W
L
BLUE PLAQUE UNVEILED AT WIRRAL WATERS TO
COMMEMORATE WORLD FAMOUS CIVIL ENGINEER
The Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr Mark Blundell,
accompanied by the Mayor of Wirral, Councillor Tony Smith,
unveiled a very special Blue Plaque at the Canada Works at
Wirral Waters.
The plaque commemorates the life and achievements of Cheshire-
born Thomas Brassey, one of the great unsung heroes of the railway
age.
Thomas Brassey was arguably the most prolific builder of railways
that the world has ever seen. By 1847, at the age of 42, he had built
one third of the railways in the United Kingdom, including the
Chester to Holyhead railway line, and by the time of his death, in
1870, he had built one in twenty miles of all the world’s railways.
Thomas also built bridges, including the Saughall Massie bridge
and the Penketh viaduct, and train stations, including Chester
and Shrewsbury. In 1834, he built the new Chester Road in
Bromborough and, in 1850, he built part of the Birkenhead Docks.
In 1852, he was contracted to build the 540-mile Grand Trunk
Railway in Canada and decided to build his works in Birkenhead.
He named his premises Canada Works in honour of this vast
Canadian undertaking.
Canada Works, along West Float, was at the leading edge of ‘best in
class’ engineering innovation and fabrication, placing Birkenhead
at the centre of a global operation. Over 300 locomotives were
made and exported from Canada Works.
Brassey also achieved great things during the Crimean War. In 1854,
the British Army and their French allies were facing annihilation,
with no field hospitals or any means of getting supplies through.
Brassey offered to build the 39 miles of railway from Balaclava
to the front line at Sebastopol. Brassey and his loyal workforce,
worked day and night and the line was finished in just sixteen
weeks. Supplies started moving up to the front line with wounded
men coming in the opposite direction. In 1855, the British Army
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and their French allies, who were still being supplied by Brassey’s
men, were victorious.
Blue Plaques, once administered by English Heritage, are historical
markers installed in public places to commemorate a link between
that location and a famous person, event, or former building on
the site.
Conservation Areas Wirral has introduced the Blue Plaque scheme
to Wirral and is currently working with Wirral Council to erect
four plaques a year to commemorate prominent Wirral citizens,
events, buildings or achievements.
Thomas Brassey’s family were among the guests at the unveiling of
the plaque along with David Millar, managing director of Heap and
Partners Ltd at Canada Works Birkenhead, who hosted a reception
afterwards. The business’s founder, William Heap, was Thomas
Brassey’s Bridge Master at the Canada Works from 1856 until 1866
and David Millar is only the fifth Managing Director of Heap and
Partners since the company was founded in 1866.
David Allan, vice chairman of Conservation Areas Wirral, said:
“The contribution of Thomas Brassey to the world’s railways
cannot be overestimated. He is up there along with Stephenson and
Brunel. To erect a Blue Plaque to celebrate his work is an honour
that is long overdue. To erect that plaque on a wall adjacent to his
Birkenhead-based ‘Canada Works’ is more than an honour, it is a
privilege.”
Richard Mawdsley, director of development for Wirral Water at
Peel Land and Property, said: “We were very proud to welcome
such distinguished guests to Wirral Waters for the unveiling of
such an important Blue Plaque. Thomas Brassey was a pioneer
whose fantastic creations are still living and breathing all around
us and it was a delight to pay tribute to him in the presence of his
family.”