Person    | Male  Born 6/8/1844  Died 21/10/1896

James Henry Greathead

Categories: Engineering

Countries: South Africa

Railway and tunnelling engineer. Born in Grahamstown, South Africa. Arrived in England in 1859. Studied with and then worked with civil engineer Peter W. Barlow on the Tower Subway tunnel. The travelling shield was invented by Marc Isambard Brunel. Greathead introduced modifications which meant it was generally used in constructing tunnels, in particular the tunnels of London's deep level tube system including the Waterloo and City line. Chief engineer, City and South London Railway.

We have found 3 abandoned tunnelling shields around London: at either end of the Rotherhithe tunnel and in a tunnel at Bank station. Died in London.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
James Henry Greathead

Commemorated ati

Greathead shield at Bank

This 'Greathead' type tunnelling shield ws left at this point 18 metres below...

Read More

James Greathead statue

Note that part of the Greathead shield used in digging the tunnels at Bank St...

Read More

James Greathead - SW13

James Henry Greathead, 1844 - 1896, railway and tunnellng engineer, lived her...

Read More

Other Subjects

George Croydon Marks

George Croydon Marks

Engineer and politician. Born in Eltham. He was apprenticed at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. In 1882 he joined Tangye Ltd in Birmingham and became head of the lifting-machinery department and an exp...

Person, Engineering, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Royal Brass Foundry

Royal Brass Foundry

The Woolwich riverfront had been used as a dockyard and arms store for decades so having the foundry here made sense. It's construction was in response to a fatal explosion at Bagley's Foundry, jus...

Building, Armed Forces, Engineering

2 memorials
C. W. Glover & Partners

C. W. Glover & Partners

Consulting Engineers based in SW1, active in 1969.

Group, Engineering

1 memorial