Person Smeaton; John (1724 - 1792); civil engineer Smeaton John civil engineer 1724 - 1792 British Male Austhorpe Lodge, Whitkirk, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England 08 June 1724 17240608 Austhorpe, Whitkirk, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England 28 October 1792 17921028 Marriage: St George's, Hanover Square, London, England Burial: In the chancel of St. Mary's Church, Whitkirk parish church, Yorkshire, England (1 November 1792)

Engineer; Civil Engineer Physics Engineering Civil engineering Education: Leeds grammar school (1734-1740) Career: Pupil in the office of his father, an attourney, in Leeds (1740-1742); moved to London to pursue further studies (1742-1744); returned to Austhorpe and pursued his interst in instrument making and learned the skills required to become a maker of philosophical instruments (1744); set up a workshop in London, first at Great Turnstile, off Holborn (1748) and later in Furnival's Inn Court where he employed three craftsmen and soon acquired a reputation in scientific circles as a young man of exceptional intelligence; began his classic investigations on the power of water and wind (1752); produced several technical innovations, including a novel pyrometer with which he studied the expansion of various materials (1750s); occupied with his best known achievement, the rebuilding of the Eddystone lighthouse, which confirmed his reputation as an engineer (1756-1759); subsequently became a consultant in the more profitable structural engineering and river harbour works, and adopted the term 'civil engineer' to distinguish civilian consultants from the military engineers graduating from the Military Academy at Woolwich; published a paper on water wheels and windmills, for which he received the Copley Medal of the Royal Society (1759); suffered a period of ill health (1783); suffered a stroke and died six weeks later (1792). Parents: William Smeaton (1684–1749), attorney, and Mary, née Stones (d. 1759). Spouse: (m. 7 June 1756) Ann Jenkinson (1725–1784), of York. Children: Ann (b. 1759) and Mary (b. 1761). Mary, married the son of Jeremiah Dixon (FRS 1773). Regarded as the father of civil engineering. Designed bridges, canals, harbours, and lighthouses. His Eddystone lighthouse design became the standard blueprint for lighthouses. Pioneered the use of hydraulic lime in concrete, which led ultimately to the invention of Portland cement. Lord Macclesfield proposed Smeaton for the Royal Society's prestigious Copley Medal for his "Experimental inquiry concerning the powers of water and wind in the moving of Mills" (published in 'Philosophical Transactions' volume 51 1759-1760, pp 100-174) on 22 November 1759. Medal awarded, with 15 page laudatory speech recorded in Journal Book, on 30 November 1759. He was an occasional guest at meetings of the Lunar Society, and a charter member of the first professional engineering society, the Society of Civil Engineers founded in 1771; after his death it became known as the Smeatonian Society. Its founding reflected the growing sense of professionalism among British civilian engineers during the eighteenth century. A memorial stone can befound in the floor of the nave of Westminster Abbey inscribed 'John Smeaton, Civil Engineer, 1724–1792'. Activity: Royal Society Club Medals and prizes: Copley Medal 1759 Fellow 15/03/1753 28 Thomas Birch James Parsons James Short Gowin Knight John Ellicott William Watson Willoughby Charles Cavendish Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB Journal Book Original Volume XXIV, pp 399-414 References: R L Hills, 'John Watt's Map of the Clyde' in NR 1998 vol 52 pp 63-71 A P Woolrich, 'The Printing of Smeaton's Reports' in NR 1980 vol 35 pp 131-133 A W Skempton, 'The Publication of Smeaton's Reports' in NR 1971 vol 26 pp 135-155, plate J R M Setchell, 'The Friendship of John Smeaton, FRS, with Henry Hindley, Instrument and Clockmaker of York and the Development of Equatorial Mounting Telescopes' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 79-86 J R M Setchell, 'Further Information on the Telescopes of Hindley of York' in NR 1970 vol 25 pp 189-192 T E Allibone, 'The Club of the Royal College of Physicians, the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers and their Relationship to the Royal Society Club' in NR 1967 vol 22 pp 186-192 Douglas McKie, 'Priestley's Laboratory and Library and Other of his Effects' in NR 1956-57 vol 12 pp 114-136 J A D Ackroyd, 'Sir George Cayley, the father of aeronautics. Part 2. Cayley's aeroplanes' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 333-348 J Corden, 'Web of Science History' project in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 383-388 See; http://www.timeout.com/london/music/features/76/Kaiser_Chiefs-10_things.html>http://www.timeout.com/london/music/features/76/Kaiser_Chiefs-10_things.html [Ricky Wilson, one of the 'KaiserChiefs' pop group went to Leeds Grammar School and namechecks another ex-pupil in the song "I predict a riot" with the line 'would never have happenede to Smeaton'. John Smeaton (1724-1792) is the father of civil engineering'.] A N Rollinson 'Engineering and technology of Industrial water Power at Castleford Mills from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century.' N&R Vol 70 Issue 1 March 2016, pp45-63 Smeaton_P119.jpg International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Smeaton%2C+John RCN R63812 RCN R63813 RCN R63810 RCN R63811 RCN R63814 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH56699 8 Jun 1724 - 28 Oct 1792 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 22/08/2025 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA6321 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 6b7eb3d5-3a14-473c-87cd-f31d9b6f138f