Army Boot Machinery
Develops mass-production equipment for footwear during the Napoleonic Wars.
Role range: 1769-1849
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Marc Isambard Brunel Biography and Timeline — Page 2
Follow Marc Isambard Brunel through 58 dated historical records for France.
Marc Isambard Brunel, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
58Distinct records
2 of 2Page
1810–1842Years on this page
1810
Army Boot Production
Uses mechanised methods to produce large quantities of military footwear.
Role range: 1769-1849
Boot-Making Machine Patent
Patents machinery intended to mechanise the manufacture of boots.
Role range: 1769-1849
Mechanised Footwear Manufacture
Army demand supports Brunel's boot-manufacturing enterprise.
Role range: 1769-1849
1814
Royal Society Fellowship Election
Brunel is elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his mechanical and civil engineering achievements.
Role range: 1769-1849
1818
Shield Compartment Principle Patented
Brunel patents a tunnelling shield divided into protected working compartments, allowing excavation and brick lining to advance together.
Role range: 1769-1849
1824
Thames Crossing Investors Mobilised
Brunel secures financial and political support for a tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping using his shield method.
Role range: 1769-1849
1825
Rotherhithe Shaft Sinking Method Applied
A large brick shaft is constructed and sunk under its own weight to create the working access for the Thames Tunnel.
Role range: 1769-1849
Thirty-Six Shield Cells Put into Use
Brunel's shield divides the excavation face into thirty-six protected cells so miners can work while masonry is built immediately behind them.
Role range: 1769-1849
1826
Tunnel Brick Lining Advanced behind Shield
Bricklayers construct the permanent tunnel lining directly behind the moving shield as excavation progresses beneath the Thames.
Role range: 1769-1849
1827
Riverbed Breach Repair Directed
After the first major inundation, Brunel directs repairs from the riverbed and prepares the workings for renewed excavation.
Role range: 1769-1849
1828
Tunnel Safety Paper Prepared for Royal Society
Brunel prepares observations on repairing the riverbed breach and protecting workers against another sudden inundation.
Role range: 1769-1849
1829
French Engineering Honour
France recognises Brunel's international engineering achievements.
Role range: 1769-1849
Legion of Honour
Receives appointment to the French Legion of Honour.
Role range: 1769-1849
1831
Babbage Engine Relocation Report
Brunel joins Bryan Donkin and others in reporting to the Treasury on moving Charles Babbage's calculating engine.
Role range: 1769-1849
1834
HMS Thetis Treasure Recovery Advice
Brunel corresponds with the Royal Society about engineering methods connected with recovering treasure from the wreck of HMS Thetis.
Role range: 1769-1849
1836
Improved Tunnel Shield Installed
A larger improved shield is assembled so excavation of the Thames Tunnel can resume after the long suspension.
Role range: 1769-1849
1842
Final Thames Tunnel Excavation Completed
The principal excavation beneath the Thames reaches completion, leaving finishing work before the pedestrian tunnel can open.
Role range: 1769-1849
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.