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1 Brindley, James
SUBJECT AREA: Canals[br]b. 1716 Tunstead, Derbyshire, Englandd. 27 September 1772 Turnhurst, Staffordshire, England[br]English canal engineer.[br]Born in a remote area and with no material advantages, Brindley followed casual rural labouring occupations until 1733, when he became apprenticed to Abraham Bennett of Macclesfield, a wheelwright and millwright. Though lacking basic education in reading and writing, he demonstrated his ability, partly through his photographic memory, to solve practical problems. This established his reputation, and after Bennett's death in 1742 he set up his own business at Leek as a millwright. His skill led to an invitation to solve the problem of mine drainage at Wet Earth Colliery, Clifton, near Manchester. He tunnelled 600 ft (183 m) through rock to provide a leat for driving a water-powered pump.Following work done on a pump on Earl Gower's estate at Trentham, Brindley's name was suggested as the engineer for the proposed canal for which the Duke of Bridge water (Francis Egerton) had obtained an Act in 1759. The Earl and the Duke were brothers-in-law, and the agents for the two estates were, in turn, the Gilbert brothers. The canal, later known as the Bridgewater Canal, was to be constructed to carry coal from the Duke's mines at Worsley into Manchester. Brindley advised on the details of its construction and recommended that it be carried across the river Irwell at Barton by means of an aqueduct. His proposals were accepted, and under his supervision the canal was constructed on a single level and opened in 1761. Brindley had also surveyed for Earl Gower a canal from the Potteries to Liverpool to carry pottery for export, and the signal success of the Bridgewater Canal ensured that the Trent and Mersey Canal would also be built. These undertakings were the start of Brindley's career as a canal engineer, and it was largely from his concepts that the canal system of the Midlands developed, following the natural contours rather than making cuttings and constructing large embankments. His canals are thus winding navigations unlike the later straight waterways, which were much easier to traverse. He also adopted the 7 ft (2.13 m) wide lock as a ruling dimension for all engineering features. For cheapness, he formed his canal tunnels without a towpath, which led to the notorious practice of legging the boats through the tunnels.Brindley surveyed a large number of projects and such was his reputation that virtually every proposal was submitted to him for his opinion. Included among these projects were the Staffordshire and Worcestershire, the Rochdale, the Birmingham network, the Droitwich, the Coventry and the Oxford canals. Although he was nominally in charge of each contract, much of the work was carried out by his assistants while he rushed from one undertaking to another to ensure that his orders were being carried out. He was nearly 50 when he married Anne Henshall, whose brother was also a canal engineer. His fees and salaries had made him very wealthy. He died in 1772 from a chill sustained when carrying out a survey of the Caldon Canal.[br]Further ReadingA.G.Banks and R.B.Schofield, 1968, Brindley at Wet Earth Colliery: An Engineering Study, Newton Abbot: David \& Charles.S.E.Buckley, 1948, James Brindley, London: Harrap.JHB -
2 Canals
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3 Gilbert, John
[br]b. 1724 Cotton Hall, Cotton, Staffordshire, Englandd. 3 August 1795 Worsley, Lancashire, England[br]English land agent, mining engineer and canal entrepreneur.[br]Younger son of a gentleman farmer, Gilbert was apprenticed to Matthew Boulton, a buckle maker of Birmingham and father of the Matthew Boulton who was associated with James Watt. He also gained mining experience. Through the influence of his older brother, Thomas Gilbert, he became Land Agent to the Duke of Bridgewater (Francis Egerton) for the Worsley estate. He proposed extensions to the underground waterway system and also made a preliminary survey for a canal from Worsley to Salford, a project which Brindley joined as Assistant Engineer. Gilbert was therefore the prime mover in the construction of the Bridgewater Canal, which received its Act in 1759. He then collected evidence for the second Act to permit construction of the aqueduct across the Irwell at Barton. He was involved in a consortium with his brother Thomas and Earl Gower to develop the Earl's East Shropshire mines and to build the Shrewsbury and the Shropshire Coal Canals. He also excavated the Speedwell Mine at Castleton in Derbyshire between 1774 and 1781 and constructed the underground canal to serve the workings. With his brother, he was involved in the promotion of the Trent \& Mersey Canal and was a shareholder in the undertaking. Among his other entrepreneurial activities, he entered the canal-carrying business. His last work was beginning the underground inclined planes at Worsley, but these were not completed until after his death. His important place in the historical development of the inland navigational system in England has been very much overlooked.[br]Further ReadingP.Lead, 1990, Agents of Revolution: John and Thomas Gilbert-Entrepreneurs, Keele University Centre for Local History.JHB
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Brindley, James — ▪ British engineer born 1716, Tunstead, near Buxton, Derbyshire, Eng. died Sept. 30, 1772, Turnhurst, Staffordshire pioneer canal builder, who constructed the first English canal of major economic importance. Beginning as a millwright,… … Universalium
BRINDLEY, JAMES — a mechanician and engineer, born in Derbyshire; bred a millwright; devoted his skill and genius to the construction of canals, under the patronage of the Duke of Bridgewater, as the greatest service he could render to his country; regarded… … The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
James Brindley — (1716 ndash; 30 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.Early lifeBorn into a well to do… … Wikipedia
Brindley — James Brindley Brindleyplace in Birmingham James Brindley (* 1716 in Tunstead, Derbyshire; † … Deutsch Wikipedia
James Brindley — (1716 – 30 septembre 1772) est un ingénieur anglais. Il est né à Tunstead,dans le Derbyshire, et résida une grande partie de sa vie à Leek. Il devint l un des ingénieurs les plus importants du XVIIIe siècle. Le premier ingénieur … Wikipédia en Français
BRINDLEY — UNITED KINGDOM (see also List of Individuals) .. 1716 Thornsett/UK 27.9.1772 Turnhurst/UK James Brindley worked as a young man for mill construction. In 1752, his extraordinary qualities in mechanical works attracted attention, and he was asked… … Hydraulicians in Europe 1800-2000
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Brindley (disambiguation) — Brindley may refer to:;Places * Brindley, village in Cheshire, England * Brindley Heath, Staffordshire * Brindley Mountain, Alabama, USA;People * Aud Brindley (1923 1957), American basketball player *Doug Brindley (born 1949), Canadian ice hockey … Wikipedia
Brindley — (spr. lĭ), James, Mechaniker, geb. 1716 m Tunstead in Derbyshire, gest. 30. Sept. 1772 zu Turnhurst in Staffordshire, erlernte ohne Schulbildung den Mühlenbau, konstruierte 1752 eine Wasserhebungsmaschine für Steinkohlenminen, 1755 eine neue… … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
Brindley — (spr. Brindli), James, geb. 1716 zu Tunsted in Derbyshire; war erst Mühlenbaumeister, baute später den Bridgewaterkanal, legte in Staffordshire einen neuen Kanal zwischen Bristol u. Liverpool an u. beschäftigte sich mit dem Plane, England u.… … Pierer's Universal-Lexikon
