Telford was influenced by Abraham Darby's bridge at Ironbridge, and observed that it was grossly over-designed for its function, and many of the component parts were poorly cast.

Thomas Telford was one of the first engineers to test his materials thoroughly before construction.

In 1795, the bridge at Bewdley in Worcestershire was swept away in the winter floods and Thomas Telford was responsible for the design of its replacement.

Thomas Telford was responsible for the repair to the northern end of the bridge.

In 1809, Thomas Telford was tasked with improving the Howth Road in Dublin, to connect the new harbour at Howth to the city of Dublin as part of wider plan to improve communication between Dublin and London.

Thomas Telford drafted the first design of the Ulster Canal.

Thomas Telford was consulted in 1806 by the King of Sweden about the construction of a canal between Gothenburg and Stockholm.

Thomas Telford's plans were adopted and construction of the Gota Canal began in 1810.

Thomas Telford travelled to Sweden at that time to oversee some of the more important initial excavations.

Between Capel Curig and Bethesda, in the Ogwen Valley, Thomas Telford deviated from the original road, built by Romans during their occupation of this area.

Unlike modern suspension bridges, Thomas Telford used individually linked 9.5-foot iron eye bars for the cables.

Thomas Telford 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.

Thomas 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.

Thomas Telford surveyed and planned the Macclesfield Canal, which was completed by William Crosley.

Thomas Telford 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.

Thomas Telford completed the Grand Trunk after James Brindley died due to being over-worked.

In 1820, Thomas Telford was appointed the first President of the recently formed Institution of Civil Engineers, a post he held until his death.

Thomas Telford was Initiated into Freemasonry in Antiquity Lodge, No 26, in 1770.

Thomas Telford was a founder member of Phoenix Lodge, No 257.

Thomas Telford designed a room within the George Inn for the lodge.

Mr Thomas Telford was of the most genial disposition and a delightful companion, his laugh was the heartiest I ever heard; it was a pleasure to be in his society.

Thomas Telford was buried in the nave of Westminster Abbey; a statue was erected to him nearby, in St Andrew's Chapel adjoining the north transept.

George Turnbull states that Thomas Telford wrote and gave him a poem:.