Thomas Telford

Engineer

Birthday August 9, 1757

Birth Sign Leo

Birthplace Scotland

DEATH DATE Sep 2, 1834 (77)

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About

Scottish civil engineer and architect known for his construction of canals, bridges, and roads in the U.K. He was the first President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Before Fame

He was apprenticed to a stonemason at the age of fourteen and worked in Edinburgh until he moved to London.

Trivia

He became a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1821.

Family Life

His father, John Telford, was a shepherd who died shortly after he was born. He was raised by his mother, Janet.

Associated With

Rudolf Virchow was also a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.