William Gravatt
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William Gravatt FRS |
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|---|---|
| Born |
14 July 1806 Gravesend, Kent, England |
| Died | 30 May 1866 (aged 59) Westminster, London |
| Cause of death | Accidental death: poisoned with Morphine |
| Occupation | Mechanical and Civil engineer |
| Years active | 1821–1866 |
| Known for | Thames Tunnel, Calder and Hebble Navigation, South Eastern Railway to Dover, Dumpy level, Bristol and Exeter Railway, Craig telescope, Difference engine |
William Gravatt FRS (14 July 1806 – 30 May 1866), was a noted English civil engineer and scientific instrument maker.
Apprenticed as a mechanical engineer in London from aged 15, after interview he worked with Sir Marc Isambard Brunel on the Thames Tunnel, and then designed bridges for the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Whilst surveying the route for the South Eastern Railway to Dover, he devised the more transportable dumpy level, which is now universally employed. He then supervised the northern engineering team under Isambard Kingdom Brunel on the Bristol and Exeter Railway, where the deployment of his "curve of sines" theorem speeded construction. Dismissed from the project in 1841, after losing money during the railway mania period, Gravatt helped to construct both the Craig telescope and a copy of the Difference machine, distinguishing himself in a number of papers submitted to the Institute of Civil Engineers. He died after being accidentally poisoned by an over dose of morphine by his nurse.
Born in Gravesend, Kent on 14 July 1806, he was the son of Colonel William Gravatt, the Assistant Inspector of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. At age 15, his father negotiated an apprenticeship to mechanical engineer Bryan Donkin. During this period he met and became friends with John Smeaton, Edward Troughton and Dr. George Wollaston.
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