Early Life

Brotherhood was born in Middlesex in 1812. His father worked on estates and from an early age Rowland became skilled in things like well sinking, digging cesspools and carrying out drainage works from the age of 9¾. . He won his first major contract in 1836, excavating the foundations for Wharncliffe Viaduct over the river Brent at Hanwell in West London. The viaduct was part of the first section of Brunel’s Great Western Railway (GWR)  from London to Bristol. Brotherhood went on to build large parts of the Railway under Brunel’s direction. He worked on Brunel’s famous bridge over the River Thames at Maidenhead.

Railway Works

In 1842 Brotherhood established a Railway Works at Chippenham. This became a major engineering works supplying railway equipment, including 1500 wagons built for the Great Western, Bristol & Exeter and South Devon Railways. He was also involved in major building feats further afield, like constructing an iron lattice bridge at Crathie for the Royal Family in 1856. Again this was designed by Brunel. He constructed new paddle wheels for the Great Eastern steamship when it ran aground in a storm.

Brotherhood became wealthy but he hit stormy waters in the 1860s. He was badly affected by the general economic downturn in 1866. It was said that he was a better engineer than he was a financier – not the best at calculating his costs. Part of his wealth lay in shares in other companies which proved worthless. In 1869 his Chippenham works had to close; there is a surviving inventory of all the engineering tools and machinery that he sold off.

Witness to a tragedy

Brotherhood was on the same train as James Gibbs, a director of GWR who is also buried in Arnos Vale. On the 24th February 1853 two carriages went off the line and killed the latter. Brotherhood recorded in his memoir that Gibbs 'looked out of the window just as the carriage turned over', this incident killed Gibbs.

A Trusted Alliance.

Brunel quickly recognised Brotherhood's reliability and placed vast amounts of domestic and international work in his hands, including Brunel's famous bridge over the River Thames at Maidenhead. Reflecting on their mutual trust in his memoirs, Brotherhood wrote: "I well knew that if Mr Brunel put me into one bad job he would put me into two good ones to help me out. He had been a good friend to me." Brunel echoed that respect, calling Brotherhood "the best you could have to deal with." 

Later Career

However, this didn’t stop Brotherhood working. He moved to Cardiff where he became General Manager at the Bute Iron and Engineering Works, building dock gates. Then in 1875 he moved to Bristol, where he developed a new goods shed for the Great Western Railway. Between 1877-9 he was involved with the construction of the Severn Tunnel.

International Reach. Brotherhood's tools, permanent way fittings, and structural ironwork were exported to Spain, France, and India (including a major iron bridge for the Koyna River). He also tendered for the construction of a railway to the Suez Canal, though he ultimately withdrew due to concerns over regional conflict.

Family Life

Brotherhood was happily married to Priscilla in 1835 and as well as being his wife she served as his business cashier throughout his career. In his memoirs, he paid warm tribute to her partnership: "If I had not been blessed with one of the very best of wifes I never could have gone through all I have nor carried out the works I have done without her help."  They had 14 children, 10 of them sons. Brotherhood to joke in his memoirs that "however much we may have failed in carrying out contracts, we did our duty both to Queen and Country in keeping up stock." 

Most of his sons became engineers and Rowland Jr, played cricket briefly for Gloucestershire. Peter, the second son, built locomotives and developed his own engineering company in Peterborough.

Death

He died 4th March 1883 home at Everton Villa (now 5) Chertsey Road, and is buried under a pink granite grave. His wife died 28 December 1888 and they are together in this grave. In his obituary it was said of Brotherhood’s relationship with his employees that he ‘established such a firm, yet kind sway that no one ever had a rude word to say about him’. But perhaps the biggest compliment is Brunel’s recommendation: ‘The contractor is Brotherhood – the best you could have to deal with’.