'James Brindley and the Early Engineers.' (original) (raw)

Labour and skill have made modern England�Early settlement of Britain � Early works of embankment and draining � Reclamation of Romney Marsh � Early embankments of the Thames � Great Level of the Fens � Laws for preserving the reclaimed lands � Destructive floods �James I. encourages drainage works � Cornelius Vermuyden, the Dutch engineer, employed by king James � England's dependence upon foreigners in former times �England's progress in engineering and manufacturing skill.

CHAPTER II.

SIR CORNELIUS VERMUYDEN�DRAINAGE OF THE FENS.

Vermuyden's embankment and drainage works at Dagenham and Windsor � The Isle. of Axholme � Reclamation of Hatfield Chase � The works carried out by foreign capital and foreign labour �Opposition of the native population � The embankments broken by the Parliamentarians�Vermuyden undertakes the drainage of the Great Fen Level�Francis Earl of Bedford becomes chief undertaker � Opposition of the Fen-men and of the town population � Satirical songs and ballads against the Fen-drainers � "The Powte's Complaint" � Oliver Cromwell heads an agitation against the Fen-drainers � The Fen-men destroy the works and property at Lindsey Level and other Fen districts � Vermuyden's "discourse" on the drainage of the Fens, 1649 � Works completed, 1652 � Public thanksgiving � Vermuyden's labours, personal sacrifices, and death � Progressive improvements in the Fen district � Salubrity of the Fens.

Old London, its water supply by streams and conduits � Defective supply in London and in other towns � Water-works at Hull and Tiverton � Plymouth leet constructed by Sir Francis Drake �The Myddelton family� Hugh entered an apprentice Goldsmith � London in the 16th century�Myddelton as Goldsmith, Merchant Adventurer and Cloth-maker � His marriage � Is first alderman of Denbigh� Appointed afterwards recorder and M.P. � Appointed a member of committees on water supply of London � Difficulty in finding an engineer � Myddelton undertakes the work � The New River �Hostility of owners of property � King James assists Myddelton in the completion of the work � Public ceremony on the opening of the New River � Benefits of the increased' water supply �The water carriers� Formation of the New River Company.

CHAPTER IV.

SIR HUGH MYDDELTON (continued) �His OTHER ENGINEERING AND MINING WORKS�HIS DEATH.

Brading Haven � Its reclamation undertaken by Myddelton � Myddelton arranges with King James � Takes out patent for draining land �Sir John Oglander's account of the circumstances connected with the reclamation � Failure of the works � Hugh and Thomas Myddelton as Members of Parliament � Hugh's connection with Wales�Mines Royal Company of Cardiganshire �Their mines unsuccessfully worked � Myddelton farms the mines � Is made a baronet by King James � The king confirms the lease of the mines- and waives claim to royalty � Myddelton's mining works�Their valuable produce � Myddelton's residence at Lodge Park �Invited to execute reclamation works at Gwydir � Letter to Sir John Wynn � Sir Hugh's death � His will � His character.

CHAPTER V.

CAPTAIN PERRY � STOPPAGE OF DAGENHAM BREACH.

Breaches in the Thames embankments between London and Greenwich �between Plumstead and Erith � Inundations on the north shore �Great breach at Dagenham � Futile attempts to stem the breach � Navigation of the river obstructed � Boswell, a contractor, attempts to stop the breach, and fails � Captain John Perry � His early career as a sailor � Employed by the Czar Peter of Russia to superintend a canal from St. Petersburg to the Caspian Sea � Perry is appointed comptroller of Russian maritime works � Surveys canal route from St. Petersburg to the Volga � Quits Russia without pay or reward for his services � Undertakes the stoppage of Dagenham breach on the Thames � Description of his process � Opposition of Boswell � Confidence of the Parliamentary Committee � The works continued by Perry; their completion � Gigantic traffic of the Thames � Extent of the embankments � Perry a loser by his contract � His employment as surveyor of harbours and in directing works of reclamation and drainage �His death.

CHAPTER VI.

JAMES BRINDLEY � THE BEGINNING OF CANAL NAVIGATION.

Insignificant trade of England in the last century �Defective state of road and river communication � Modes and cost of inland carriage� �Natural advantages for communication by rivers and canals � England behind Holland, France, and Russia � Isolated efforts � John Trew's Canal at Exeter � Francis Matthew's project of a Canal from London to Bristol � Andrew Yarranton's schemes � Want of money for great engineering works �Aire and Calder Navigation � The Mersey and Irwell, the Weaver, Douglas, and Sankey Navigations in Lancashire and Cheshire � Beginning of artificial Canals in England � James Brindley � His Birth and Birthplace � Macclesfield, its trade � The "Flash Men" and Broken Cross gangs � Brindley's Croft � His Parentage � Boyhood �Apprenticed to a Millwright � Importance of the Millwright's position and craft � Brindley, though neglected, successfully repairs a silk-mill�His His excellent work � Brindley successfully erects machinery fora paper-mill � Takes charge of his Master's business� Begins business for himself at Leek.

Various nature of Brindley's employment � His ingenuity gets him the name of "The Schemer" � His memoranda books � His employment by Earl Gower at Trentham � Flint introduced in Pottery manufacture � Brindley makes improved flint-mills � Employed by the brothers Wedgwood�John E. Heathcote, of Clifton Colliery, employs Brindley to drain his drowned mines � Brindley succeeds where others failed � Low remuneration for skilled labour � Brindley employed in fitting up a silk-mill at Congleton �His habits of observation and fertility of resources � His improvements in machinery for silk manufacture � Employed on mills, machines, and pumps at the Potteries � His original contrivances � Improved mill for Wedgwood, at Burslem � Suggests flint grinding in water� Success of the process � Improves the steam-engine�Erects an engine at Fenton Vivian�Its working and cost � His engine patent �Erects steam-engine successfully at Walker Colliery, Newcastle.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE DUKE OF BRIDGEWATER � BRINDLEY EMPLOYED AS ENGINEER OF HIS CANAL.

Attempts at improved inland navigation in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire � Acts passed in 1737 and 1755 � Worsley Brook to the Irwell, Sankey Brook to the Mersey � The Sankey Canal � Canal from the Trent to the Mersey � Brindley makes survey for Earl Gower � Engaged by the Duke of Bridgewater for the Worsley Canal � The Duke's birth and parentage � Neglected in his early years � He travels abroad accompanied by Mr. Robert Wood � Return to England and sporting career � The young Duke's love affair with Miss Gunning�His disappointment and retirement to Worsley�Manchester and Liverpool in the last century, their extent, trade, and manufactures � State of the roads about Manchester and elsewhere �Scarcity of food from the badness of the roads � Bad, roads and dear coals � The Mersey and Irwell, bad navigation � The Duke of Bridgewater's project to make a water road from his collieries at Worsley to Manchester � Act obtained in 1759 � John and Thomas Gilbert � Brindley introduced to the Duke � Brindley's new survey and plans � Execution of the Canal � The Barton Aqueduct pronounced "a castle in the air" � Description of the Aqueduct and other works � Trafford Moss � Subterraneous Canal at Worsley � Brindley's mechanical and other contrivances � The range and fertility of his genius � Valuable uses of the Canal when finished.

CHAPTER IX.

EXTENSION OF THE DUKE'S CANAL TO THE MERSEY.

Brindley's survey from Stretford to the Mersey � Importance of communication between Manchester and Liverpool � Growth of Liverpool � Decay of Chester � Liverpool coaches, 1726 to 1750 � The Duke's project of a Manchester and Liverpool Canal � Brindley's survey �Extract from diary � Brindley in London � "At the play" � Opposition to the Duke's project � Brindley as witness for the Bill �His model and explanation of "puddling" � Canal lock described �Brindley's powers with chalk � The Manchester and Liverpool Canal authorised � Brindley's capital idea of long level reaches and concentration of locks � Continued but bootless opposition of the Old Quay Navigation and the landowners � Importance of the Duke's scheme � Sketch of the works, and Brindley's contrivances � Sale Moor Moss � Steam engine and pump at Dunham � "The Duke's folly" � Brindley's floating workshops � Provision against outbursts of the banks � Attention to details � Rate of wages paid to workmen � Entries in diary � Brindley's training of workmen � Their trade secrets � Lawrence Earnshaw � Number of men employed on the Canal � Brindley's bold idea of a bridge across the tideway of the Mersey � The Duke's Dock at Liverpool.

CHAPTER X.

THE DUKE'S DIFFICULTIES � COMPLETION OF THE CANAL �GROWTH OF MANCHESTER.

The Duke's straits for money�Great extent and cost of the under- taking � His bravery and perseverance � Worsley Old Hall � His shifts to pay the workmen on Saturday nights � Alleged to be "drowned in debt" � Anecdote of the Duke, Brindley, and Gilbert in committee on ways and means � Gilbert and the highwayman �The Duke obtains loans from Child and Co., Bankers, London � The level portion of Canal finished 1767, and the Runcorn Locks 1773 �Extensive coal workings at Worsley � Cost of the Canal from Worsley to Manchester, and from Longford Bridge to Runcorn � Cost of water-carriage reduced one-half � Brindley's insignificant remuneration �Disputes between the Duke and Brindley �The Duke's personal interest in his canals, coal-mines, and mills � Personal traits and anecdotes of the Duke � His business habits � Care for his work-people �Visits to Trentham � Fondness for Worsley � Visit of Fulton � Resolved to have steam-boats for his canals � His manners and habits � The Bridgewater Gallery � His death, character, and public services � Benefits of his Canal to Manchester and Liverpool and the district � Extraordinary growth of Manchester.

Canal to connect the Mersey with the Trent �Brindley employed as engineer � Survey of Staffordshire Canal � Earl Gower and the Earl of Stamford promoters of canals � Desire of the manufacturers for water-communication � The earthenware and salt manufactures �Expense of land-carriage by pack-horses � Sketch of the potteries district and population � Josiah Wedgwood � His energy and enterprise in manufactures�Promotes improved means of communication � Supports Brindley's Grand Trunk Canal � Public support � The opposition to the scheme � Timidity of promoters � Vested interests preserved � Sketch of the route of the Grand Trunk � The Act obtained � First sod cut by Josiah Wedgwood � Great rejoicings � Wedgwood's works at Etruria � Extent of the Grand Trunk �Dimensions, aqueducts, Harecastle Tunnel � Difficulties conquered, and tunnel finished � Description of Brindley and his works �Benefits conferred by the Canal � New branches of industry opened up � Moral and social influences of
Canals � Wesley's testimony.

CHAPTER XII.

BRINDLEY'S LAST CANAL � HIS DEATH AND CHARACTER.

Brindley's idea of the use of rivers � His ideas of the Grand Trunk realised � The Wolverhampton, the Coventry, the Birmingham, the Droitwich, and the Oxford Canals � Brindley's plans the ground-work for future measures � The Birmingham Canal � Matthew Boulton and Josiah Wedgwood its promoters � Brindley's level lengths �Canal between Chesterfield and the Trent�Extent of Canals laid out by Brindley � His educational disadvantages � His work not duly appreciated in his own day � Other Canal projects on which Brindley was consulted � The Leeds and Liverpool, its great extent and importance � Brindley's survey of the Thames � Consulted as to drainage in Lincolnshire � His pupils � Wide range of Brindley's employments and engineering skill � His private life � His strange courtship and marriage � His home at Turnhurst � Colliery at Golden Hill � Illness and death � Characteristics � Mechanical genius � His studies in bed � His private character � Influence of Brindley's Canals on the enterprise and speculation of the time�Extent of the Canal system in Great Britain and Ireland � Canal traffic � Canals and Railways.

APPENDIX.

PIERRE-PAUL RIQUET, CONSTRUCTOR OF THE GRAND CANAL OF LANGUEDOC.

The Canal du Midi � Its importance as uniting the Atlantic with the Mediterranean �Riquet de Bonrepos, its constructor, originally a common exciseman, not an engineer�His amateur surveys in the district � Miniature Canal works � Lays his plans of the Canal before Colbert and Lewis XIV. � A Royal Commission appointed, and report favourably as to Riquet's design �A patent issued authorising the construction of the Canal � Riquet becomes undertaker of works �Money fails, and he incurs heavy debts�Anecdote of the use made by him of Colbert's influence � Obtains assistance from the farmers-general of the province � Canal completed from Toulouse to Trebel � Riquet's difficulties, bravery, and perseverance � Progress of the works � Quarrels between the King's Commissioners and the States as to inspection � Financial troubles and appeals to Colbert�The works nearly completed when Riquet dies�Cost of the Canal.

| | PAGE | | PAGE | | | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | Portrait of Brindley�_Frontispiece_ | | Portrait of the Young Duke of | | | Romney Marsh | 4. | Bridgewater | 159. | | Map of the Thames (Western part) | 6. | View of Manchester in 1740 | 161. | | Map of the Thames (Eastern part) | 7. | Map of the Duke's Canal (Western part) | 168. | | Map of the Fens as Drowned | 8. | Map of the Duke's Canal (Eastern part) | 169. | | Map of Hatfield Chase | 24. | Barton Aqueduct | 175. | | Map of the Fens as Drained, 1830 | 32. | WorsleyBasin | 179. | | Ancient Conduit in Westcheap | 49. | Liverpool in 1650 | 187. | | Myddelton's House, Galch Hill | 58. | Facsimile of Brindley's Hand-writing | 192. | | Myddelton Brass, Whitchurch | 59. | Plan and Section of Canal Lock | 197. | | Whitchurch, Denbigh | 65. | Brindley's Ballast-boats | 205. | | The Boarded River, Bush Hill | 69. | Longford Bridge | 211. | | Brick Arch, New River, Bush Hill | 70. | The Duke's Dock, Liverpool | 216. | | Map of the New River | 71. | Worsley Old Hall | 218. | | Water Carrier�"New River Water" | 79. | The Locks at Runcorn | 223. | | Monumental Pedestal to Sir Hugh | | Portrait of the Duke of Bridgewater | 235. | | Myddelton at Chadwell | 82. | Plan of Manchester | 241. | | View of Brading Haven | 84. | Bridgewater Halfpenny Token | 247. | | Map of Brading Haven | 85. | Wedgwood's First Pottery, Burslem | 255. | | Entrance to Brading Haven | 87. | Portrait of Josiah Wedgwood | 259. | | Chart of Mines, North Wales | 92. | Map of the Grand Trunk Canal | 264. | | Plan of Mines at Cwmsymlog | 96. | Northern Entrance to Harecastle | | | Perry's Plan of Dagenham Breach | 111. | Tunnels | 268. | | Dagenham Lake | 114. | Brindley's House at Turnhurst | 286. | | The Thames from Dagenham Bank | 115. | Brindley's Burial-place at New | | | Brindley's Native District | 127. | Chapel | 300. | | Brindley's Croft | 128. | | | | The Potteries District | 140. | | |