ABSTRACT
Historical research on early consulting engineers in Britain has concentrated on their projects as the profession developed from the late 18th century, but little has been done to study their financial affairs. Thomas Telford (1757–1834) dominated British civil engineering 1821–34. His career is well-known, yet the management of his business affairs remains largely unknown. Using recent research into the history of consulting engineering as a background, this paper considers what Telford’s surviving papers tell us about his income and business focusing on the last 20 years of his life.
