Richard Henry Brunton
Richard Henry Brunton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 December 1841 Muchalls, Kincardineshire, Scotland |
| Died | 23 April 1901 (aged 59) London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Civil engineer, railway engineer, foreign advisor to Japan |
| Known for | Lighthouses |
Richard Henry Brunton FRGS MICE (26 December 1841 – 24 April 1901) was a British engineer known as the "Father of Japanese lighthouses". Brunton was born in Muchalls, Kincardineshire, Scotland. He was employed by the government of Meiji period Japan as a foreign advisor (o-yatoi gaikokujin), primarily to build lighthouses.
Over a period of seven and a half years he designed and supervised the building of 26 Japanese lighthouses in the Western style, which became known as Brunton's "children". To operate the lighthouses he established a system of lighthouse keepers, based on the one used in Scotland. He also helped found Japan's first school of civil engineering. In 1871, he was received by Emperor Meiji in recognition of his efforts.