Marc Isambard Brunel

Sir
Marc Isambard Brunel
Born
Marc Isambard Brunel

(1769-04-25)25 April 1769
Died12 December 1849(1849-12-12) (aged 80)
Resting placeKensal Green Cemetery
Nationality
  • French (1769–1796)
  • American (1796–1849)
OccupationEngineer
Known forThames Tunnel
Spouse
(m. 1799)
Children
Military career
Allegiance Kingdom of France
Service / branchFrench Navy
Years of service1786–1792
Bust of Marc Isambard Brunel, Science Museum, London

Sir Marc Isambard Brunel FRS FRSE (/brˈnɛl/, French: [maʁk izɑ̃baʁ bʁynɛl]; 25 April 1769 – 12 December 1849) was a French-British engineer[1] who is most famous for the work he did in Britain.[2] He constructed the Thames Tunnel and was the father of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Born in France, Brunel fled to the United States during the French Revolution. In 1796, he was appointed Chief Engineer of New York City. He moved to London in 1799, where he married Sophia Kingdom. In addition to the construction of the Thames Tunnel, his work as a mechanical engineer included the design of machinery to automate the production of pulley blocks for the Royal Navy.

Brunel preferred the given name Isambard, but is generally known to history as Marc to avoid confusion with his more famous son.

  1. ^ "Sir Marc Isambard Brunel | French-British engineer". Encyclopedia Britannica. 21 April 2023.
  2. ^ Rolt 1957, p. 6.