Firefighter. Born the tenth child of Janet Mitchell and Francis James Braidwood in Edinburgh, Scotland. He trained as a surveyor and at 24 was appointed Edinburgh's Master of Fire Engines, becoming the first municipal firemaster in history. Following the Great Fire of Edinburgh in 1824 he instituted training for Edinburgh's firemen and developed skills still in use today. He authored the definitive manual on firefighting for the age. He then relocated to London and founded the London Fire Engine Establishment, the precursor of the London Fire Brigade, and was distinguished for his heroism during his tenure. He was killed in the line of duty at Tooley Street, Southwark London, when a six-storey riverside warehouse blaze raged out of control, he was crushed beneath a collapsing wall of the warehouse, his body was recovered two days later. His funeral procession on June 29 stretched for a mile and a half. Queen Victoria sent her condolences. He is today honored as the father of modern firefighting. A biography, 'True Hero: The Life and Times of James Braidwood, Father of the British Fire Service' was published by Brian Henham in 2000. In 2008, the James Braidwood memorial statue in Parliament Square, Edinburgh was unveiled.
James Braidwood is memorialized at St. Mary Aldermary in the City of London.
James Braidwood is memorialized at St. Mary Aldermary in the City of London.
Firefighter. Born the tenth child of Janet Mitchell and Francis James Braidwood in Edinburgh, Scotland. He trained as a surveyor and at 24 was appointed Edinburgh's Master of Fire Engines, becoming the first municipal firemaster in history. Following the Great Fire of Edinburgh in 1824 he instituted training for Edinburgh's firemen and developed skills still in use today. He authored the definitive manual on firefighting for the age. He then relocated to London and founded the London Fire Engine Establishment, the precursor of the London Fire Brigade, and was distinguished for his heroism during his tenure. He was killed in the line of duty at Tooley Street, Southwark London, when a six-storey riverside warehouse blaze raged out of control, he was crushed beneath a collapsing wall of the warehouse, his body was recovered two days later. His funeral procession on June 29 stretched for a mile and a half. Queen Victoria sent her condolences. He is today honored as the father of modern firefighting. A biography, 'True Hero: The Life and Times of James Braidwood, Father of the British Fire Service' was published by Brian Henham in 2000. In 2008, the James Braidwood memorial statue in Parliament Square, Edinburgh was unveiled.
James Braidwood is memorialized at St. Mary Aldermary in the City of London.
James Braidwood is memorialized at St. Mary Aldermary in the City of London.
Bio by: Iola
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