Isambard Kingdom Brunel a white elephant, but it has been argued by David P. Billington that in this case Brunel's failure was principally one of economics—his ships were simply years ahead of their time. His vision and engineering innovations made the building of large-scale, propeller-driven, all-metal steamships a practical reality, but the prevailing economic and industrial conditions meant that it would be several decades before transoceanic steamship travel emerged as a viable industry. "Great Eastern" was built at John Scott Russell's Napier Yard in London, and after two trial trips in 1859, set forth on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York
Marc Isambard Brunel to London and made contact with Sophia. They were married on 1 November 1799 at St Andrew, Holborn. In 1802 Sophia gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Sophie; in 1804 their second daughter Emma; and in 1806 their son Isambard Kingdom, who would become a great engineer. Isambard Kingdom grew up in Lindsey House. During the summer of 1799 Brunel was introduced to Henry Maudslay, a talented engineer who had worked for Joseph Bramah, and had recently started his own business. Maudslay made working models of the machines for making pulley blocks, and Brunel approached Samuel Bentham, the