John Smeaton

@Civil Engineers, Family and Family ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ John Smeaton was an English engineer famously known as the ‘Father of Civil Engineering’ British Engineers Civil Engineers Gemini Celebrities John Smeaton was an English engineer and a physicist, famously known as the ‘Father of Civil Engineering’. He was a master at his work and a self-proclaimed Civil Engineer, an eminent forerunner of his profession. Although initially he pursued the legal profession like his father, later he decided to be an instrument maker. He gained most of his training and scientific knowledge through reading and attending the meetings of Royal Society of London. He constructed bridges, canals and harbors in addition to his works of mechanical engineering. He devised new ways for construction; whether it was the material he used for building or the technique to strengthen the rigidity of the object. Through his dedication and genuine efforts, his every project emerged as a masterpiece, a passionate work of art. He transformed the work of engineering, which was considered as a handicraft work, to a scientific process of experimenting and devising mechanisms in architectural work. He was the first person to coin the term ‘civil engineers’ and also established the first ever engineering society in the world. His earnest work is an inspiration for everyone; to be fearless of the choices they make in life and work with dedication for their dreams to come true.

Personal Details

Birthday: June 8, 1724 Died on: October 28, 1792 Nationality: British Famous: Engineers, Civil Engineers Birth Place: Austhorpe, Leeds, England Gender: Male Sun Sign: Gemini Information Detail Birthday June 8, 1724 Died on October 28, 1792 Nationality British Famous Engineers, Civil Engineers Birth Place Austhorpe, Leeds, England Gender Male Sun Sign Gemini Born in Austhorpe, Leeds, England Famous as Civil Engineer Died at Age 68

Austhorpe, Leeds, England

John Smeaton born at Unsplash Birth Place

He never married and had no children. Unsplash Personal Life

He died on October 28, 1792 due to a stroke. He was buried in the parish church at Whitkirk, West Yorkshire. Unsplash Personal Life

He was a great personality who encouraged the emerging talents of his time. His pupils included canal engineer William Jessop and architect Benjamin Latrobe. Unsplash Personal Life

He was born on June 8, 1724 in Austhorpe, Leeds, England. His father was an attorney having a law firm. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In childhood, he used to make hand tools through forging and casting. He made a small lathe for turning wood and also a steam engine which succeeded in pumping out water from his father’s pond. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

At the age of 16, his father persuaded him to join his law firm. He started legal studies at his father’s office. Two years later, he was about to enter the legal profession formally when he decided to leave it and pursue his dream of being an instrument maker. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1748, he opened his own shop in Great Turnstile in London with a little knowledge of science and tool-making under his sleeve. His friend, Henry Hindley, helped him to understand the art of making instruments. Unsplash Career

In 1750, he collaborated with Dr. Gowin Knight to develop a mariner’s compass, which later became a Royal Navy standard issue. Along with the compass, he also invented a prototype machine to measure the speed of ships, which was not very accurate in heavy seas. Unsplash Career

In 1751, he moved his shop from Great Turnstile to a larger place in Furnival Inn Court and employed three craftsmen under his supervision. Unsplash Career

In 1752, he conducted some experiments related to power of windmills and water wheels which were successful and proved his expertise in the knowledge of science and engineering. Unsplash Career

In 1756, he was chosen to build the new lighthouse for Eddystone Rocks near Plymouth, England. It was his first and one of his most acknowledged engineering projects. Unsplash Career

One of his most notable works is of the construction of the lighthouse on Eddystone Rocks from 1756 to 1759. After the destruction of two previous lighthouses due to storms, he was selected to construct a rigid one which he did successfully. He was the first to use ‘hydraulic lime’ for its steady foundation and also developed a technique involving dovetailed blocks of granite for its construction. Unsplash Major Works

In 1759, he published a paper ’An Experimental Enquiry Concerning the Natural Powers of Water and Wind to Turn Mills and Other Machines Depending on Circular Motion’ addressing the relationship between pressure and velocity for objects moving in air and his concepts were subsequently developed to devise the 'Smeaton Coefficient'. Unsplash Major Works

He coined the term ‘civil engineers’ to distinguish them from military engineers of that time and was also a co-founder of ‘Society of Civil Engineers’ in 1771. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	June 8, 1724
Died on	October 28, 1792
Nationality	British
Famous	Engineers, Civil Engineers
Birth Place	Austhorpe, Leeds, England
Gender	Male
Sun Sign	Gemini
Born in	Austhorpe, Leeds, England
Famous as	Civil Engineer
Died at Age	68

John Smeaton

British

Jun 8, 1724

Biography

Personal Details

Austhorpe, Leeds, England