Talk on the Life and Times of Thomas Brassey by David Casement
The Athenaeum Club, 12-18 Church Alley, Liverpool L1 3DD

Tuesday 20 October 2026 at 11am
Tickets £23 including tea/coffee on arrival
40 places available
Organiser: Pam Meredith Jones (contact 07941 542911 or pam@milesmj.com)

Few people have ever heard of Thomas Brassey and often ask, “Thomas who?” There is a statue of him outside Chester Railway Station, the city of his birth, as he was responsible for building most of the world’s railways in the 19th century and by the time he died in 1870, left a fortune of over £5 million, equivalent to about £760 million today.

Initially a surveyor by profession, he was well respected by his workforce which, including his navvies, numbered over 80,000 worldwide and was regarded as ‘a man without faults’ by his associates including George Stephenson. At his Canada Works in Birkenhead he set up a library ahead of the advent of public libraries.

His first experience of civil engineering was to build 4 miles of the New Chester Road in Bromborough as well as the construction of a small bridge in Saughall Massie, Wirral.

We will learn about the remarkable life’s work of this highly respected and empathetic man from David Casement a member of the Wirral History and Heritage Association.

Coffee/tea will be served before the talk in the Wine Servery which is accessible by lift from the ground floor. Members may also like to stay on for a light lunch at their own expense following the talk. Please let me know if you would be interested when you book your ticket.

Liverpool Central railway station is a short walk away.