Telford , Thomas , 1757-1834 , civil engineer

Thomas Telford was born in Westerkirk, Dumfriesshire in 1757. He was apprenticed to a stonemason at the age of 14. He worked for several years in Scotland and England, mangaging building projects, before becoming Surveyor of Public Works in Shropshire in 1787. Telford subsequently became the designer of or a consultant to many large and important engineering projects. His best known works include the iron bridge at Ironbridge, Shropshire, the Ellesmere Canal, and the London-to-Holyhead trunk road, including the Menai Suspension Bridge. Telford served as first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1820 until his death. The new town of Telford, Shropshire, was named in his honour in 1968.