James Brindley (1716 – 30 September 1772) was an English engineer. Year 1716 ( MDCCXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. 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. Tunstead is a village in Derbyshire, England, situated in Great Rocks Dale north of Buxton. History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Leek is a Market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system
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Early life
Born into a well-to-do family of yeoman farmers and craftsmen in the Peak District, which in those days was extremely isolated, he received little formal education but was educated at home by his mother. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater [2] At age 17, encouraged by his mother, he was apprenticed to a millwright in Sutton, Macclesfield and soon showed exceptional skill and ability. The trade of millwright is concerned with the construction and maintenance of machinery Sutton Lane Ends or Sutton is a semi-rural village and Civil parish in the Borough of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England that is [3] Having completed his apprenticeship he set up business for himself as a wheelwright in Leek, Staffordshire. The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (L also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs along with the Onion and Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. In 1750 he expanded his business by renting a millwright's shop in Burslem from the Wedgewoods who became his lifelong friends. The trade of millwright is concerned with the construction and maintenance of machinery The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county Josiah Wedgwood ( July 12, 1730 - January 3, 1795, born Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent) was an English potter credited [4]
He soon established a reputation for ingenuity and skill at repairing many different kinds of machinery. In 1752 he designed and built an engine for draining a coal mine, the Wet Earth Colliery at Clifton in Lancashire. The Wet Earth Colliery has a unique place in British coal mining history apart from being one of the earliest pits in the country it is the place where the engineer James Clifton is a village in the county of Lancashire and in the district of Fylde. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Three years later he built a machine for a silk-mill at Congleton. Congleton is a town and Civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, and to the west of the
Early canal engineering
His reputation brought him to the attention of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater who was looking for a way to improve the transport of coal from his coal mines at Worsley to Manchester. Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater (21 May 1736 &ndash 8 March 1803 (also the 6th Earl of Bridgewater known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748 was a British nobleman Worsley is a town within the Metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England.
In 1759 The Duke commissioned the construction of a canal to do just that. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways The resulting Bridgewater Canal, opened in 1761, is often regarded as the first British canal of the modern era (though the Sankey Canal has a good claim to that title), and was a major technical triumph. The Bridgewater Canal is a Canal in North West England, connecting Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Lancashire, in the northwest of Brindley was commissioned as the consulting engineer and, although he has often been credited as the genius behind the construction of the canal, it is now thought that the main designers were Sir Thomas Egerton himself, who had some engineering training, and the resident engineer John Gilbert. Brindley was engaged, at the insistence of Gilbert, to deal with particular problems such as the Barton aqueduct. An aqueduct is an artificial channel that is constructed to convey water from one location to another [5] This most impressive feature of the canal carried the canal at an elevation of 13 metres (39 feet) over the River Irwell at Barton. The River Irwell is a River flowing through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester Barton-upon-Irwell (or Barton) is an area of Eccles, within the Metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in
Master canal engineer
Brindley's reputation soon spread and he was soon commissioned to construct more canals. He extended the Bridgewater to Runcorn, connecting it to his next major work, the Trent and Mersey Canal. Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 935 miles (150 km long Canal in the East Midlands West Midlands and North West of England
Brindley believed it would be possible to use canals to link the four great rivers of England: the Mersey, Trent, Severn and Thames (the "Grand Cross" scheme). Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England ( For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. In 1762 he 'set out for Chester and Shropshire survey or a raconitering' according to his diary. He had with him a sketch map of the continuation of the Dee southwards past Whitchurch.
Since the potteries around Stoke-on-Trent were in desperate need of something better than the pack-horse to carry their fragile wares, they wholeheartedly supported the connection of Staffordshire to the Trent and to the Mersey. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 A draft horse, draught horse or dray horse (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul is a large Horse bred for hard heavy tasks Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. The first sod was cut by Josiah Wedgwood in 1766 and Brindley carried it away in a barrow. Josiah Wedgwood ( July 12, 1730 - January 3, 1795, born Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent) was an English potter credited From Runcorn, it would climb by a series of thirty-five locks to Harecastle, pass through a three thousand yard long tunnel, then descend by a further forty locks to join the Trent at Wilden Ferry, near Shardlow. A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways. Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 8 km southeast of Derby and 12 km southwest of Nottingham. There was mounting ridicule about his scheme and in the event, although the canal opened from Shardlow to near Stafford in 1770, it took eleven years to drive the tunnel. This article is about the town of Stafford England For the larger local government district see Borough of Stafford.
The Trent and Mersey Canal was the first part of this ambitious network, and the later Chester Canal, started in 1772, was also a result. The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 935 miles (150 km long Canal in the East Midlands West Midlands and North West of England The Chester Canal was a Canal linking the south Cheshire town of Nantwich with the River Dee at Chester, providing a route for produce
However, although he and his assistants surveyed the whole potential system, for, from the start, he had asserted his view of the Trent and Mersey as the "Grand Trunk Canal" – the Grand Cross of waterways across the country – he would not live to see it completed. The Harecastle Tunnel finally opened in 1777 and coal was finally transported from the Midlands to the Thames at Oxford in January 1790 – 18 years after his death. Harecastle Tunnel is a Canal Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Development of the network, therefore, had to be left to other engineers, such as Thomas Telford. Thomas Telford (9 August 1757 - 2 September 1834 was born in Westerkirk, Scotland.
In total, throughout his life Brindley built 365 miles (587 km) of canals and many watermills, including the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal the Coventry Canal, the Oxford Canal and numerous others, and he also constructed the watermill at Leek, now the Brindley Water Museum. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways This article is about a type of structure For other locational uses see Milldam. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal is a narrow navigable Canal in the Midlands of England, passing through the counties of Staffordshire The Coventry Canal is a navigable narrow Canal in the Midlands of England. The Oxford Canal is a 78 mile (130 km long narrow Canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and The Brindley Water Mill is a Water mill situated in the town of Leek in the English county of Staffordshire.
Last years and epitaph
Brindley married Anne Henshall on 8 December 1765 when he was 49 and she was 19. The couple had two children, both daughters.
In 1771, work had begun on the Chesterfield Canal, but while surveying a new branch of the Trent and Mersey between Froghall and Leek, he was drenched in a severe rain storm. The Chesterfield Canal is in the north of England. It was opened in 1777 and ran 46 miles (74 km from the River Trent at West Stockwith, Froghall is a village situated approximately ten miles to the east of Stoke-on-Trent and two miles north of Cheadle in Staffordshire, England The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (L also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs along with the Onion and It had happened many times before, but he was unable to dry out properly at the inn at which he was staying, and caught a chill. He became seriously ill and returned to his home at Turnhurst, Staffordshire, where Erasmus Darwin attended him and discovered that he was suffering from diabetes. Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house which stood in the parish of Wolstanton in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Erasmus Darwin (12 December 1731&ndash18 April 1802 was an English Physician, natural philosopher physiologist inventor and poet Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc
James Brindley died at Turnhurst within sight of the unfinished Harecastle Tunnel on 30 September 1772, just nine days after the completion of his Birmingham Canal. Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house which stood in the parish of Wolstanton in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He was buried at St. James in Newchapel (New Chapel) in Staffordshire, England. Newchapel is a hamlet in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, close to Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England.
Brindley's widow remarried in 1775 and lived until 1799. [6]
Brindley's death was noted in the Chester Courant of December 1st 1772 in the form of an epitaph:
JAMES BRINDLEY lies amongst these Rocks,
He made Canals, Bridges, and Locks,
To convey Water; he made Tunnels
for Barges, Boats, and Air-Vessels;
He erected several Banks,
Mills, Pumps, Machines, with Wheels and Cranks;
He was famous t'invent Engines,
Calculated for working Mines;
He knew Water, its Weight and Strength,
Turn'd Brooks, made Soughs to a great Length;
While he used the Miners' Blast,
He stopp'd Currents from running too fast;
There ne'er was paid such Attention
As he did to Navigation. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
But while busy with Pit or Well,
His Spirits sunk below Level;
And, when too late, his Doctor found,
Water sent him to the Ground.
He is remembered in Birmingham by Brindley Drive (on the site of former canal yards), the Brindleyplace mixed-use development and a pub, The James Brindley (both being canal-side features), and the James Brindley School for children in Birmingham's hospitals; in Leek with the James Brindley Mill; and by numerous other streets in the areas in which he worked. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England ( Within the grounds of James Brindley Primary School at Parr Fold Avenue, Worsley is a wooden barge once used for the transportation of coal from local mines. BARGE, the Big August RecGambling Excursion is a yearly convention held in Las Vegas during the first weekend of August There is a statue of him (leaning over his desk) by James Walter Butler (bronze, 18 September 1998) located in the canal basin by Leicester Row, Coventry, and another by Colin Melbourne (bronze, 20 July 1990) in Lower Street, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, at the junction of the Trent and Mersey Canal with the Caldon Canal. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Etruria is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 The Trent and Mersey Canal is a 935 miles (150 km long Canal in the East Midlands West Midlands and North West of England The Caldon Canal (or more properly the Caldon Branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal) opened in 1779 runs 18 miles from Etruria, in Stoke-on-Trent where
He is also remembered in Runcorn by "The Brindley" Arts Centre which opened in the autumn of 2004. The Brindley is a theatre and arts centre in the town of Runcorn, Cheshire which opened in autumn 2004
There is also James Brindley Science College (previously James Brindley High School) in Chell, Stoke-on-Trent, and also, the Brindley's Lock pub on Turnhurst Road, Stoke-on-Trent. James Brindley Science College formally James Brindley High School is an 11-16 mixed Comprehensive school located at the top most point of St Michaels Road in Chell Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19
See also
Bibliography
Malet, Hugh (1990). The British Canal system of Water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom 's Industrial Revolution at a time when Roads Waterways in the United Kingdom is a link page for any Waterway, River, Canal, Firth or Estuary in the United Kingdom. This list of civil engineers is a list of notable people who have been trained in or have practiced Civil engineering. Coal Cotton and Canals. Radcliffe, Manchester: Neil Richardson, 14. ISBN 0907511082.
References
- ^ The image is an engraving by W. Holl, after a portrait by F. Parsons. See Lives of the Engineers by Samuel Smiles, 1862 or more-recent reprintings.
- ^ Malet P. 6
- ^ malet P. 6
- ^ Malet P. 6
- ^ Malet P. 7
- ^ Bode, Harold (1980). James Brindley. Aylesbury, England: Shire Publications, 45. ISBN 0 85263 485 4.
Further reading
- Noszlopy, George T. (2003). Public Sculpture of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. ISBN 0-85323-847-2.
- Richardson, Christine (2004). James Brindley: Canal Pioneer. ISBN 1-870002-95-4.
- Corble, Nick (2005). James Brindley: The First Canal Builder. ISBN 0-7524-3259-1.
- Emery, Gordon (2005). The Old Chester Canal. ISBN 1-872265-88-X.
- Noszlopy, George T. and Waterhouse, Fiona (2005). Public Sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country. ISBN 0-85323-989-4.
External links
- Brindley Water Mill at Leek, Staffordshire
- James Brindley School, for Birmingham Hospitals
- Brindleyplace, Birmingham
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Brindley, James |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | English engineer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1716 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tunstead, Derbyshire, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | 30 September 1772 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Turnhurst, Staffordshire, England |
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