John Rennie
John Rennie- A Famous Scottish Engineer - Esteemed civil engineer
John Rennie (1761-1821). The Industrial Revolution developed because of people like John Rennie, who, through his designs and constructions, developed an efficient transport system. A farmer's son from Phantassie, East Lothian, Rennie was educated at Dunbar High School, and worked for a while with the inventor of the threshing machine, Andrew Meikle (1719-1811).
While studying at Edinburgh University, he managed to run his own design and construction business and an early commission was the iron foundry for the Carron Company at Falkirk. Leaving the university without graduating, Rennie joined the engineering firm of Boulton & Watt in 1784, but after 1789 he worked for himself. He won fame as a bridge-builder with constructions at Kelso, Leeds and London, and his other major works included the Kennet and Avon Canal, Glasgow Docks and the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
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