Thomas Forster Brown (1835 – 23 October 1907) was an English civil and mining engineer who was known for his activity in

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

Career

Thomas Forster Brown was born in

Garrigill Garrigill, Cumbria is a small village in the North Pennine region of the UK, situated on the banks and close to the source of the River South Tyne. Historically part of Cumberland, today it is within the Garrigill ward of the civil parish of Al ...

, Cumberland in 1835. He learned his trade from

Thomas Emerson Forster Thomas Emerson Forster (20 October 1802 – 7 March 1875) was an eminent English mining engineer. Early years Thomas Emerson Forster was born on 20 October 1802 at Garrigill, a hamlet on the left bank of the South Tyne river in Cumberland. The ...

, who gave him practical experience of the metal and coal mines of

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

and

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...

. In 1855 he was appointed Assistant Manager or Resident Viewer of the Stella Colliery, Durham. Three years later he became Manager of the Machen Collieries,

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

, holding this position until 1865. He advised on the opening of the Rhos Llantwit Colliery, and was engineer of this colliery until the pit was exhausted and abandoned around 1890. Brown was deputy gaveller (mineral agent) for the Crown in the

Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the n ...

from 1865 to 1903. He was one of the joint engineers in the development of the Barry Dock and Railways in 1884–89. The lead engineer was

John Wolfe Barry Sir John Wolfe Barry (7 December 1836 – 22 January 1918), the youngest son of famous architect Sir Charles Barry, was an English civil engineer of the late 19th and early 20th century. His most famous project is Tower Bridge over the River ...

Henry Marc Brunel Henry Marc Brunel (27 June 1842 – 7 October 1903) was an English civil engineer and the son of the celebrated engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and grandson of civil engineer Marc Isambard Brunel. Henry Marc Brunel was born in Westminster, Lo ...

, son of the famous engineer

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "one ...

, was the other assistant engineer. Brown became a partner of the firm of Forster Brown and Rees in 1888. He was also an engineer for the

Vale of Glamorgan Railway The Vale of Glamorgan Railway Company was built to provide access to Barry Docks from collieries in the Llynvi, Garw and Ogmore areas. Proposed by the coalowners but underwritten by the wealthy Barry Railway Company, it opened in 1897 from near B ...

. Brown was a president of the

South Wales Institute of Engineers South Wales Institute of Engineers was founded in 1857 as a learned society for engineers and scientists in the area, arranging lectures and publishing the Proceedings of the South Wales Institute of Engineers. William Menelaus founded the organi ...

. In 1896 he was elected a member of the

Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

. He died on 23 October 1907 in

Richmond, North Yorkshire Richmond is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, and the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, it is from the county town of Northallerton and situated on t ...

at the age of 72.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Thomas Forster 1835 births 1907 deaths English civil engineers People from Alston Moor