Thomas Telford by L. T. C. Rolt

by T.C. Rolt

The son of a shepherd, Thomas Telford was born in Westerkirk, Scotland in 1757. At the age of 14, he was apprenticed to a stonemason. He worked for a time in Edinburgh and in 1782 he moved to London. By this time, Telford had established a good reputation as an engineer and in 1790 was given the task of building a bridge over the River Severn at Montford. This was followed by a canal that linked the ironworks and collieries of Wrexham with Chester and Shrewsbury. On the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Telford used a new method of construction consisting of troughs made from cast-iron plates and fixed in masonry. With the success of these structures, Telford began his rise to fame that eventually made him one of the greatest engineers in Victorian Britain. His bridges, aqueducts, roads, and canals combined aesthetic grace with brilliant engineering, and perhaps no other single individual contributed more to making Britain the "workshop of the world."

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published February 28, 1985

Reviews

[Stephen Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easily readable and informative account of Telford's life and works. Written in thematic chapters, at times the effort to tell an interesting story has caused Rolt to forget that he is writing about Telford, but it is therefore all the more interesting and informative about 18th and 19th century civil engineering. The focus is very much on his work rather than his personal life, but that is largely because there is so much more known and to say about the professional life - and frankly that is what makes him an interesting person to read about.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very scholarly biography of Thomas Telford and the extraordinary number of projects in which he was involved. The author has gone to great lengths to obtain the information from several sources. The book clearly shows the energy which Telford had over a long period and the position of respect which he achieved. I would have liked to have seen more maps but I enjoyed reading this book although it is in need of proof-reading as there are numerous typos.

[ANTHONY CUTLER · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always with Rolt, well written, packed with personal and engineering detail, authoritative. I was fascinated by Telford's literary interests, in particular his passion for John Milton. Good man!

Rolt does attempt to dispel the old canard that Telford was anti-railway, largely motivated by his own canal and turnpike investments. Further, that he had a personal animus against the Stephensons that lead to George's establishment of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Odd that I seem to remember picking up that view from Rolt's George and Robert Stephenson: The Railway Revolution.

[Dave Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

another brilliant and effective work by Tom Rolt.
He illustrates how relentless graft and integrity shown by people like Telford built Britain.

we need those qualities now more than ever.

thank you LTC for another illuminating read

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and easy to read biography of the famous engineer Thomas Telford. I only had a vague knowledge of him from long ago GCSE study, but this biography has helped me to understand Telford both as a man and a engineer.

I also have a greater appreciation for some of the structures and transport links Telford designed.

I would recommend this book to anyone with even a faint interest in the engineering and engineers of the early nineteenth century.