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James Braidwood

James Braidwood (1800–1861) was a Scottish firefighter who was the first "Master of Engines", in the world's first municipal fire service in Edinburgh in 1824.[1]

Photograph taken at the unveiling of the new statue of James Braidwood in Edinburgh on 5 September 2008. The person in the dark suit and tie was the statue's main sponsor, Dr Frank Rushbrook CBE

He was born in Edinburgh, the tenth child of Janet Mitchell and Francis James Braidwood, a cabinetmaker. The family lived in College Street next to the University of Edinburgh.[2] By 1810 the family owned an upholstery firm, Braidwood and Son, in Adam Square and were living in Roxburgh Square.[3] James was educated at the High School in Edinburgh, east of his home.

He was the first director of the London Fire Engine Establishment (the brigade which was eventually to become the London Fire Brigade).[4] He is credited with the development of the modern municipal fire service.[5]

Career edit

 
One of Edinburgh's first fire engines from 1824

Appointed Master of Fire Engines at the age of 24, two months prior to the Great Fire of Edinburgh, Braidwood established principles of fire-fighting that are still applied today. His training as a surveyor gave him exceptional knowledge of the behaviour of building materials and housing conditions in the Old Town of Edinburgh. He recruited to the service expert tradesmen – slaters, carpenters, masons and plumbers – who could apply their various fields of expertise to fire fighting. He also recruited experienced mariners for an occupation that required heavy manual work in hauling engines and trundling wheeled escape ladders up and down Edinburgh's steep streets, as well as nimble footwork when negotiating rooftops and moving through partially destroyed buildings. His many original ideas of practical organisation and methodology, published in 1830, were adopted throughout Britain. He was, however, resistant to the introduction of steam-driven engines. In 1833 he left Edinburgh to lead the London Fire Engine Establishment. The London Fire Engine Establishment had to fight a blaze at the Palace of Westminster, on 16 October 1834, that destroyed almost all of the Palace.

Braidwood was distinguished for his heroism on the occasion of great fires in Edinburgh (1824) and London (1830). He also undertook a pastoral role, introducing visits to firemen and their families by the London City Mission.[citation needed]

Braidwood was the first witness at the trial of William Burke of Burke and Hare fame. He gave evidence on Christmas Eve of 1828, in his capacity as an Edinburgh builder, who had been commissioned by the authorities to draw scale plans of the notorious lodging house on Tanners Close where the murders took place. His evidence was simply to state that the plans were an accurate representation of the building.[6]

Death edit

 
The Tooley Street fire of 1861 on its first day
 
The Tooley Street fire by the end of the second day

On 22 June 1861 Braidwood died in the Tooley Street fire at Cotton's Wharf near London Bridge station when a falling wall crushed him, three hours after the fire began.[7] It took two days to recover his body. His heroism led to a massive funeral on 29 June in which the funeral cortege stretched 1.5 miles (2.4 km) behind the hearse, a public spectacle almost equal to the fire itself.[8] The fire, which continued to burn for a fortnight, caused damage valued at £2,000,000, equivalent to £198,550,000 in 2021 and was considered the worst fire since the Great Fire of London in 1666.[9]

Braidwood is buried at Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London, not far from the Stoke Newington Fire Station. The grave lies on a path edge towards the south, rendering it relatively easy to see in this congested and overgrown cemetery. His wife, Mary Ann Jane Braidwood (1806–1871) was buried with him. He was also buried near his stepson, also a fireman, who had died six years earlier.[10]

The grave was long lost to public view but in 1981, following much research by the then Stoke Newington Fire Station White Watch Station Officer, Liam Hackett, the precise location of the grave was found. Hackett then spent the rest of the summer clearing the site and restoring the lettering on the monument.[11]

Legacy edit

National memorial edit

 
Headstone of James Braidwood at Abney Park Cemetery in 2015

The death of James Braidwood, whilst engaged in fire fighting duties, is recorded on the National Firefighters Memorial which is located adjacent to St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London.

Freemason Lodge edit

In 2005, a group of former London firefighters founded a new Masonic lodge. They commemorated Braidwood's life and death by naming the lodge after him. This is now known as the Braidwood Lodge Number 9802 and is based in Dartford, Kent.[12]

Republished fire manual edit

Recognising the lack of publications on fire engines in the English language, Braidwood published what is regarded as one of the first textbooks on the science of fire engineering in 1830: On the Construction of Fire Engines and Apparatus.[13] A second edition of the book was published in 2004. Braidwood also authored Fire prevention and fire extinction,[14] published posthumously in 1866.

Edinburgh memorial edit

 
James Braidwood statue full inscription text

On 5 September 2008, the James Braidwood memorial statue in Parliament Square, Edinburgh was unveiled by Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh.[15] A fund had been established for a £75,000 memorial to Braidwood, to be created by the Glasgow sculptor, Kenneth Mackay, led by Dr Frank Rushbrook CBE, 93-year-old former Firemaster at Lothian & Borders Fire Brigade. The statue stands around the corner from the site of the original main fire station in the High Street. The bronze plaque below it reads:

James Braidwood

1800 – 1861
Father of the British Fire Service

This statue is dedicated to the memory of James Braidwood, a pioneer of the scientific approach to fire-fighting. It also recognises the courage and sacrifice of fire-fighters, not only in Lothian & Borders Fire and Rescue Service, but all over the world.

Other honours edit

A London fireboat was named in Braidwood's honour in the 1930s.[citation needed] Braidwood Street, a road off Tooley Street in the London Bridge Area, near where he died was also named after him.[16] On the corner of Braidwood Street on a building that is part of the London Bridge Hospital is a memorial to James Braidwood.[17] Braidwood Forest was opened at Ingrebourne Hill, a Forestry England site in Rainham in August 2016.[18]

References edit

  1. ^ Henham, Brian (2000). True hero : the life and times of James Braidwood, father of the British Fire Service. Romford [England]: Braidwood Books. ISBN 0-9538908-0-5. OCLC 48025524.
  2. ^ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1800
  3. ^ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1810
  4. ^ "London Fire Brigade website". London Fire Brigade. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  5. ^
  6. ^ The Infamous Burke and Hare: Serial Killers and Resurrectionists of 19th Century Edinburgh, by R. Michael Gordon p. 103 ISBN 978-0-7864-4403-8
  7. ^ . London Fire Brigade. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  8. ^ "University of Edinburgh's profile of James Braidwood". Scottish-places.info. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  9. ^ p121 Flanders, Judith (2012), The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens' London, Atlantic Books, ISBN 978-1-84887-795-5
  10. ^ p121 Flanders, Judith (2012), The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens' London, Atlantic Books, ISBN 978-1-84887-795-5
  11. ^ Wood Paul. James Braidwood First Chief officer Of The London Fire Brigade.Roundthreads Magazine. Issue No 19. 2015 Summer Edition Page 8. Retrieved 12 May 2017 [1] 26 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Braidwood Lodge №. 9802". Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  13. ^ Braidwood, James (1830). On the Construction of Fire Engines and Apparatus by James Braidwood, 2nd edition, 2004. Preface by Brian Allaway. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  14. ^ Fire prevention and fire extinction. Bell and Daldy. 1866. Retrieved 18 January 2013 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ "'No bells and no whistles for 'father of firefighting'". The Scotsman. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  16. ^ p121 Flanders, Judith (2012), The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens' London, Atlantic Books, ISBN 978-1-84887-795-5
  17. ^ "A Southwark & Borough Walk". London Footprints. 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  18. ^ https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/21530987.great-great-great-granddaughter-london-fire-brigade-founder-opens-rainham-forest/
Attribution

Further reading edit

  • Henham, Brian (2000). True hero : the life and times of James Braidwood, father of the British Fire Service. Romford [England]: Braidwood Books. ISBN 0953890805.

External links edit

james, braidwood, other, people, named, disambiguation, 1800, 1861, scottish, firefighter, first, master, engines, world, first, municipal, fire, service, edinburgh, 1824, photograph, taken, unveiling, statue, edinburgh, september, 2008, person, dark, suit, st. For other people named James Braidwood see James Braidwood disambiguation James Braidwood 1800 1861 was a Scottish firefighter who was the first Master of Engines in the world s first municipal fire service in Edinburgh in 1824 1 Photograph taken at the unveiling of the new statue of James Braidwood in Edinburgh on 5 September 2008 The person in the dark suit and tie was the statue s main sponsor Dr Frank Rushbrook CBEHe was born in Edinburgh the tenth child of Janet Mitchell and Francis James Braidwood a cabinetmaker The family lived in College Street next to the University of Edinburgh 2 By 1810 the family owned an upholstery firm Braidwood and Son in Adam Square and were living in Roxburgh Square 3 James was educated at the High School in Edinburgh east of his home He was the first director of the London Fire Engine Establishment the brigade which was eventually to become the London Fire Brigade 4 He is credited with the development of the modern municipal fire service 5 Contents 1 Career 2 Death 3 Legacy 3 1 National memorial 3 2 Freemason Lodge 3 3 Republished fire manual 3 4 Edinburgh memorial 3 5 Other honours 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksCareer edit nbsp One of Edinburgh s first fire engines from 1824Appointed Master of Fire Engines at the age of 24 two months prior to the Great Fire of Edinburgh Braidwood established principles of fire fighting that are still applied today His training as a surveyor gave him exceptional knowledge of the behaviour of building materials and housing conditions in the Old Town of Edinburgh He recruited to the service expert tradesmen slaters carpenters masons and plumbers who could apply their various fields of expertise to fire fighting He also recruited experienced mariners for an occupation that required heavy manual work in hauling engines and trundling wheeled escape ladders up and down Edinburgh s steep streets as well as nimble footwork when negotiating rooftops and moving through partially destroyed buildings His many original ideas of practical organisation and methodology published in 1830 were adopted throughout Britain He was however resistant to the introduction of steam driven engines In 1833 he left Edinburgh to lead the London Fire Engine Establishment The London Fire Engine Establishment had to fight a blaze at the Palace of Westminster on 16 October 1834 that destroyed almost all of the Palace Braidwood was distinguished for his heroism on the occasion of great fires in Edinburgh 1824 and London 1830 He also undertook a pastoral role introducing visits to firemen and their families by the London City Mission citation needed Braidwood was the first witness at the trial of William Burke of Burke and Hare fame He gave evidence on Christmas Eve of 1828 in his capacity as an Edinburgh builder who had been commissioned by the authorities to draw scale plans of the notorious lodging house on Tanners Close where the murders took place His evidence was simply to state that the plans were an accurate representation of the building 6 Death edit nbsp The Tooley Street fire of 1861 on its first day nbsp The Tooley Street fire by the end of the second dayOn 22 June 1861 Braidwood died in the Tooley Street fire at Cotton s Wharf near London Bridge station when a falling wall crushed him three hours after the fire began 7 It took two days to recover his body His heroism led to a massive funeral on 29 June in which the funeral cortege stretched 1 5 miles 2 4 km behind the hearse a public spectacle almost equal to the fire itself 8 The fire which continued to burn for a fortnight caused damage valued at 2 000 000 equivalent to 198 550 000 in 2021 and was considered the worst fire since the Great Fire of London in 1666 9 Braidwood is buried at Abney Park Cemetery Stoke Newington London not far from the Stoke Newington Fire Station The grave lies on a path edge towards the south rendering it relatively easy to see in this congested and overgrown cemetery His wife Mary Ann Jane Braidwood 1806 1871 was buried with him He was also buried near his stepson also a fireman who had died six years earlier 10 The grave was long lost to public view but in 1981 following much research by the then Stoke Newington Fire Station White Watch Station Officer Liam Hackett the precise location of the grave was found Hackett then spent the rest of the summer clearing the site and restoring the lettering on the monument 11 Legacy editNational memorial edit nbsp Headstone of James Braidwood at Abney Park Cemetery in 2015The death of James Braidwood whilst engaged in fire fighting duties is recorded on the National Firefighters Memorial which is located adjacent to St Paul s Cathedral in the City of London Freemason Lodge edit In 2005 a group of former London firefighters founded a new Masonic lodge They commemorated Braidwood s life and death by naming the lodge after him This is now known as the Braidwood Lodge Number 9802 and is based in Dartford Kent 12 Republished fire manual edit Recognising the lack of publications on fire engines in the English language Braidwood published what is regarded as one of the first textbooks on the science of fire engineering in 1830 On the Construction of Fire Engines and Apparatus 13 A second edition of the book was published in 2004 Braidwood also authored Fire prevention and fire extinction 14 published posthumously in 1866 Edinburgh memorial edit nbsp James Braidwood statue full inscription textOn 5 September 2008 the James Braidwood memorial statue in Parliament Square Edinburgh was unveiled by Professor Sir Timothy O Shea Principal of the University of Edinburgh 15 A fund had been established for a 75 000 memorial to Braidwood to be created by the Glasgow sculptor Kenneth Mackay led by Dr Frank Rushbrook CBE 93 year old former Firemaster at Lothian amp Borders Fire Brigade The statue stands around the corner from the site of the original main fire station in the High Street The bronze plaque below it reads James Braidwood1800 1861 Father of the British Fire Service This statue is dedicated to the memory of James Braidwood a pioneer of the scientific approach to fire fighting It also recognises the courage and sacrifice of fire fighters not only in Lothian amp Borders Fire and Rescue Service but all over the world Other honours edit A London fireboat was named in Braidwood s honour in the 1930s citation needed Braidwood Street a road off Tooley Street in the London Bridge Area near where he died was also named after him 16 On the corner of Braidwood Street on a building that is part of the London Bridge Hospital is a memorial to James Braidwood 17 Braidwood Forest was opened at Ingrebourne Hill a Forestry England site in Rainham in August 2016 18 References edit Henham Brian 2000 True hero the life and times of James Braidwood father of the British Fire Service Romford England Braidwood Books ISBN 0 9538908 0 5 OCLC 48025524 Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1800 Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1810 London Fire Brigade website London Fire Brigade 30 April 2008 Retrieved 18 January 2013 The foundations of the modern fire service Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service The Infamous Burke and Hare Serial Killers and Resurrectionists of 19th Century Edinburgh by R Michael Gordon p 103 ISBN 978 0 7864 4403 8 Tooley Street Fire London Fire Brigade Archived from the original on 17 January 2013 Retrieved 18 January 2013 University of Edinburgh s profile of James Braidwood Scottish places info Retrieved 18 January 2013 p121 Flanders Judith 2012 The Victorian City Everyday Life in Dickens London Atlantic Books ISBN 978 1 84887 795 5 p121 Flanders Judith 2012 The Victorian City Everyday Life in Dickens London Atlantic Books ISBN 978 1 84887 795 5 Wood Paul James Braidwood First Chief officer Of The London Fire Brigade Roundthreads Magazine Issue No 19 2015 Summer Edition Page 8 Retrieved 12 May 2017 1 Archived 26 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Braidwood Lodge 9802 Retrieved 15 May 2022 Braidwood James 1830 On the Construction of Fire Engines and Apparatus by James Braidwood 2nd edition 2004 Preface by Brian Allaway Retrieved 18 January 2013 Fire prevention and fire extinction Bell and Daldy 1866 Retrieved 18 January 2013 via Internet Archive No bells and no whistles for father of firefighting The Scotsman 26 July 2008 Retrieved 18 January 2013 p121 Flanders Judith 2012 The Victorian City Everyday Life in Dickens London Atlantic Books ISBN 978 1 84887 795 5 A Southwark amp Borough Walk London Footprints 2013 Retrieved 8 February 2023 https www romfordrecorder co uk news 21530987 great great great granddaughter london fire brigade founder opens rainham forest Attribution nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Wood James ed 1907 Braidwood James The Nuttall Encyclopaedia London and New York Frederick Warne nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Braidwood James Dictionary of National Biography London Smith Elder amp Co 1885 1900 Further reading editHenham Brian 2000 True hero the life and times of James Braidwood father of the British Fire Service Romford England Braidwood Books ISBN 0953890805 External links editWorks by James Braidwood at Project Gutenberg Works by or about James Braidwood at Internet Archive Scotsman newspaper obituary for Dr Frank Rushbrook 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Braidwood amp oldid 1211051811, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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