John Smeaton
English engineer (1724-1792) · Scientists · Died at 68
John Smeaton was an English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent scholar, who introduced various scientific methodologies into engineering.
John Smeaton is read about 82 times a day, in 29 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 9 November 2026
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John Smeaton by George Romney, 1779 (detail), National Portrait Gallery, London
Smeaton's Lighthouse
Granite bust by Philip Chatfield in Smeaton's Tower Plymouth
Cross section of the Eddystone Lighthouse showing the method of dovetailing
Perth Bridge, over the Tay
The impounded harbour at Charlestown, Cornwall
Signs on the John Smeaton ViaductAwards
About this person
Smeaton was the first self-proclaimed "civil engineer", and is often regarded as the "father of civil engineering". He pioneered the use of hydraulic lime in concrete, using pebbles and powdered brick as aggregate. Smeaton was associated with the Lunar Society.
