Charles Richardson

Sir Charles Richardson (1814–1896) was the resident engineer of the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway. He was also the instigator and first engineer of the Severn Tunnel. Early life Richardson was born at Capenhurst Hall in Cheshire. He was educated in England and France. His father, Richard, died when he was six. Despite an early sporting talent for cricket, it was now clear that he would need to make his own living and so, encouraged by his mother, he followed his other talent for engineering. He attended Edinburgh University from 1833, reading Mathematics. Early career He was taken as a pupil by Marc Brunel, working with him on the Thames Tunnel. From then he worked with the Brunels on a number of railway projects, particularly involving tunnelling. These included Box Tunnel and Sapperton Tunnel.