Richard Henry Brunton - A very famous Brunton
Monday 1 November 2004 | Written by Richard Brunton | Life | Comments (25)
My Dad wrote this article for a local website that had recently updated and removed all information regarding Richard Henry Brunton. Richard (great name!) was primarily famous for installing lighthouses in Japan, amongst other acts, he was quite renowned in those parts and a bust still remains in the town centre in Japan.
So, over to my father for the life and achievements of Richard.
Richard was born in the Coastguard House at Muchalls (now 11 Marine Terrace) on the 26th December 1841. His father, Richard Brunton, was the Chief Coastguard Officer at Muchalls, a retired Naval Officer, and a writer of sea stories. His mother was Margaret Telford from the Parish of Crimond.
In 1856 he became an apprentice engineering assistant with John Willet of Aberdeen. After completing his apprenticeship, he was engaged in the construction of railways and bridges in the Scottish Highlands, then the London & South-west Railway, and the Midland Railway.
1865 was an important year in his life, in that he married Elizabeth Charlotte Wauchope in St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex, and his future career opened up when the Japanese Government decided to establish lighthouses at the approaches to Yokohama, Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka to allow foreign shipping safe access to the ports.
In 1868 he was elected an Associate of the Institute of Civil Engineers, who recommended him to the Board of Trade as a suitable person for the Japanese project. By August of that year he arrived at Yokohama with his wife, two Assistant Engineers and some equipment - the first foreign engineer to be invited to Japan
His first step was to survey the 1500 miles of uncharted coast, and 36 sites were chosen for lighthouses, which were constructed during the following 9 years. Richard’s greatest problem initially was that masons, bricklayers and blacksmiths were almost unknown in that country. Brick-making was something relatively new in Japan, and the quality of bricks manufactured was of a poor standard.
By 1876 he had also established two lightships, thirteen buoys, and three beacons plus the beginnings of a lifeboat service.
As he had experience in railways prior to coming to Japan, his advice was sought regarding the construction of railways in the country. He felt that it was more important to upgrade the tracks in the country to decent roads, but the Japanese Government decided instead to proceed with the railways first. Richard was instructed to construct a railway line between Yokohama and Tokyo, a distance of 22 miles, and a stretch of 20 miles from Osaka and Kyoto, and by autumn 1872, the first part of the task was completed, with hourly trains running.
His next task was that of setting up the country’s first telegraph line between Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, which he completed by 1870.
In 1866, the British Minister in Japan had been recommending to the Japanese Government that Yokohama should be upgraded to make it a place “fit for the residence of Europeans and Americans”, and his recommendations were accepted, with advice again being sought from Richard. He was faced with the reclamation of marsh areas into useable ground, the provision of a piped sewage system, a piped water supply, macadamised streets and paving, and the installation of street lamps.
His final act, before leaving the country in 1876, was to compile the first Ordnance Survey map of the country to a scale of 20 miles to the inch.
By the time of his return to Britain, he hade been made a Fellow of the Geological Society, and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He spent three years as manager of Young’s Paraffin Oil Company in Glasgow, and then fifteen years as an architect and engineer in London, before his death in 1901.
Comments
03-09-2007
02:29
Hello there
I am presently researching a man named Joseph Dick who had some connection to the building of the Wakayama lighthouses under Brunton.
I do not have access to Bruntons published writings. Would you have any information about this man, Dick?
Any help would be appreciated.
Kind Regards
Richard L. Morrison.
Japan.
27-12-2007
02:15
Hi
i am the gr-gr grandson of C.A.McVean who was one of the engineers who accompanied R H Brunton to japan.
want to get in touch?
rgds
Colin
22-03-2008
08:04
Joseph Dick is brother to my Greatfather.
26-03-2008
12:21
Just to let everyone know, I am responding to enquiries on this post, it's just that some people don't want to post any information, just to contact and talk/exchange information, so keep them coming, I am responding.
18-05-2008
03:26
Joseph Dick was brother to my Great Grandfather.
He went to Japan with Richard Brunton, stayed and married a Japaneese lady. They had a number of children, one of whome I am in touch with.
Joseph is buried in Kobe Foreign Cemetery. I have photo's of his grave.
Alison Kay nee Dick.
28-06-2008
02:15
I’m a Japanese researcher for western style lighthouses in Meiji-era and their foreign builders and keepers. R. H. Brunton was a leader of hired foreign engineers, artisans, lightkeepers that Japanese Government clled them Yatoi.
In my city, there is Inubosaki-lighthouse build by Brunton. And I organized Inubosaki-Brunton Association and have been to Westnorwood cemetery near London to held a commemoration ceremony of 100th anniversary of Brunton’s death.
Please exchange informations each other about Brunton and J.MacRitchie(enginer), S.Fisher(engineer), R.A.Bigglestone(engineer), J.Russell(Mechanic), J. Oastler(plumber), J.Mitchel( mason) , J.Dick(principal light keeper), W.Bowers(PLK), J.burnett(PLK), J.Martin(PLK), etc.
31-07-2008
12:25
Hello Hiroshi,
I can send you info and a photograph of Joseph Dick if this would be of Help. Mrs.Alison Kay.
23-12-2008
03:40
I have some photos of the surveying team in Japan that might interest Hiroshi, do you have a direct email. Plus I have some indivudual portrait photos of the Japanese officials involved, with names.
colin.
03-02-2009
09:24
Hello all. I`m seaching for information about Inubosaki Lighthouse and buildings near it for my graduation project (it`s Inubosakis reconstruction). Unfortunable, I dont know japan language, so I cant find enougth info) If anyone can send me any info about soil, construction damages, materials, drawing(not from digital.archives), fact about UNESCO guard this buildings, etc, please send it to Ksedin@yahoo.com. Also my ICQ number is 413976999. I`ll really thankful for any information. Thank you very much advance.
08-05-2009
07:49
My great grandfather's eldest brother James McIntosh went out to Japan in the late 1860's as a lightkeeper (he trained in Scotland with the Northern Lighthouse Board)to train Japanese lightkeepers. I reckon he must have gone out with, or hard on the heels of, Richard Brunton. He stayed for about 4 r 5 years then moved on to the Chinese Imperial Customs Service in Amoy (now Xiamen) resigning in 1886 as an Assistant Examiner.
I don't know what happened to him after that, he doesn't seem ever to have come back to the UK.
I would love to know more about his time in Japan too. Does he crop up in journals, photographs or anything else?
15-07-2009
11:30
FAO Alison and Richard . Hi - I believe the afore mentioned Joseph Dick was also my great grandfather who helped establish lighthouses in Japan , then set up an Import/Export business with America - I believe he had three separate families . One in his native Scotland (Dalkeith nr Edinburgh ) One in Kobe and one in America.
25-07-2009
03:04
Hi - I would like to contact Alison Kay nee Dick --- [Email available on request]
Regards
Joe Dick
28-07-2009
12:44
My gr gr grandfather Thomas Wallace was an engineer working on the lighthouses in Japan during the Brunton era and my father Dr W S Wallace was involved in the ceremony that i believe Hiroshi Nakata referred to in June '08 held at Norwood cemetery.
31-07-2009
12:19
We Inubosaki Brunton Association's members have been to London 2001 to held a Centenary Celemony for R.H.Brunton at West Norwood Cemetary. And next day, I and my friends visited Dr.Wallace and his daughter at Hove to exchange opinions and informations for Brunton.
I have heard Dr. Wallace made some contributions to discover grave of Brunton. And a diary of T.Wallace had been presented by him in Japan.
T.Wallce engaged in as a blacksmith hired by Japanese Gvernment from 1869 to 1872. Let me know Which did T.Wallace work James Milne & Son Ltd or James Dove & Co before his Japan era. I would like to know T.Wallce more.
31-07-2009
08:25
Interesting to read your commets, Joseph's wife, and children left Japan and went back to Scotland to live. Joseph married a Japanese lady and they had three children. Joseph is buried in Kobe foreign cemetery.
Joseph's brother James Dick had a son who went to America and had a family,his decendents still live there.
My GGrandfather, John, Joseph's brother, stayed in Scotland. My Grandfather Alexander left Scotland, and settled in Liverpool.
I hope you find this interesting.
Alison Kay (nee Dick)
25-08-2009
02:51
This is a reply to message I received on 15.7.09
My Great Uncle Joseph Dick had a nephew James Dick who lived in America, decendents still in America. His younger brother, John Dick my GGrandfather lived in Castle Douglas, their father Joseph Dick moved from Edinburgh to Castle Douglas around 1845. Alison Kay.
02-09-2009
03:14
Joe Dick
25-07-2009
03:04
Hi - I would like to contact Alison Kay nee Dick --- [Email available on request]
Regards
Joe Dick
Regarding your note above.
Please let me have your email address and I will send you more information. (I don't know how to exchange address through this blog)
Regards
Alison Kay
24-09-2009
04:57
For Joe Dick, would like very much to receive your email address. I have lots to tell you about
Joseph Dick. regards Alison Kay
28-09-2009
09:49
Dear Alison Kay,
I'm very curious to know whether your great uncle Joseph ever returned to Wakayama after moving back to Scotland? Do you also have any information on exactly how long he lived there?
Emily
04-10-2009
03:25
To Emily D,
Hello,My great uncle Joseph never return home again once he left Scotland, His Scottish wife and Children did return home without him.
hope this is of interest to you.
Alison.
12-10-2009
02:39
Please let me know What did Burnton do in UK from April 1872 to April 1873 when he had come back to home country. I know that he visited some scottish ligthouses and Chance Bros Co. to guide Japanese Minister Hirobumi Ito.
And I would like to get some informations about Joseph Dick from Ms.Alison Kay. Please let me have your email address (I don't know how to exchange address through this blog too)
29-10-2009
11:17
I would like to contact Alison Kay regarding Joseph Dick and his time on Little Ross Lighthouse, Kirkcudbright
02-11-2009
02:48
To Alison Kay - I would like a photo of Joseph Dick if you have one, and also one of his grave that you mentioned. I am a descendant of his daughter Alison Dick (my great grandmother) - my family have an egg shell china tea set with his intitials on it which may have come from him. I would like to know more about him as well.
11-11-2009
12:26
Let me know for Stirling Fisher who was an assistant engineer and was a right-hand man of R.H.Brunton to build Japanese Lighthouses. He had worked from April 1870 to August 1874 in Japan. Unfortunately, He came back to home country with illness. Eapecially,He built most part of Inubosaki-lighthouse in my city during Brunton's one year holiday.
15-02-2010
09:30
I was commissioned to make biographical study on Brunton by Yokohama City Archive in 1990 for Publication of "R. H. Brunton : the father of Japan lights and Yokohama urban planning(1991)". It is quit interesting that descendants of Brunton and McVean meet in this web site since they clashed in term of contract in Japan. For
development of Japanese Modern Architecture, McVean played important role without his intension. His grandson is very famous figure, but McVean himself especially after he retired in Scotland. I need his photo and information.