Sir Marc Isambard Brunel

[https://tracingancestors-uk.com/genealogies-of-the-famous/isambard-kingdom-brunel-family-history#:~:text=Isambard's%20father%20was%20Marc%20Isambard,BRUNEL%20and%20Marie%20Victoire%20LEVEBVRE. Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Family History 2012 by Ros]

Wikipedia Biographical Summary:

"...Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, FRS FRSE (25 April 1769 – 12 December 1849) was a French-born engineer who settled in England. He preferred the name Isambard, but is generally known to history as Marc to avoid confusion with his more famous son Isambard Kingdom Brunel. His most famous achievement was the construction of the Thames Tunnel.

"...Brunel was the second son of Jean Charles Brunel and Marie Victoire Lefebvre. Jean Charles was a prosperous farmer in Hacqueville, Normandy, and Marc was born on the family farm. It was customary for the first son to inherit the farm and the second son to enter the priesthood. His father therefore started Marc on a classical education, but he showed no liking for Greek or Latin and instead showed himself proficient in drawing and mathematics..."

"...In January 1793, whilst visiting Paris during the trial of Louis XVI, Brunel unwisely publicly predicted the demise of Robespierre, one of the leaders of the Revolution. He was lucky to get out of Paris with his life, and returned to Rouen..."

"...Brunel arrived in New York on 6 September 1793, and he subsequently travelled to Philadelphia and Albany. He got involved in a scheme to link the Hudson River by canal with Lake Champlain, and also submitted a design for the new Capitol building to be built in Washington. The judges were very impressed with the design, but it was not selected.

In 1796, after taking American citizenship, Brunel was appointed Chief Engineer of the city of New York...."

"...When Brunel arrived from America he immediately travelled to London and made contact with Sophia. They were married on 1 November 1799 at St Andrew, Holborn. In 1802 Sophia gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Sophie. In 1804 Sophia gave birth to another daughter, Emma. Finally, on 9 April 1806, Sophia gave birth to a son, christened Isambard Kingdom, who was destined to be one of the world's greatest engineers..."

"...Brunel several times became involved in unprofitable projects. As a consequence, by the beginning of 1821 he was deep in debt, and in May of that year he was tried and committed to the King's Bench Prison, a debtors prison in Southwark..."

"...After the completion of the Thames Tunnel, his greatest achievement, Brunel was in poor health. He never again accepted major commissions, although he did help his son, Isambard, on various projects..."

"...In 1845 Brunel suffered another, more severe stroke and was almost totally paralysed on his right side. On 12 December 1849, Brunel died at the age of 80, and his remains were interred in Kensal Green Cemetery in London. His wife, Sophia, was subsequently interred in the same plot, followed by their son, Isambard, just 10 years later..."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'Marc Isambard Brunel', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 June 2011, 15:09 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marc_Isambard_Brunel&oldi...> [accessed 26 July 2011]