Telford built where rivers bend, Holland dreamed of depths no end! Rachel, Eily, brains that gleam, Nelson led a daring team. Engineers and leaders too They changed the world for me and you!
1. Thomas Telford, The Colossus of Roads
Thomas started as a stonemason in 1757 and became a leading engineer of roads, bridges, canals and harbours. He tested materials, refined designs and left structures across Britain, including the Menai Suspension Bridge, the longest of its kind when finished. He later served as the first President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Icon- Picture a sketchbook, a stone arch and a long roadway fading to the horizon.
2. John Holland, The Submarine Dreamer
John was born in Ireland in 1841 and kept building models of underwater craft until one worked. In 1900 the United States Navy bought his Holland VI, its first official submarine. His design proved a new way to travel and fight under the sea.
Icon - Draw a small cigar‑shaped sub, a propeller and bubbles rising to the surface.
3. Rachel Parsons, Engineering Pioneer for Women
Rachel grew up around engineering, helped with trials on the fast turbine ship Turbinia and studied Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge. During the First World War she helped run the family firm, then co‑founded the Women’s Engineering Society. She backed training and fair access so more women could build and lead.
Icon- Show a turbine outline, a workshop bench and a WES badge.
4. Eily Keary, The Hull Designer Who Made Waves
Eily studied engineering at Cambridge and worked at the William Froude Laboratory on model tests for ship shapes. She contributed to destroyer designs and to early flying boats. She became an associate fellow of the Aeronautical Society and one of the first women in the Institution of Naval Architects.
Icon- Sketch a towing tank, a sleek hull and a simple plan view with water lines.
5. Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain’s Bold Sea Commander
Nelson joined the navy as a boy and rose through hard service at sea. He lost an eye and later an arm but kept taking command. He led victories at the Nile and Copenhagen and won his final battle at Trafalgar in 1805, where he died from his wounds. His tactics and calm leadership still shape naval thinking. Icon- Draw a simple silhouette with a cocked hat, a signal flag and the name “Trafalgar 1805”.
