James Braidwood facts for kids
James Braidwood (1800–1861) was a Scottish firefighter. He became the first "Master of Engines" in the world's first public fire service. This service started in Edinburgh in 1824. Later, he led the London Fire Engine Establishment. This group eventually became the London Fire Brigade. Many people believe he helped create the modern fire service we know today.
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His Career as a Firefighter
James Braidwood was born in Edinburgh. He was the tenth child in his family. His father, Francis James Braidwood, was a cabinetmaker. The family lived near Edinburgh University.
James went to the High School in Edinburgh. When he was 24, he became the Master of Fire Engines. This was just two months before the Great Fire of Edinburgh in 1824. Braidwood created new ways to fight fires. Many of these ideas are still used today.
He had trained as a surveyor. This meant he knew a lot about how building materials behaved. He also understood the old buildings in Edinburgh. He hired skilled workers for his fire service. These included slaters, carpenters, masons, and plumbers. They could use their building knowledge to fight fires better. He also hired experienced sailors. Firefighting was hard work, pulling engines and ladders up steep streets. Sailors were good at this and also agile on rooftops.
In 1830, Braidwood published his many original ideas. These ideas about how to organize and fight fires were used all over Britain. However, he did not like the idea of steam-powered fire engines.
In 1833, he moved from Edinburgh to lead the London Fire Engine Establishment. This group had to fight a huge fire. It happened at the Palace of Westminster on October 16, 1834. Almost the entire Palace was destroyed. Braidwood was known for his bravery at big fires. This included the Edinburgh fire in 1824 and a London fire in 1830.
His Death
On June 22, 1861, James Braidwood died during the Tooley Street fire. This fire was at Cotton's Wharf near London Bridge station. A wall fell on him about three hours after the fire started. It took two days to find his body.
Because of his bravery, he had a very large funeral on June 29. The funeral procession was about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. It was almost as big a public event as the fire itself. The Tooley Street fire kept burning for two weeks. It caused about £2,000,000 in damage. This was considered the worst fire since the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Braidwood is buried at Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington, London. His grave is easy to find. His wife, Mary Ann Jane Braidwood, was buried with him. His stepson, who was also a firefighter, was buried nearby. For a long time, his grave was hard to find. But in 1981, a firefighter named Liam Hackett found its exact spot. He then cleaned the site and fixed the writing on the monument.
His Legacy
National Memorial
James Braidwood's death while fighting fires is remembered. His name is on the National Firefighters Memorial. This memorial is located next to St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Freemason Lodge
In 2005, some former London firefighters started a new group. They named it the Braidwood Lodge Number 9802. This was to honor Braidwood's life and death. This group is based in Dartford, Kent.
His Fire Manuals
Braidwood noticed there weren't many books about fire engines in English. So, in 1830, he wrote a book. It was called On the Construction of Fire Engines and Apparatus. Many see it as one of the first textbooks on the science of fire engineering. A new version of this book was published in 2004. Braidwood also wrote Fire prevention and fire extinction. This book was published after he died in 1866.
Edinburgh Memorial
On September 5, 2008, a statue of James Braidwood was unveiled. It stands in Parliament Square, Edinburgh. Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea from the University of Edinburgh helped unveil it. Money was raised for the £75,000 statue. It was made by sculptor Kenneth Mackay. The statue is near where the first main fire station used to be.
Other Honours
A London fireboat was named after Braidwood in the 1930s. Also, Braidwood Street was named after him. This street is off Tooley Street in London, near where he died. There is also a memorial to James Braidwood on a building at the corner of Braidwood Street.
