Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

Waterways Engineers and Surveyors from Abernethy, James

James Abernethy

An engineer who played a part in starting the Manchester Ship Canal. Worked with G B Bruce and worked with T & C Hawksley.

After 1834	Aire & Calder Main Line	Was assistant engineer to George Leather, junior, in the building of Goole Dock and ship lock.
1853	Tennant Canal	Produced a plan of Port Tennant
1887	Tennant Canal	Co-wrote a report stating that except for a portion near the terminus the canal was obsolete.
22 August 1888	Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal	Commissioned to report, with T & C Hawksley, on the construction of a canal between the Trent and Sheffield.In October they recommended new larger locks on the existing waterway.

John Ainslie

Surveyor.

1793

Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal

He and Robert Whitworth junior were commissioned to make a survey and suggest four possible routes between Leith and Broomielaw on the Clyde.

Samuel Allam

Engineer of Spalding. Assistant to John Grundy.

July 1767	Driffield Navigation	Became resident engineer on John Grundy's recommendation.
June 1772	Market Weighton Canal	He is appointed resident engineer.
August 1773	Market Weighton Canal	He completed a survey for the line into Market Drayton.

Mark Andrew

River engineer from Knottingley Worked with Joshua Mitchel.

1720

River Derwent

Worked on making the river navigable and between 1723 and 1724 leased the tolls jointly with Joshua Mitchel

John Aram

Surveyed the River Nar Worked with Langley Edwards.

June 1751	River Nar	Instructed by the Nar Commissioners, together with Langley Edwards, to make a survey and estimate for making the river navigable.
1759	River Nar	Was paid ten guineas for his part in surveying the river.

Joseph Aris

Surveyor

1825	River Nene	Appointed surveyor of the river and inspected the Eastern Division locks in a boat, which he had bought for £36.
1827	River Nene	Resigned as surveyor.

Colonel John Armstrong

Surveyor

1724

River Great Ouse

Was asked by the people of Lynn to survey the river.

George 1 Atkinson

Engineer Father of Joseph 1 Atkinson.

1704	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Built Beal and Haddlesey Locks, with James Mitchell, so completing the original from Leeds to the Ouse.
1800	River Ure	Surveyed the route for a narrow canal from the River Ure, near Boroughbridge, to Piercebridge on the River Tees

George 2 Atkinson

Surveyor

1800

River Tees

Surveyed the route for a narrow canal from the River Ure, near Boroughbridge, to Piercebridge on the River Tees

Joseph 1 Atkinson

Took part in the survey of the River Don in 1722. Lessee with Thomas Wilson, son of George 1 Atkinson, worked with William Palmer, worked with Joshua Mitchel and joint lessee with Joseph Broadbent.

1722	River Don	Doncaster Corporation commissioned him, with Joshua Mitchel and William Palmer, to survey the river.
1727	River Don	Appeared as engineer to support a Bill to extend the navigation from Holmstile to Sheffield.
1744	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Was granted a leese of the River Calder for £3,600.
1750	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Leesed the Aire Navigation for £4,400 a year, jointly with Thomas Wilson
1751	River Don	Became a lessee of the river, with Joseph Broadbent and Thomas Smith, at £3,500 a year plus 6.25% interest on new capital expenditure that they requested.
1773	Huddersfield Broad Canal	Assisted Luke Holt in a survey for the canal.
1774	Huddersfield Broad Canal	Gave evidence to the Commons committee on the passage of the Bill.

Joseph 2 Atkinson

Appointed engineer of the Barnsley Canal in 1823

February 1823

Barnsley Canal

Appointed resident engineer. A year later he was also book-keeper and chief clerk and was provided with a new house at Sandal.

Richard Atkyns

Surveyor

1618	River Cam	Reported on a survey of the river and the conflicts between navigation and drainage interests and sandbanks between Clayhithe and Cambridge.
1618	River Great Ouse	Reported on a survey of the river and the conflicts between navigation and drainage interests.

Bishop Atwater

Responsible for the cleansing of the Fossdyke in the reign of Henry I.

James Austin

Surveyor

10 October 1804	Ipswich & Stowmarket Navigation	Appointed surveyor.
1805	Ipswich & Stowmarket Navigation	Absconded from his post as surveyor and had a ten guineas reward placed on his head by the trustees of the navigation.

Hugh Baird 1770 - 1827

Engineer who worked on the Crinan, Ulverston and Forth & Clyde canals.

E S Barber

Engineer of the Monmouthshire Canal

1840	Monmouthshire Canal	Made a report to the canal committee on the use of iron rails to replace the tram plates in use on their various tramroads.
February 1846	Monmouthshire Canal	Became engineer of the canal
August 1847	Monmouthshire Canal	Ceased to be engineer of the Monmouthshire Canal

James Barnes

Engineer with the Grand Junction Canal ( including the period 1797 to 1801 but his period with the company not yet established). Supervised John Woodhouse.

1786	Oxford Canal	Appointed Resident Engineeer of the canal.
Late 1788	Kennet and Avon Canal	Made a survey of the line of the new canal.
Early 1792	Grand Junction Canal	Surveyed the line for the canal.
1793	Newport Pagnell Canal	Surveyed the route for the proposed canal.
Late 1793	Oxford Canal (Northern Section)	Surveyed the northern Oxford Canal on beha;f of the Grand Junction Canal Company to show how it could be widened and shortened.
3 June 1793	Grand Junction Canal	Appointed full time engineer at 2 guineas a day plus half a guinea a day expenses.
1796	Grand Union Leicester Section	Called in to assess the line of Saddington Tunnel. He judged it was not straight but did not consider the problem serious.
1796	Grand Union Northampton Branch	Surveyed a line for the branch on behalf of the Grand Junction Canal Company and estimated the cost at £25,349.
Early 1796	Grand Junction Canal	Proposes a different line for Blissworth Tunnel due to excessive water in the workings of the original tunnel.
1799	Grand Union Leicester Section	Took charge of repairs on a burst reservoir on the Leicester Navigation. Surveyed a line to link the navigation to Braunston.
1802	Grand Union Leicester Section	Surveyed a line from the Leicester Navigation to Norton with 16 locks and two tunnels.
Late 1808	Grand Union Leicester Section	Surveyed a connection between the navigation and the Grand Junction Canal.

Charles Bartholomew

Engineer Brother of Thomas Hammond Bartholomew.

1835	River Don	As engineer for the river he was asked to prepare plans for inproving the navigation.
Early 1840	River Don	Reported to the Don committee on the fast passenger boats used on the Lancaster and Scottish canals,
April 1840	River Don	Appointed manager of the Don Navigation, in addition to his post of engineer.
1845	River Don	The Don Navigation agreed to amalgamate with the South Yorkshire Coal Railway, which had Bartholomew as its engineer.
Early 1848	River Don	Appointed engineer to the South Yorkshire, Doncaster & Goole Railway in addition to his post of engineer for the River Don.
1855	River Don	Propossed a single railway line on the banks of the Dutch River from Thorne to Newbridge and then alongside the Aire & Calder to Goole.
August 1856	River Don	Was authorised to buy a steam packet for carrying passengers and parcels between Thorne and Keadby. This was to be a feeder to the Trent packets running between Gainsborough and Hull.
1879	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	He reported that the compartment boat system was yeilding a 10.75% return on the capital invested after allowing for interest and depreciation.
1888	Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal	Appointed director of the newly formed company.

Thomas Hammond Bartholomew died 1853

Engineer Brother of Charles Bartholomew and father of William Hammond Bartholomew.

1825	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Appointed Surveyor and Clerk of Works to the Aire & Calder, the offical title for their resident engineer.
1841	Aire & Calder Main Line	Under his direction work began on the new Goole Dock, which was completed in 1843.
March 1841	Aire & Calder Navigation - Wakefield Section	Discussed an interchange point with the Manchester & Leeds Railway, suggesting the rail crossing at Broad Reach as a suitable point. The proposal was not put into action.
1853	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Died while still engineer of the company.

William Hammond Bartholomew January 1831 - November 1919

Engineer to the Aire and Calder company and the inventor of. Tom puddings, the almost square steel compartment boats used on the Aire and Calder Navigations. They were first operated for the bulk transport of coal in 1865. They are hauled in trains by power-boats, formerly steam tugs but later diesels, rounded at bow and stern. His invention brought new life to the port of Goole, which he helped to make an important outlet for the Yorkshire coalfields. Although Traffic declined after the First World War, up to 1914 over a thousand Tom puddings were carrying one and a half million tons of coal per year. Son of Thomas Hammond Bartholomew and worked with Hugh Henshall.

1852	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Suggested that a fly-boat be steam powered, propeller driven, and used as a cargo-carrying tug. This experiment proved successful and other similar craft were added to the company fleet.
1853	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	On the death of his father he was appionted to succeed to the post of engineer.
1857	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Reported that the introduction of two public steam tugs running between Wakefield and Goole had helped to reduce towing charges on the navigation.
20 December 1861	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Proposed to the Board the lenghening of the ship lock at Goole, converting it to hydraulic-powered operation and the provision of compartment boats and hoists. The total cost he estimated to be £13,302.
14 January 1862	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Was authorised by the company to lenghten Ouse ship lock and to build one train of compartment boats.
7 February 1862	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Granted patent number 330 for his system of compartment boats (Tom Puddings) which were used on the canal for over a century.
1863	River Ouse (Yorkshire)	His scheme for deeping Goole Reach on the Ouse to take bigger steamers, prepared jointly with Thomas Page, engineer for the Ouse Trustees, was given approval and was completed in 1864.
Late 1864	Dearne and Dove Canal	Increased the capaicity of Cold Hiendley reservoir by 1,000 lockfulls.
1865	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Proposed the Leeds Extension Canal from Leeds to Armley mills.
1866	River Ouse (Yorkshire)	Consulted by the trustees of the river and recommended the extension of Naburn Lock to 136 feet at the cost of £5,250.
1871	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	He was paid £1,000 plus £220 for the cost of models in exchange for the right to use his compartment boat patents.
1871	River Ouse (Yorkshire)	Reported to the Ouse trustees that regular dredging was required below Naburn Lock.
1872	Huddersfield Broad Canal	Arranged with Sir John Ramsden for enlarged carrying trade premises at the Huddersfield wharf.
Early 1876	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Was made General Manager, in addition to his post as engineer, and was paid £1,500 per annum.
1881	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	His Aldam Dock at Goole was opened.
Mid 1882	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Took charge of the improvement and enlargement of the locks.
1883	River Humber	He led the successful opposition to a railway bridge across the Humber.
February 1886	Calder and Hebble Navigation	The company said that he had treated them "very cavalierly" in dealing with the £5,700 dilapidation charges arising from the end of the Aire & Calder's leese of the navigation.
1887	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	In his evidence on the Manchester Ship Canal Bill he said that the navigation took craft up to 187 tons, carriers doing only one-tenth of the carrying.
1888	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	His 500 by 47 feet Victoria entrance lock at Goole was opened.
1895	Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire	Formally retired but continued to work on building the New Junction Canal and as a consultant director untill shortly before his death.
3 January 1895	Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation	Advised the Aire & Calder board not to buy shares in the company due to role of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway in the company.
1896	Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal	Work on building the new canal began under his direction.
2 January 1905	Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal	His new canal was completed at a total cost of £300,000.

William Bayley

Engineer of the Exeter Canal.

1698	Exeter Ship Canal	Agreed to deepen the canal to 14 feet to take seagoing craft.
May 1699	Exeter Ship Canal	Absconded with some of the city's money, leaving the canal impassable.

George Baynes

A surveyor's assistant working around 1826.

Early 1826

River Yare

Recorded water levels each hour at Reedham.

William Bean

Engineer of Derbyshire.

1795

Newdigate Canals

Completed the 5.5 mile of private canals, with 13 locks, that were started around 1764.

Nicholas Beardmore

Engineer and surveyor.

7 September 1850	River Lee	Appointed engineer.
18 March 1851	River Lee	Promoted to surveyor.
10 September 1864	River Lee	Rammey Marsh Lock opened. Part of a series of major improvements to the navigation that he undertook, starting in 1850.

John Beauchamp

Surveyor of West Penard

1826	Glastonbury Canal	Surveyed the proposed route of the canal on one level from Highbridge to Glastonbury and estimated the cost as £15,234.
Late February 1827	Glastonbury Canal	It was announced that £14,000 had been subscribed towards Beauchamp's new estimate for the canal of £18,000.

Richard Beck

Surveyor. Assistant to P P Burdett.

14 June 1769	Leeds and Liverpool Canal	Instructed to assist P P Burdett in a survey for the canal.
8 June 1791	Lancaster Canal	Was asked to re-survey Whitworth's line, together with Robert Dickinson and John Longbotham, and to extend it southward to Worsley.

Captain Beechey

Engineer Worked with James Walker.

1852

River Severn

Reported on behalf og the Admiralty. with James Walker, recommending a lock at Lower Parting at Gloucester but not at Tewkesbury.

William Bennet

Engineer Assitant to William Smith and worked with Charles H Masters.

Early 1792	Bury & Sladen Canal project	Surveyed the line of the proposed canal.
1793	Haslingden Canal	Conducted a detailed survey of the canal line previously surveyed by Charles McNiven and Samuel Fletcher.
1794	Dorset & Somerset Canal	On Robert Whitworth's recommendation he was employed in conducting a detailed suryey of the route for main line and branches of the canal.
1794	Ivelchester & Langport Navigation	Examined the route as engineer with Charles H Masters as his surveyor. He reported in October to a meeting chaired by the Earl of Ilchester when he stated the estimated cost as £5,102.
1795	Somerset Coal Canal	Called in to assist William Smith in the preparation of plans.
Mid 1795	Dorset & Somerset Canal	Completed his survey and estimated the cost as £200,000. Later changes were made and he estimated the shorter route as £146,018.
1796	Somerset Coal Canal	Appointed engineer.
5 April 1805	Somerset Coal Canal	Completion of the Combe Hay flight of locks, for which he was probably engineer.

George Bentley

Engineer. Worked with Thomas Bolton.

1793	Ashburton Canal Project	Called in to review the original line proposed by F King. Together they managed to reduce the estimate from £15,000 to £10,000.
1793	Public Devonshire Canal Project	Appionted engineer for the project and proposed a line which was approved by Robert Whitworth.
Early 1793	Bude Canal	Together with Thomas Bolton he made a preliminary survey for a line from Bude Harbour to Hatherleigh.
Late 1793	Padstow - Lostwithiel Scheme	Together with Thomas Bolton he made a survey for a line and suggested a short canal with improvements to the river navigations or a longer canal that was not dependent on river improvements.
1794	Tamar Manure Navigation	Together with Thomas Bolton he proposed a level line from Moewellhamquay to Wrixhill, Dunterton, and to Launceston. These propsals were rejected and they came up with a different line.

Henry Berry 1720 - 1812

A dock engineer at Liverpool from 1751 and from 1754 the engineer of the St Helen's Canal Pupil of Thomas Steers and woked with Richard Melling.

1754	Sankey Brook Navigation	Surveyed the line of the canal with William Taylor.
1758	River Weaver	Undertook a survey of the river and proposed improvements to the locks and navigation channel.
1769	Leeds and Liverpool Canal	Engaged, with Richard Melling, to check P P Burdett's revised line for the western end of the canal.

Benjamin Bevan

Engineer of the Grand Junction's Ouse Aqueduct at Wolverton. He came from Leighton Buzzard.

Early 1804	Grand Junction Canal	Together with Henry Provis was asked to prepare fresh estimates for the Wolverton Aqueduct following the contractors' claims for extra payments.
March 1804	Grand Junction Canal	Having supervised repair work on the Wendover Arm he now proposed a new reservoir for storing water from the summit. The new reservior at marsworth was built in 1806.
April 1805	Grand Junction Canal	Reported on the construction costs and extra time spent locking through Berkhamsted Locks 58 and 59, which had experimental side ponds.
1807	River Ivel	Surveyed the river from Biggleswade to Shefford and conluded that the navigation could be extended by the construction of seven nmore locks and other works totalling £8,000.
October 1807	Grand Junction Canal	Together with Henry Provis was asked to examine the contractor Thomas Harrison's claim for payments in the dispute over the Wolverton Aqueduct.
1808	Old Grand Union Canal	Appointed engineer at a salary of £500 a year plus £200 a year expenses.
Summer 1808	Grand Junction Canal	He agreed to the suggestion that an iron aqueduct would be better than conventional brick to replace the colapsed structure at Wolverton and was asked, together with the company secretary, Charles Harvey, to make detailed investigations.
1809	Oakham Canal	Surveyed a line for extending the canal from Market Harborough to Stamford with a connection to Boston through the South Forty Foot Drain.
March 1809	Grand Junction Canal	Advised on the prices and quality of stone for the peirs of the new Wolverton Aqueduct. He later recommended gornall stone from Cornwall for the piers before finding the equally good, but cheaper Hornton quarries stone in Warwickshire.
9 September 1809	Grand Junction Canal	Lays the foundation stone for the new Wolverton Aqueduct.
1810	River Welland	Reports on the state of the navigation and recommended the building of a sea-sluice at the end of the cut from the reservioir would improve navigation and drainage.
22 January 1811	Grand Junction Canal	Attends the openning of the new Wolverton Aqueduct for which he was engineer.
1812	River Great Ouse	Reports to the Grand Junction Canal Company on the poor state of navigation on the river. This may have prompted the company to reduce its subscription to the proposed Bedford canal from 12 to 3 thousand pounds.
1812	Old Grand Union Canal	Found quicksands and other difficult geological conditions in the proposed line of Crick Tunnel that led to a realignment and £7,000 extra cost.
1813	Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal	Called in to adjudicate between Hock Crib, the originally proposed terminus of the canal at Berkeley Pill and Sharpness. He recommended Sharpness Point.
Late 1813	Newport Pagnell Canal	Made the survey for the Bill that became an Act in June 1814.
August 1813	Grand Union Northampton Branch	As engineer responsible he reports progress on the building of the branch. The foundations for the bottom lock were nearly completesome canal was cut and puddled and bricks were being produced for the locks. Oak had been procured and was being sawed, and two lime kilns built.
June 1814	Grand Union Northampton Branch	Reports that there is one mile and three furlongs of canal cutting to be done and ten more locks to be built before the target opening day at the end of October.
November 1814	Grand Union Northampton Branch	Reports that there are still seven locks and over half a mile of cutting to be done. The revised openning date was put back to March 1815.
July 1815	Grand Junction Canal	Was told to construct side ponds for the four King's Langley locks as part of efforts to resolve a long running dispute over water rights with the owners of Nash mills.
Late April 1817	Grand Junction Canal	Left the company.
1823	River Stour (Kent)	Acted for the Commision of Sewers in regard to this river.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.