- Jacob Samuda
Jacob Samuda (
August 24 ,1811 -November 12 ,1844 was aJewish Englishcivil engineer born inLondon . He is described as "the first Jewish engineer" on his tombstone, in theSephardic cemetery,Mile End , London. He was the elder son of Abraham Samuda, an East andWest India merchant of London, and Joy, daughter of H. d'Aguilar of Enfield Chase,Middlesex . After hisapprenticeship with John Hague, an engineer, Jacob went into partnership with his brotherJoseph d'Aguilar Samuda setting up the firmSamuda Brothers .Jacob was an ingenious inventor and made a number of important discoveries. One of these, the
atmospheric railway , received at first with considerable opposition, was subsequently adopted as a means of transit by several important companies, the first beingDublin and Kingstown Railway in 1842. SirRobert Peel later recommended its adoption to the House of Commons and theBoard of Trade . The line to use it inEngland was fromEpsom to London; and later the South Devon Railway adopted the principle of the new invention.Jacob also made significant improvements in marine engines. In 1843, he contracted to build the "Gypsy Queen", an iron boat to be fitted with his improved engine. On the trial trip, the ship exploded and he met his death along with six other persons.
The
Samuda Estate , on the site of his shipyard inCubitt Town , is named after him and his brother.Samuda is buried in the Sephardic Burial Ground in the Mile End Road. ['A Jewish Cemetery',Littell's Living Age,Volume 148,Issue 1909]
References
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=129&letter=S Jacob Samuda] at jewishencyclopedia.com
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