John Armstrong
Civil Engineer and Surveyor
(1776-1854)
John Armstrong's 1855 Institute of Civil Engineers Obituary is comprehensive but includes a few omissions. The obituary has been reproduced and expanded upon.(1)
Born in Ingram, Northumberland, John Armstrong became apprenticed to a millwright, later working for Mr Thomas Dodgin, a millwright of Newcastle-upon-tyne at the White-Lead Works, Bill Quay, where his brother was foreman. In the late 1800s he relocated to Bath and was engaged in the construction of Pulteney Bridge (partly as the contractor).(1)
In 1804, he moved to Bristol and went on to form a partnership with John Taylor, trading as Messrs Armstrong and Taylor - Millwrights. Armstrong's resided at No.15 Guinea Street and they leased premises and a wharf near Redcliffe Street in Wapping, Bristol.(2) During this period, they were engaged by William Jessop (1745-1814) and Wiliam Jessop Jnr (1783-1852) in the construction of the Bristol Docks which were completed by c.1806.
In 1812, John took on an apprentice William Newport(3) and prior to 1815 his partnership with Taylor ended; Taylor relocated to Wiltshire and John partnered with his younger brother William.(4) Also in 1812, John appears to finance the building of Alfred Place, Redcliffe. He advertised two of these newly erected dwellings in 1812 and appears to sell No.3 in 1813.(5) Ultimately, John moved from 15, Guinea Street to No.1 Alfred Place by 1815 and he was selling No.'s 1, 2, 4 and 5 Alfred Place in 1819.(6) These properties were presumingly sold to raise capital for the purchase of William Gough's millwright business. John removed from his premises at Wapping to Cough's former premises at 17, Temple Street and alongside the millwright business created an Iron Foundry.(7)
John's partnership with William appears to have been nullified by before 1819 but they were paid for completed sundry works on the Bristol Docks in 1820.(8) In the same year, John's fledging millwright and foundry failed and he filed for bankruptcy which was awarded to him in 1822.(9)
Outside of Bristol John found work on the lock-gates at Lydney (Forest of Dean) and sluices of the Congresbury Drainage etc. He was then engaged under Sir Robert Smirke on the construction of the bridge across the Severn, at Gloucester, and in 1821 under Mr. Rennie and subsequently by Mr. Telford, for superintending the construction of the new arch of Rochester Bridge and superintended works for the Grosvenor Canal. Subsequently, he was engaged at the Thames Tunnel, under Sir Isambard Brunel and transferred to Messrs Bramah, by whom he was employed on the construction of lock-gates for St Katherine Docks and superintending their building speculation at Calverley Park, near Tunbridge Wells.(10)
In 1828, he was elected as an Associate to the Institute of Civil Engineers(11); an honour William did not achieve. In c.1831 John became a Bristol City Surveyor for the Paving Commissioners, responsible for pavements and sewers; a post he held until his death in 1854.(12) Additionally he held the position of Medical Officer of Health from September 1851 until his death.(13)
Born in Ingram, Northumberland, John Armstrong became apprenticed to a millwright, later working for Mr Thomas Dodgin, a millwright of Newcastle-upon-tyne at the White-Lead Works, Bill Quay, where his brother was foreman. In the late 1800s he relocated to Bath and was engaged in the construction of Pulteney Bridge (partly as the contractor).(1)
In 1804, he moved to Bristol and went on to form a partnership with John Taylor, trading as Messrs Armstrong and Taylor - Millwrights. Armstrong's resided at No.15 Guinea Street and they leased premises and a wharf near Redcliffe Street in Wapping, Bristol.(2) During this period, they were engaged by William Jessop (1745-1814) and Wiliam Jessop Jnr (1783-1852) in the construction of the Bristol Docks which were completed by c.1806.
In 1812, John took on an apprentice William Newport(3) and prior to 1815 his partnership with Taylor ended; Taylor relocated to Wiltshire and John partnered with his younger brother William.(4) Also in 1812, John appears to finance the building of Alfred Place, Redcliffe. He advertised two of these newly erected dwellings in 1812 and appears to sell No.3 in 1813.(5) Ultimately, John moved from 15, Guinea Street to No.1 Alfred Place by 1815 and he was selling No.'s 1, 2, 4 and 5 Alfred Place in 1819.(6) These properties were presumingly sold to raise capital for the purchase of William Gough's millwright business. John removed from his premises at Wapping to Cough's former premises at 17, Temple Street and alongside the millwright business created an Iron Foundry.(7)
John's partnership with William appears to have been nullified by before 1819 but they were paid for completed sundry works on the Bristol Docks in 1820.(8) In the same year, John's fledging millwright and foundry failed and he filed for bankruptcy which was awarded to him in 1822.(9)
Outside of Bristol John found work on the lock-gates at Lydney (Forest of Dean) and sluices of the Congresbury Drainage etc. He was then engaged under Sir Robert Smirke on the construction of the bridge across the Severn, at Gloucester, and in 1821 under Mr. Rennie and subsequently by Mr. Telford, for superintending the construction of the new arch of Rochester Bridge and superintended works for the Grosvenor Canal. Subsequently, he was engaged at the Thames Tunnel, under Sir Isambard Brunel and transferred to Messrs Bramah, by whom he was employed on the construction of lock-gates for St Katherine Docks and superintending their building speculation at Calverley Park, near Tunbridge Wells.(10)
In 1828, he was elected as an Associate to the Institute of Civil Engineers(11); an honour William did not achieve. In c.1831 John became a Bristol City Surveyor for the Paving Commissioners, responsible for pavements and sewers; a post he held until his death in 1854.(12) Additionally he held the position of Medical Officer of Health from September 1851 until his death.(13)
