Born in France, Brunel fled to the United States during the French Revolution. In 1796, he was appointed Chief Engineer of New York City. He moved to London in 1799, where he married Sophia Kingdom. In addition to the construction of the Thames Tunnel, his work as a mechanical engineer included the design of machinery to automate the production of pulley blocks for the Royal Navy.
Born in France, Brunel fled to the United States during the French Revolution. In 1796, he was appointed Chief Engineer of New York City He moved to London in 1799, where he married Sophia Kingdom. In addition to the constructio.n of the Thames Tunnel, his work as a mechanical engineer included the design of machinery to automate the production of pulley blocks for the Royal Navy.