“Brunel's Dad”
A presentation given by David Richards
At its meeting on Tuesday, 20 September, David Richards of Wendover U3A gave a fascinating potted history of the life and times of Marc Isambard Brunel – Isambard Kingdom’s Dad.
Born in 1769 in Normandy, Marc rejected the fervent wish of his parents that he should join a Seminary as a young man to study Greek and Latin. Instead, he joined the French Navy. However, as an argumentative royalist, he was later forced to escape from Revolutionary France, pursued by republicans, without identity papers for sanctuary in America where he started to forge a career as an inventor. His first creation – a machine for making wooden pulley blocks on sailing ships that would reduce the need for artisans from 100 ro 10 to hand-craft them - was not well received initially, but his idea was eventually accepted by the British Navy.
Later inventions included a mechanical saw mill for converting trees into planks for a ship’s hull, the production of tinfoil, a copying press, marine steam and gas engines, a mechanical means of creating ‘clout’ nails (formerly hand-made) and a boot making machine. But perhaps his most notable achievement was the creation of a tunnel under the Thames by means of a novel contraption for ensuring that the walls did not collapse and the spoil could be removed as excavation continued. The tunnel was opened by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1843 and a remnant of the original work can still be seen today at Watling Station.
Despite a total lack of business acumen (he came close to financial ruin), Marc Isambard Brunel obviously had a most fertile mind and his genius was eventually recognised by a number of notable bodies, such as the Royal Society. Having acquired British citizenship, he was knighted in 1841 by Queen Victoria, whereas his better-known son - Isambard Kingdom - received no such honour for his own outstanding civil engineering achievements.
Colin thanked David for his presentation, for which he was warmly applauded.
Janet Cato
September 2016
Born in 1769 in Normandy, Marc rejected the fervent wish of his parents that he should join a Seminary as a young man to study Greek and Latin. Instead, he joined the French Navy. However, as an argumentative royalist, he was later forced to escape from Revolutionary France, pursued by republicans, without identity papers for sanctuary in America where he started to forge a career as an inventor. His first creation – a machine for making wooden pulley blocks on sailing ships that would reduce the need for artisans from 100 ro 10 to hand-craft them - was not well received initially, but his idea was eventually accepted by the British Navy.
Later inventions included a mechanical saw mill for converting trees into planks for a ship’s hull, the production of tinfoil, a copying press, marine steam and gas engines, a mechanical means of creating ‘clout’ nails (formerly hand-made) and a boot making machine. But perhaps his most notable achievement was the creation of a tunnel under the Thames by means of a novel contraption for ensuring that the walls did not collapse and the spoil could be removed as excavation continued. The tunnel was opened by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1843 and a remnant of the original work can still be seen today at Watling Station.
Despite a total lack of business acumen (he came close to financial ruin), Marc Isambard Brunel obviously had a most fertile mind and his genius was eventually recognised by a number of notable bodies, such as the Royal Society. Having acquired British citizenship, he was knighted in 1841 by Queen Victoria, whereas his better-known son - Isambard Kingdom - received no such honour for his own outstanding civil engineering achievements.
Colin thanked David for his presentation, for which he was warmly applauded.
Janet Cato
September 2016