Thames Tunnel
A larger improved tunnelling shield is assembled and excavation beneath the Thames resumes.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1836 in Great Britain
Explore 43 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1836.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1836
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 43 unique records.
43Unique records
1 of 2Page
39Named events on this page
13Named people on this page
19Places on this page
March
May
Engagement
Brunel proposes marriage to Mary Elizabeth Horsley during a family walk in London.
July
Marriage
Brunel marries Mary Elizabeth Horsley and later establishes a home and office in Westminster.
August
Leigh Woods Abutment Foundation Laid
Construction restarts with the foundation stone for the Leigh Woods abutment laid on the western side of the gorge.
November
Death of John Loudon McAdam
Death of John Loudon McAdam
Other events (month unknown)
Auxiliary Sailing Rig Specified
Great Western was planned with four masts and sails to supplement her steam propulsion during ocean crossings.
Bath Approaches Engineering Planned
Brunel designed the approach through the confined Bath valley with railway bridges and substantial masonry works.
Birth of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Birth of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Box Tunnel
Brunel begins sinking exploratory shafts to examine the geology along the proposed route through Box Hill.
Bristol New York Route Planned
Brunel advocated a direct steamship service from Bristol to New York as an extension of modern British transport networks.
Broad Gauge
Brunel adopts a broad railway gauge of seven feet and one quarter inch for the Great Western Railway.
Broad-Gauge Bridge Clearances Standardised
Brunel's broad gauge determines the generous track widths and spans required for many early Great Western bridges.
Chippenham Alignment Engineering Planned
Brunel planned the route through Chippenham to maintain gentle gradients suitable for broad gauge locomotives.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Construction resumes after renewed commercial confidence brings further investment to the project.
Coal Capacity Shapes Ship Design
Brunel's design allowed substantial bunker space so the ship could make the Atlantic passage under steam without routine intermediate refuelling.
Commander of 11th Hussars
Appointed Commander of the 11th Hussars
Fielden Campaigns For Reduced Working Hours
Industrialist and member of Parliament John Fielden pressed for limits on factory employment and criticised excessively long shifts.
Governor
Appointed of Governor of General of India
Great Western Paddle Steamer Design Developed
Brunel designed a large wooden hulled ship propelled by steam powered paddle wheels for Atlantic crossings.
Great Western Shipbuilding Contract Undertaken
William Patterson's Bristol yard undertook construction of the pioneering transatlantic steamship.
Great Western Steamship Venture Begins
Brunel worked with Bristol investors to establish a company dedicated to regular steamship communication between Britain and New York.
Guppy Helps Organize Atlantic Steamship Company
Thomas Guppy joined Brunel and other Bristol promoters in organizing the company that would commission the Great Western.
GWR Main-Line Construction Contracts Let
Construction of the London-to-Bristol main line proceeds through multiple major contracts under Brunel's overall engineering direction.
Hanwell Viaduct Works
The viaduct becomes an early showpiece of Brunel's railway engineering.
Hungerford Thames Bridge Scheme Considered
Brunel's engineering work extended to proposals for a pedestrian suspension crossing over the River Thames at Hungerford.
Inspectors Report Enforcement Obstacles
Factory inspectors documented widespread practical difficulties in enforcing the 1833 legislation across thousands of mills.
Inspectors Report Persistent Factory Abuses
Leonard Horner and his fellow inspectors documented problems enforcing age and hours restrictions in industrial workplaces.
Leigh Woods Foundation Ceremony Held
On 27 August 1836, the foundation stone of the Leigh Woods abutment is laid as bridge construction resumes after years of financial and political interruption.
Leigh Woods Foundation Stone Laid
Construction resumed with a ceremony marking the foundation of the western bridge abutment.
Marriage
Meets Prince Albert through his father, brother of Victorias uncle Leopold
Notebooks on the Transmutation of Species
Publication of "Notebooks on the Transmutation of Species"
Paddington Railway Approach Works Begin
Contractors developed cuttings bridges and track formation for the western railway approaches to Paddington.
Paddle Propulsion Selected
Brunel's transatlantic vessel was designed with side paddle wheels driven by powerful marine steam engines.
Patterson Begins Great Western Hull
William Patterson's shipbuilding yard began constructing the hull of the pioneering transatlantic paddle steamer Great Western.
Political Register Publication Ends
The Political Register survived briefly after William Cobbett's death before ceasing publication in 1836.
Railway Construction
Large-scale construction begins on Brunel's Great Western Railway between London and Bristol.
South Devon Main-Line Survey Completed
Brunel surveys a railway route between Exeter and Plymouth that later becomes the South Devon Railway.
South Wales Railway Engineering
Extends his railway engineering work into industrial South Wales.
Taff Vale Railway Appointment
Is appointed engineer for the Taff Vale Railway project.
Underfall Dam Flow Control Refined
Harbour operators used the culvert sluices to regulate scouring currents without draining the Floating Harbour.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.