RAILWAY BUILDER, WORLDWIDE
- Buerton, Chester 1805 d. St Leonards, East Sussex 1870
“During a 40 railway building career he built one third of UK railways, three quarters of railways in
France. 1 in 20 miles of the world’s railway network. Bridges, viaducts and stations.” (Thomas Brassey
Society)
In 1831 married Maria Harrison, and they had three children: Thomas, Harry and Albert.
His career “began as an apprentice surveyor, then a partner and sole manager. In 1835 (aged 30) he built a
section of Colorado railroad; assisting on the London to Southampton line; in 1841-43 he built the Paris
Rouen railway, and other lines in France, the Netherlands, Italy, Prussia and Spain. The Grand Trunk Railway in
Canada (1,100 miles of track 1853-59) with Peto and Betts., as well as the Crimean Railway (1854) At one
period, Brassey had work in hand in Europe, India, Australia, and South America with a labour force estimated
at 75,000. (Britannica)
In the late summer of 1870 he took to his bed at his home in St Leonards-on-Sea. There he was visited by
members of his work force, not only his engineers and agents, but also his navvies, many of whom had walked
for days to come and pay their respects….. (Tom Stacey biography) On 8 December 1870 he died from a brain
haemorrhage in the Victoria Hotel, St Leonards (wiki)
Research and Imagery
Danny Coope / Street of Blue Plaques
http://streetofblueplaques.co.uk/
