Tweet
Born in Kelso, son of a farmer. Became an apprentice wheelwright in South Shields, befriending the young George Stephenson. Set up business in Manchester, making machinery for cotton mills and in 1830 took a lead in making iron boats by opening a shipyard at London.
Notable Achievement: Engineer. In Stephenson's bridge over the Menai Straits in Wales. He invented the rectangular tube that was ultimately adopted and he erected a thousand bridges upon this principle. Became Fellow of Royal Society and President of the British Association. Knighted in 1869.
This is a book about him in pdf format but I have extracted Chapter III which is about him growing up in Scotland. I found this book to be an enjoyable read. A good chunk of it was written by himself as a kind of autobiography but more has been added to it.
You can get to this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/fairbairn/
Alastair
Notable Achievement: Engineer. In Stephenson's bridge over the Menai Straits in Wales. He invented the rectangular tube that was ultimately adopted and he erected a thousand bridges upon this principle. Became Fellow of Royal Society and President of the British Association. Knighted in 1869.
This is a book about him in pdf format but I have extracted Chapter III which is about him growing up in Scotland. I found this book to be an enjoyable read. A good chunk of it was written by himself as a kind of autobiography but more has been added to it.
You can get to this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/fairbairn/
Alastair
Comment