Growing up in london in the early 1800s was tough to say the least. Seven years later he joined the london metropolitan commission of sewers, becoming. Northern thames embankment in the early 19th century, the marshy banks of the thames were inhabited by mosquitoes which transmitted plasmodium vivax malaria. Apr 04, 2016 the boards chief engineer, joseph bazalgette, who had already spent several exasperating years drawing up plans for an ambitious new sanitation system, only for each one to be swiftly shelved. Joseph bazalgette, an english civil engineer, was born mar. He also designed the albert, victoria and chelsea embankments, which housed the sewers, in central london.
View the profiles of people named joseph bazalgette. Sir joseph william bazalgette, born march 28, 1819, enfield, middlesex now in enfield, london, eng. Bazalgettes work ensured that sewage was no longer dumped onto the shores of the thames and brought an end to the cholera outbreaks. As the chief engineer of london s metropolitan board of works, his major achievement was the creation of a sewer network for central london that helped relieve the city from cholera epidemics.
In 1884, sir joseph bazalgette became the president of the institution of civil engineers, a premier organization that represents civil engineers. Joseph bazalgette is an example of a person who gave back to society out of a sense of duty. Sir joseph william bazalgette 28 march 1819 15 march 1891 was one of the great victorian civil engineers. Mar 18, 2019 ice engineer and invisible superhero ayo sokale celebrates sir joseph bazalgette 200th birthday, the civil engineer who transformed london. Sir joseph bazalgette and londons sewers history tv. Joseph william bazalgette was the chief engineer of the metropolitan board of works, and had been hired specifically to take charge of the new sewers. He also established a set of minimum standards for acceptable construction. A presentation for schoolchildren aged 10 by vickie bazalgette, the great, great, great granddaughter of sir joseph bazalgette now famous for saving.
It starts from when bazalgette was born in march, 1819, and ends with his death on march 15, 1891. View oliver bazalgettes profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. All those listed below are related and belong to the british branch of the family. Sir joseph bazalgette appointed chief engineer of the metropolitan commission of sewers in london in 1852, he designed and constructed five major bricklined sewers measuring 82 miles in the city of london. The 318 million bricks used to construct the 1,100 miles of underground sewers are still in good condition, but are simply overwhelmed by todays population. At last, fear of its evil odour led to one of the greatest advancements in urban planning. Joseph william bazalgette was born at hill lodge, clay hill, enfield, london, england, the son of joseph william bazalgette 17831849, a retired captain of the royal navy and theresa philo, nee pilton 17961850 and was grandson of a french protestant immigrant. As chief engineer on londons metropolitan board of works, bazalgette was primarily responsible for the creation of the extensive network of sewers under the.
Joseph bazalgette was responsible for a revolutionary sewer system that supported the most massive city at the time and vastly improved the quality of live in. As the chief engineer of london s metropolitan board of works, his major achievement was the creation of a sewer network for central london that helped relieve the city from cholera epidemics, while beginning the cleanup of the. Joseph bazalgette and the sewer system londons pulse projects. Joseph bazalgette and the sewer system londons pulse.
Sir joseph william bazalgette british engineer britannica. Despite his french background, bazalgettes father had seen action and was wounded in the napoleonic wars. In 1856, bazalgette was appointed chief engineer to the london. The source is a timeline of joseph bazalgettes life, from the very beginning to the bitter end. He made a significant contribution to the drainage and sewage systems of london, allowing the waste to flow through connecting sewers directly from homes into a sewage system instead of directly into any body of water. Joseph william bazalgette was born march 28th, 1819 in enfield, london, england to a retired royal navy captain and his wife. Joseph bazalgette 181991 add image to my collection. Bazalgette was born 28 march 1819 in london to retired royal navy captain joseph bazalgette and his wife, theresa. He served as an apprentice to a renowned bridge and road builder which.
The man being described was an engineer, city planner, bridge builder, and landscape architect. Sir joseph william bazalgette 18191891 find a grave. Sir joseph bazalgette 18191891 has been described as a central figure in the heroic epoch of british engineering ellis 216. The chief municipal engineer to the metropolitan board of works mbw was at this time joseph william bazalgette 181991 fig2. Josephs mother, theresa philo pilton, has eight other children. Despite this incredible contribution to the health of londoners joseph bazalgettes name is one that is somewhat lost to history. He was trained as an engineer and in his early adult life he worked on railway projects, particularly the expansion of the early development of the london underground network where he gained firsthand experience of land drainage and reclamation to the. Joseph bazalgette was born in london on 28 march 1819. Sir joseph william bazalgette 18191891 find a grave memorial. The source was used to help understand the life of joseph bazalgette and how he contributed to the london society.
The task was taken on by chief engineer joseph bazalgette, who designed and constructed five major bricklined sewers measuring 2 km 82 miles. Joseph was given the name joseph william bazalgette on march 28th, 1819 in clay hill, enfield, london, england. The group of writers from hourly history provided this free read, joseph bazalgette, a life from beginning to end. Because i signed up for the hourly history newsletter, i receive an email each friday which offers several, usually six, free books. Bazalgette pioneered construction of a drainage system using previously untried building materials. Joseph bazalgette planned the new sewage system that would run under london to get rid of the smell that people thought was the cause of cholera it wasnt it was the bacteria in the water. With four steampowered pump stations and twotreatment works that expel the water into the thames estuary at high tide bazalgettes system is a true marvel of engineering. Joseph bazalgettes feat of engineering is a mostly forgotten facet of british history, yet not only did the design of his sewer system serve the population every day for over a century, but his efforts significantly improved public health. When he was born, the urban life expectancy was 35 years and down to 29 years just 10 years late. Society of chemical industry joseph bazalgette award. Seven years later he joined the london metropolitan commission of. Sir joseph william bazalgette was a civil engineer in the 19 th century who built londons first sewer network still in use today, which helped to wipe out cholera in the capital.
As chief engineer of londons metropolitan board of works his major achievement was the creation in response to the great stink of 1858 of a sewer network for central london which was instrumental. We take a closer look at the man behind the pipes, discovering more about the system that made diseases such as cholera a figment of londons past. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover olivers. Mar 26, 2019 joseph william bazalgette was the chief engineer of the metropolitan board of works, and had been hired specifically to take charge of the new sewers. Media in category joseph bazalgette the following 16 files are in this category, out of 16 total. Join facebook to connect with joseph bazalgette and others you may know. Joseph bazalgette was born in enfield in 1819 and was of french protestant ancestry. Sir joseph bazalgette institution of civil engineers. He began his working life as a railway engineer but a great deal of his time was spent devising methods for draining boggy land making it suitable for railtrack to be laid and reclaiming land land. Sir joseph william bazalgette was a civil engineer in the 19th century who built londons first sewer network still in use today, which helped to wipe out cholera. Joseph bazalgette was a brilliant engineer and arguably did more for the health of the people of london than anyone before or after him. Feb 22, 2014 a presentation for schoolchildren aged 10 by vickie bazalgette, the great, great, great granddaughter of sir joseph bazalgette now famous for saving london from the great stink and preventing.
Mar 27, 2018 bazalgette was born 28 march 1819 in london to retired royal navy captain joseph bazalgette and his wife, theresa. Bazalgette was knighted in 1875, and elected president of the institution of civil engineers in 1883. Sir joseph william bazalgette, cb was a 19thcentury english civil engineer. The joseph bazalgette award was formerly named the construction materials group young researchers award and is awarded to the person producing the best paperpresentation given at a construction materials young researchers forum. The boards predecessor, the metropolitan commission of sewers, had been wrestling with londons massive sewage problem, without success, as there was not much agreement as to. Bazalgette is a surname, originating in the cevennes region of southern france. How bazalgette built londons first super sewer museum of london. Sir joseph william bazalgette, british civil engineer who designed the main drainage system for london. Sir joseph william bazalgette, cb 18191891 was an english civil engineer as chief engineer of the metropolitan board of works his major achievement was the creation in response to the great stink of 1858 of a sewer network for central london which was instrumental in relieving the city from cholera epidemics, while beginning the cleansing and restructure of the river thames. Mar 24, 2020 sir joseph william bazalgette, british civil engineer who designed the main drainage system for london. Joseph bazalgette scientist of the day linda hall library. In 1856, bazalgette was appointed chief engineer to the london metropolitan board of works. Joseph and theresa had a total of nine children, with the younger joseph being the only boy. Bazalgette was born in hill lodge, clay hill, enfield, london, the son of joseph william bazalgette 17831849, a retired royal navy captain, and theresa philo, born pilton 17961850, and was the grandson of a french protestant immigrant.
The magnificent system we rely on today was designed by sir joseph bazalgette after the great stink of 1858. Sir peter bazalgette sir peter bazalgette is a tv producer. After working on projects in northern ireland, bazalgette in 1842 became a consulting engineer at westminster. Peter was given the name peter lytton bazalgette on may 22nd, 1953 in london. Such was the genius of sir joseph bazalgette, the victorian engineer, that the sewerage system he designed and built for london in the 1850s has endured almost untouched. Joseph william bazalgette is born at home in enfield, london on 28 march 1819. Like his friend brunel, bazalgette was of french descent, the grandson of an emigre tailor who had made his fortune in mayfair.
In the sweltering summer of 1858 the stink of sewage from. Bazalgette began his career as a railway engineer, gaining considerable experience in land. This is 7 wonders of industrial world ep 4 the sewer king by ramuel tamayo on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Despite this incredible contribution to the health of londoners joseph bazalgettes name is. He made a significant contribution to the drainage and sewage systems of london, allowing the waste to flow through connecting sewers. As chief engineer of londons metropolitan board of works his major achievement.
The new sewers made probably the single greatest contribution to improving the health of victorian. He lived in a time before sewers, in which toilet waste was disposed of into the nearest river. Joseph bazalgette was born in enfield north london in 1819. In 1889, bazalgette retired after a long and illustrious career, following the creation of the london county council that replaced the metropolitan board of works. Bazalgette began his career as a railway engineer, gaining considerable experience in land drainage and reclamation. Joseph bazalgette was born on march 28, 1819 in enfield london. As chief engineer on londons metropolitan board of works, bazalgette was primarily responsible for the creation of the extensive network of sewers under the streets of central london.
Joseph bazalgette 181991 add image to my collection as chief engineer on londons metropolitan board of works, bazalgette was primarily responsible for the creation of the extensive network of sewers under the streets of central london. Jun 08, 2012 joseph bazalgette was born in enfield north london in 1819. Joseph bazalgette, the artistic composition of a sewage system. Joseph bazalgette, the artistic composition of a sewage system add to plan joseph bazalgettes feat of engineering is a mostly forgotten facet of british history, yet not only did the design of his sewer system serve the population every day for over a century, but his efforts significantly improved public health. With a wealthy grandfather who was a member of the nobility and a father who lived a comparatively comfortable life as a military pensioner, joseph did not have to worry about money. Marys churchyard, wimbledon, london borough of merton, greater london, england. The boards chief engineer, joseph bazalgette, who had already spent several exasperating years drawing up plans for an ambitious new sanitation system, only for. Dick and dom describe the life and work of joseph bazalgette. Joseph bazalgette one man has probably done more good and saved more lives than any single public official of the victorian era. Mar 28, 2017 joseph bazalgette, an english civil engineer, was born mar. Despite a french family background, his father saw active combat and was wounded during the napoleonic wars. Aug 03, 2017 my culture topic for this week could be viewed as a load of crap which no doubt, some think all of my postings are as the theme relates to the london sewer system that was designed and constructed in the late 1800s by a remarkable, yet unassuming man by the name of joseph bazalgette.
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