Thomas Steers was Liverpool’s first dock engineer. He began working for the Liverpool Dock Committee in 1710 and carried on working there until his death in 1750.
What was Thomas Steers’ personal background?
Very little is known about Steers’ life, even his exact date of birth is a mystery. It is thought that he was born in 1672 in Kent in south-east England. During the 1690s he served in the British Army, fighting against the French in Flanders. On returning from Flanders Steers got married and set up home in Rotherhithe in London.
What professional training did Thomas Steers’ have?
Dock engineering was a very new profession when Steers was Liverpool’s dock engineer. It is thought that he gained important technical and managerial experience during his time in the army. The fact that Steers lived in Rotherhithe is important because this was the site of Howland Great Dock, Britain's first wet dock. Steers must have inspected this dock because he drew a survey (plan) of it. It has been suggested that Steers was recommended by Lord Derby, an influential Liverpool politician, who was an army commander in Flanders. This could explain why Steers was selected instead of Henry Huss and George Sorocold, two other men with more experience of dock engineering. Both men visited Liverpool before Steers was appointed, to carry out surveys on which to base their plans for the port’s first dock.
Which docks did Thomas Steers build at Liverpool?
As well as designing Old Dock, Liverpool’s first wet dock, Steers was contracted to carry out the building work as well. He was also the engineer and contractor on South Dock, Liverpool’s second dock (later renamed Salthouse), which opened in 1753. This means that Steers did not live to see his second dock completed.
What other projects did Thomas Steers work on?
Since the job of dock engineer was not full-time to begin with, Steers worked on many other engineering projects besides Liverpool docks. In 1712 he surveyed the River Douglas as well as the Mersey and Irwell rivers, with a view to making them easier for vessels to travel along. During the 1730s Steers spent long periods away from Liverpool docks engineering the Newry Canal in Ireland, which opened in 1741.
Steers also had interests in affairs other then engineering and became an important Liverpool citizen. For example in 1739 he was appointed Mayor.
Thomas Steers’ death
Steers died in Liverpool in 1750 and was buried in St Peter’s churchyard on 2 November 1750.
What was Thomas Steers’ reputation?
The fact that Thomas Steers was Liverpool’s first ever dock engineer means that he has a reputation of being a pioneer (a person who is the first to do something). However, some have criticised Steers’ design for the Old Dock for being built in bad ground with poor foundations. The fact that a stream flowed into the Old Dock meant that a lot of work had to be done to stop the dock becoming silted up. This work was a real nuisance as the dock had to be drained and the silt dug out by men with shovels. Draining water from the dock on a regular basis also weakened its walls. Nevertheless Steers played a vital part in Liverpool’s growth as a port because it was he who showed that with wet docks Liverpool could get over the natural disadvantages of its location.