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Samuel Charles Brees

1810 – 1865

New Zealand artist, surveyor and engineer

Railway engineerPainter Watercolorist
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About Samuel Charles Brees

Lived 1810 – 1865 (aged 54–55). Samuel Charles Brees was a New Zealand and British railway engineer, painter, watercolorist, surveyor, artist and engineer.

Samuel Charles Brees ( 1810 – 5 May 1865) was a British artist, surveyor and engineer.

He served an apprenticeship with a London architect then trained as a civil engineer in Bristol under G.W.Buck and Robert Stephenson. He designed the greater part of the London to Birmingham line.

Between 1837 and 1847 he published a four volume series on Railway Practice, which is considered one of the foremost sources of contemporary information on civil engineering related to early railways and rolling stock, and was illustrated with more than 250 folding and double paged plates.

He was employed by the New Zealand Company as principal surveyor and engineer from 1842 to 1845. He succeeded William Mein Smith in this role. Brees died of heart disease at sea on the La Hogue off Blackwall, London.

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Important facts

Born
1810, Bloomsbury
Birth century
Occupation
Railway engineer, painter, watercolorist, surveyor, artist, engineer
Employers
New Zealand Company
Also known as
S. C. Brees, Brees, S. C. (Samuel Charles)

People in Samuel Charles Brees's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Samuel Charles Brees's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Samuel Charles Brees?

New Zealand artist, surveyor and engineer (c.1810-1865)

When was Samuel Charles Brees born?

Samuel Charles Brees was born in 1810 in Bloomsbury.

When did Samuel Charles Brees die?

Samuel Charles Brees died on 5 May 1865 in at sea.

What was Samuel Charles Brees's occupation?

Samuel Charles Brees was a railway engineer, painter, watercolorist, surveyor, artist and engineer.

What nationality was Samuel Charles Brees?

Samuel Charles Brees was New Zealand and British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Samuel Charles Brees

· Wikidata: Q7411095

· DBpedia: Samuel Brees

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Samuel Charles Brees. https://biography.guide/samuel-charles-brees/

MLA: "Samuel Charles Brees." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/samuel-charles-brees/.

Chicago: "Samuel Charles Brees." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/samuel-charles-brees/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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