Person    | Male  Born 24/5/1815  Died 8/8/1870

John Thwaites

First Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works and thus the first Leader of local government in London.

Born Westmorland. Came to London in 1832, trained as a draper and set up his own business in 1842. Entered local government through the church, representing more than one Vestry. Sewage was an important problem at this time and Thwaites became a bit of an expert. This all led to his election to be Chair of the newly formed Metropolitan Board of Works 22 December 1855.

With Bazalgette as the Board's Chief Engineer, Thwaites was responsible for the construction of a London sewage system including the construction of the Victoria Embankment. Knighted in 1865 in recognition of his success with the sewage system. Most unfairly, Thwaites died of cholera at his home in Wandsworth.

Not to be confused with the John Thwaites who commissioned a new sewerage system in western Victoria, Australia, in 2003. Wonder if he knows of his illustrious name-sake?

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

Commemorated ati

Northern Outfall Sewer - River Lea

Metropolitan Board of Works Northern Outfall Sewer Constructed 1862 - 63 John...

Read More

Other Subjects

Phillip John Willoughby, JP

Phillip John Willoughby, JP

Commoner on the City Lands & Bridge House Estates Committee, 1994.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Camille Pissarro

Camille Pissarro

French Impressionist painter.  Born in the Danish West Indies (now the Virgin Islands) to a French father, a merchant, and Creole mother.  With Danish nationality he avoided the Prussian invasion o...

Person, Politics & Administration, Seriously Famous, Caribbean Islands, Denmark, France

4 memorials
David Burnett, FSI

David Burnett, FSI

Commoner on the Bridge House Estates Committee, 1894.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Gordon Campbell

Gordon Campbell

Canadian diplomat and politician. Born in Vancouver. He was the 34th Premier of British Columbia from 2001 to 2011, leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party and from 2011 to 2016, Canadian High...

Person, Politics & Administration, Canada

1 memorial
J.A. Willson
1 memorial