George Burge (1795-1874)
Contractor
Worked for Thomas Telford on the construction of St. Katherine's Dock.
1830 George Burge and another London businessman, visited Herne Bay and saw an opportunity to build a pier to allow passengers to land and take the waters, something that would be preferable to the existing method of carrying them ashore in beach boats. Burge knew that a similar problem had recently been solved by the building of a landing stage more than a mile long at the growing resort Southend.
Burge persuaded Telford to get involved with the project. It is almost certain that the pier was designed by Telford's chief assistant, Thomas Rhodes, who decided to use wood rather than iron.
Burge raised funds for the pier's construction
1831 Construction began in 1831 and was completed a year later. Burge began buying land and, with local landowner Sir Henry Oxenden, he became involved in planning the town's development.
1838 Contractor on the Bath-Chippenham section of the Great Western Railway