Peter Bruff

Article summary

Peter Schuyler Bruff (23 July 1812 – 24 February 1900) was an English civil engineer and land developer remembered primarily for his part in establishing the East Anglian railway networks between the 1840s and 1860s. His contribution to the region's infrastructure and development extended far beyond the railways, however, and included the renovation of the Colchester water supply (1851-1880) and the Ipswich sewerage system (completed 1881), the development of the town of Harwich and the Essex resorts of Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton on Sea (which he built up from an empty piece of farmland into a flourishing seaside town), and (not least) the late Victorian revival of the Coalport porcelain factory in Shropshire, which he purchased in 1880.

Key claims

1. date of death: 1900-02-24 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of establishment: 1889 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of death is "1900-02-24". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of establishment is "1889". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362687609