On this Day:  3rd September 1800  James Braidwood was born

Born to Francis, Cabinetmaker, and Janet Braidwood, nee Mitchell, a son James.  their ninth child. In the course of time the family would increase again with the arrival of a tenth child.

 Whilst there is little documented history regarding his early years, realising the type of man he turned out to be it is not hard to expect that he would most likely be aware of significant events that occurred during that early period of his life.

At age 5 he would have witnessed the formation of the Caledonian Insurance Company Fire Brigade when his uncle William, Francis’s elder brother, became the first manager of the newly formed Caledonian Insurance Company in Edinburgh. Consisting of 14 men, who wore blue jackets with a Thistle emblem, trousers that had orange inlays and turnups and leather helmets with a thistle and the word Caledonian painted on them, the Brigade stored its first manual engine, purchased from Bramah & Son of London, at the Wateryard on Castlehill.

No doubt aware from an early age of the need to harness the power of fire to heat his home and cook his meals. James, aged 7, was made aware of its harmful effects when it is allowed to get out of control when his father’s workshop in the Pleasance was totally destroyed by it.

At 8 years old James was sent to the Royal High School having passed an Entrance Exam. His parents paid fees of one guinea per term (formerly 21 shillings now £1.05p) each school year consisting of 3 terms. Taught by Mr Irvine, the pupils of his class, possibly numbering 100 or more, were only schooled in Latin and Greek. School started at 8 am and, save a short break for lunch, finished at 3pm though the pupils were expected to do homework in the evening.

A year later, aged 9, he would have witnessed his first large display of fireworks when a celebration of the jubilee of the accession of George III was staged in the city.

In his eleventh year James would have had a series of firsts. Starting with an experience of a large fire when one occurred in Parliament Square. During the following month the experience of a house on Castle Hill suddenly blowing up as the result of the ignition of gunpowder hidden in the basement. Both of these events would provide him with valuable knowledge that he would utilise later in life. Similarly, before the end of the year there would be a series riots in the City during which a policeman would sustain wounds which he would subsequently die of. Three teenagers would later be convicted of the murder and be hanged from a gibbet in the High Street in April of the following year. This experiences no doubt influenced his decisions later in his career when he prepared his men for possible disturbances before the trial of Burke and Hare.

In 1813 James finished his formal schooling and started a year of private tuition before going into his father’s business in 1814. James would no doubt be well aware of the letter written in that year by Sir Patrick Walker, published in the Scots Magazine, in which he detailed the defects in firefighting provision in the city that he experienced whilst assisting at a destructive fire in Bishops Land, off the High Street. Later James would publish extracts of the letter in his book ‘On the construction of Fire Engines and Apparatus’ in 1830.

In 1824 whilst still only 23 and studying to be a surveyor he would assist at a destructive fire which occurred in a Brass Foundry in Niddry Street and whilst not named the Scotsman newspaper next day reported that a ‘private individual gave great assistance’.

This fire plus another in Parliament Square and an earlier one in new buildings at North Bridge spurred the Council into action and a committee was formed from amongst the Police Commissioners ‘to provide a remedy’. Subsequently the Fire Engine Committee, having decided in conjunction with the Insurance Companies, that a Fire Engine Establishment should be formed recommended that James be appointed Superintendent of Fire Engines at an annual salary of £50 on 23rd October though his expenses were back dated to the 10th October.     

James would become ‘Master of Engines’ subsequently called ‘Firemaster’ of the Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment until 1832 when he resigned to take up a similar position in London.

He would remain in charge of what was the London Fire Brigade, in all but name, until 1861 when he was killed at a fire in Tooley Street.

For further details see our entry for 22nd June 1861. Death of James Braidwood.

Written by Dave Farries QFSM