Person    | Male  Born 8/6/1724  Died 28/10/1792

John Smeaton

Categories: Engineering

Civil engineer. Born and died at Austhorpe Lodge, Whitkirk, near Leeds. In 1748 he moved to London initially at Great Turnstile and set up in business first as a scientist and maker of instruments but he soon got involved in engineering projects.

Considered by some the "father of civil engineering". Designed bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. His most famous work being the third Eddystone Lighthouse, which became the model for all other lighthouses, and appeared on the tail of the old penny, behind Britannia.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
John Smeaton

Commemorated ati

Ship Tavern

Founded: AD 1549. Rebuilt: AD 1923 The Ship Tavern This tavern was establ...

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Skempton Building plaques

2018: Eamonn Doyle has written to correct our "east to west", saying that the...

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Other Subjects

Sir Alfred Seale Haslam

Sir Alfred Seale Haslam

Engineer and politician.  Born Derby.  He saw the potential of refrigeration and developed equipment that was used extensively both on land and on ships.  Knighted by Queen Victoria in 1891 he fund...

Person, Benefactor, Engineering, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Mott, Hay and Anderson

Mott, Hay and Anderson

A civil engineering firm. Began as a partnership with Basil Mott and David Hay. David Anderson became a partner in 1920, on return from the army. In 1989 the company merged with Sir M MacDonald &a...

Group, Engineering

2 memorials
Peter Sloan

Peter Sloan

Chief Electrician on the RMS Titanic. A résumé of his life can be found on the Encyclopedia Titanica website.

Person, Engineering, Tragedy

1 memorial
Pierre Cérésole

Pierre Cérésole

Engineer and peace activist. Born in Lausanne. He worked in the United States and Japan, returning to Switzerland at the outbreak of WW1. He became a conscientious objector, and was imprisoned beca...

Person, Engineering, Peace, Switzerland

1 memorial
Sir Henry Bessemer

Sir Henry Bessemer

Engineer known for inventing the Bessemer process for producing steel. Born Charlton, Hertfordshire. Moved to London aged 17. From 1833 he lived at 15 Northampton Square, the EC1 site now occupied ...

Person, Engineering

2 memorials