Brunelformanufacturingships’blocks。ThecareerofBrunelwasofamoreromanticcharacterthanfallstotheordinarylotofmechanicalengineers。Hisfatherwasasmallfarmerandpostmaster，atthevillageofHacqueville，inNormandy，whereMarcIsambardwasbornin1769。Hewasearlyintendedforapriest，andeducatedaccordingly。
Buthewasmuchfonderofthecarpenter’sshopthanoftheschool；
andcoaxing，entreaty，andpunishmentalikefailedinmakingahopefulscholarofhim。Hedrewfacesandplansuntilhisfatherwasalmostindespair。SenttoschoolatRouen，hischiefpleasurewasinwatchingtheshipsalongthequays；andonedayhiscuriositywasexcitedbythesightofsomelargeironcastingsjustlanded。Whatwerethey?Howhadtheybeenmade?Wheredidtheycomefrom?Hiseagerinquiriesweresoonanswered。TheywerepartsofanengineintendedforthegreatPariswater-works；theenginewastopumpwaterbythepowerofsteam；andthecastingshadbeenmadeinEngland，andhadjustbeenlandedfromanEnglishship。”England！”
exclaimedtheboy，”ah！whenIamamanIwillgoseethecountrywheresuchgrandmachinesaremade！”Ononeoccasion，seeinganewtoolinacutler’swindow，hecoveteditsomuchthathepawnedhishattopossessit。Thiswasnottherightroadtothepriesthood；andhisfathersoonsawthatitwasofnouseurginghimfurther：buttheboy’sinstinctprovedtruerthanthefather’sjudgment。
Itwaseventuallydeterminedthatheshouldqualifyhimselftoentertheroyalnavy，andatseventeenhewasnominatedtoserveinacorvetteas”volontaired’honneur。”Hisshipwaspaidoffin1792，andhewasatParisduringthetrialoftheKing。Withtheincautiousnessofyouthheopenlyavowedhisroyalistopinionsinthecafewhichhefrequented。OntheverydaythatLouiswascondemnedtodeath，Brunelhadanangryaltercationwithsomeultra-republicans，afterwhichhecalledtohisdog，”Viens，citoyen！”Scowlinglookswereturneduponhim，andhedeemeditexpedienttotakethefirstopportunityofescapingfromthehouse，whichhedidbyaback-door，andmadethebestofhiswaytoHacqueville。FromthencehewenttoRouen，andsucceededinfindingapassageonboardanAmericanship，inwhichhesailedforNewYork，havingfirstpledgedhisaffectionstoanEnglishgirl，SophiaKingdom，whomhehadaccidentallymetatthehouseofMr。Carpentier，theAmericanconsulatRouen。