Sir John Rennie

author

Sir John Rennie

1794–1874

Best known for carrying his father’s design for London Bridge to completion, this Victorian engineer helped shape major bridges, docks, and transport works in Britain. His long career also left behind a detailed autobiography, giving a firsthand view of engineering in the 19th century.

1 Audiobook

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S., Past President of the Institute of Civil Engineers Comprising the history of his professional life, together with reminiscences dating from the commencement of the century to the present time.

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S., Past President of the Institute of Civil Engineers Comprising the history of his professional life, together with reminiscences dating from the commencement of the century to the present time.

by Sir John Rennie

About the author

Sir John Rennie (30 August 1794 – 3 September 1874), often called John Rennie the Younger, was a British civil engineer and the second son of the celebrated engineer John Rennie the Elder. He trained in the family’s engineering world and, after his father’s death in 1821, took on major responsibilities in completing ongoing projects.

His best-known achievement was the construction of the new London Bridge, built from his father’s designs and opened in 1831; Rennie was knighted that same year. He was also associated with a wide range of other engineering works, including bridges, drainage projects, docks, and railway-related undertakings, and he became a prominent figure in the profession.

Rennie later wrote an autobiography that looks back on both his own work and the wider engineering culture of his time. For listeners interested in industrial history, his life offers a close view of how large public works were planned and carried out in 19th-century Britain.