▁he ▁had ▁always ▁hoped ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁follow ▁the ▁family ▁tradition ▁and ▁take ▁up ▁a ▁cler ical ▁post . ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁son ' s ▁initial ▁school ing ▁as ▁a ▁cler ic , ▁Joseph ' s ▁father ▁was ▁eventually ▁persu aded ▁to ▁send ▁him , ▁as ▁an ▁app rent ice , ▁to ▁work ▁under ▁his ▁cousin ' s ▁tut el age ▁in ▁Fox ▁and ▁Hend erson , ▁an ▁engineering ▁firm . ▁ ▁Later ▁on ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁he ▁acted ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁engineer ▁for ▁the ▁firm , ▁on ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁Cry stal ▁Palace , ▁London . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁an ▁invent ive ▁mind , ▁and ▁introduced ▁many ▁improvements ▁to ▁the ▁mach in ery ▁used ▁on ▁the ▁construction . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁left ▁there , ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁his ▁brother - in - law ▁and ▁opened ▁The ▁Old bury ▁Engineering ▁Works . ▁ ▁Then , ▁due ▁to ▁ill ▁health , ▁he ▁left ▁Old bury ▁and ▁set ▁up ▁as ▁a ▁Cons ult ing ▁Engine er ▁in ▁Ban bury , ▁where ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁carried ▁out ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁Te ign mouth ▁Pier . ▁Joseph ▁Wilson ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁ ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁pier ▁was ▁a ▁landing ▁stage ; ▁its ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁enable ▁steam bo at ▁passengers ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁the ▁shore . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁a ▁pet ition ▁to ▁wind ▁up ▁the ▁Te ign mouth ▁Pier ▁Company ▁Limited ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁London ▁Gazette .