.gif)
Thomas Matthews (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Matthews was an English
civil engineer
, who was a notable builder of lighthouses. He was the brother of Sir William Matthews
, also a prominent civil engineer. During the late 19th and early 20th century Thomas Matthews was the Engineer-in-Chief of Trinity House
.
, Cornwall
, where he was the son of the Borough Surveyor, John Matthews. In 1874, he entered the employment of the United Kingdom's lighthouse service, Trinity House, as an assistant engineer, and succeeded Sir James Nicholas Douglass
as Engineer-in-Chief when the latter retired in 1892.
Matthews went on to design over a dozen lighthouses for Trinity House. He also worked on illumination systems, notably a lamp designed to burn oil vapour.
Matthews' most significant achievement was the construction of Beachy Head
Lighthouse. Completed in 1902, it was the last rock lighthouse built by Trinity House. The work took 2 years to finish; it involved building a coffer-dam and an aerial ropeway
from the cliffs to transport materials.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, who was a notable builder of lighthouses. He was the brother of Sir William Matthews
William Matthews (engineer)
Sir William Matthews KCMG was a British civil engineer.He was educated at Glenalmond College and King’s College London....
, also a prominent civil engineer. During the late 19th and early 20th century Thomas Matthews was the Engineer-in-Chief of Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
.
Biography
Thomas Matthews was born in PenzancePenzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, where he was the son of the Borough Surveyor, John Matthews. In 1874, he entered the employment of the United Kingdom's lighthouse service, Trinity House, as an assistant engineer, and succeeded Sir James Nicholas Douglass
James Nicholas Douglass
Sir James Nicholas Douglass, FRS, , was an English civil engineer, a prolific lighthouse builder and designer, most famous for the design and construction of the fourth Eddystone Lighthouse, for which he was knighted....
as Engineer-in-Chief when the latter retired in 1892.
Matthews' most significant achievement was the construction of Beachy Head
Beachy Head
Beachy Head is a chalk headland on the south coast of England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex, immediately east of the Seven Sisters. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m above sea level. The peak allows views of the south...
Lighthouse. Completed in 1902, it was the last rock lighthouse built by Trinity House. The work took 2 years to finish; it involved building a coffer-dam and an aerial ropeway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
from the cliffs to transport materials.
Lighthouses designed by Matthews
- Beachy HeadBeachy HeadBeachy Head is a chalk headland on the south coast of England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex, immediately east of the Seven Sisters. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m above sea level. The peak allows views of the south...
Lighthouse - LundyLundyLundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel, lying off the coast of Devon, England, approximately one third of the distance across the channel between England and Wales. It measures about at its widest. Lundy gives its name to a British sea area and is one of the islands of England.As of...
Lighthouse - Spurn Head Lighthouse
- Pendeen LighthousePendeen LighthousePendeen Lighthouse is located to the north of Pendeen in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. Designed by the Trinity House Engineer Sir Thomas Matthews, the 17 m tower, buildings and surrounding wall was constructed by Arthur Carkeek of Redruth. The five-wick Argand lamp provided by Messrs...