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Thomas
Telford was born on 9 August 1757 near Westerkirk in Dumfries.
He spent his childhood as a shepherd to provide for the family, and
left school at the age of 14 to become an apprentice stonemason in
Langholm. In 1780 he went to Edinburgh to work as a mason on the
development of the New Town.
In
1782 Telford moved to London to work on the greatest construction project
of the day, Somerset House. His ability, his desire to improve himself,
and the strong impression he made on an increasing number of influential
people allowed him rapidly to continue his education and he graduated as
engineer.
By
1784 he was managing construction works at Portsmouth Dockyard. In 1788,
through the influence of the MP for Shropshire, William Pulteney, he was
appointed Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire.
He
returned to Scotland in 1790 to survey harbours and piers on behalf of the
British Fisheries Society, for whom he had designed Ullapool in 1788, but
by 1793 was back in Shropshire, building the Ellsmere Canal, including the
spectacular Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
In
1801 the Government asked Thomas Telford to build over 920 miles of road
and 120 bridges in the Highlands. During this period he also built many
harbours and jetties in Scotland as well as the Caledonian Canal which was
opened in 1822. He also worked abroad, designing the Gotha Canal for the
King of Sweden.
In
1818 Thomas Telford was made first President of the Institute of Civil
Engineers. He was back in Scotland in 1823 to begin construction of 32
"Parliamentary Churches" across the Highlands and Islands.
