Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.
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Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead. |
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Engineer.
After 1800 | He built a railway to carry barges past the obstruction of Langport Bridge. By 1834 goods were being transhipped "on mens shoulders, and carried on planks under the arches". |
Engineer of Snedshill.
1788 | He was appointed surveyor. | |
July 1788 | He and Henry Williams were awarded £50 each for their entries in a competition to find "the best means of raising and lowering heavy weights from one navigation to another". | |
Early 1790 | He resigned. |
Engineer who surveyed the line of a proposed Scottish Canal with James Watt.
Engineer.
25 March 1841 | The opening of the Bridgwater Dock and mile long canal that he had built as company engineer. |
Engineer.
Spring 1757 | He gave evidence for the navigation Bill that the river could easily be made navigable. |
Engineer.
1943 | As the navigations engineer he was asked by the Ministry of War Transport to report on the possibility of a navigation for 100-ton vessels to Wolverhampton. He recconded the use of the upper Weaver to Audlem and the upgrading of the Shropshire Union. |
Engineer.
August 1844 | As company engineer he surveyed the line of a proposed Pontypool to Newport Railway, having previously surveyed for a Newport Dock to Nant-y-glo railway before he joined the canal company. |
Engineer to the Severn Commission.
1897 | He was asked by the Brisol and Wolverhampton Chambers of Commerce to report on the possibility of enlarging the upper Severn locks and the canal as for as Aldersley to take 170-ton to 200-ton barges. He said it could be done at moderate cost. | |
1897 | He was asked by the Brisol and Wolverhampton Chambers of Commerce to report on the possibility of enlarging the upper river locks and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal as for as Aldersley to take 170-ton to 200-ton barges. He said it could be done at moderate cost. |
Engineer.
1827 | Was for a short time resident engineer at Liverpool before Walmsley Stanley. |
Engineer from Morriston, Swansea, and chief minng agent to the Duke of Beaufort who bacame a trustee of Swansea Harbour. Worked with David Davies.
1790 | He made a survey for a route up the Tawe valley to Ynysgedwyn for William Padley, a Swansea merchant. | |
12 August 1803 | He reported to the Swansea corporation on the advantages of extending the canal to Oystermouth to carry limestone from the Mumbles cliffs. He was then asked to do a survey and estimate and to consider the use of a tramroad. | |
Autumn 1809 | He re-surveyed the line of the proposed canal. | |
1811 | Made a survey for the canal with David Davies. | |
1812 | Together with David Davies he was appointed engineer. |
Surveyor. Worked with William Bennet.
1794 | Examined the route as surveyor with William Bennet as engineer. |
Engineer.
1909 | He studied the estuary and issued a critical to the Humber Conservancy Board, The board concluded that £367,000 needed to be spent on improvements. |
Engineer.
1801 | The Deeping Fen Act was passed based on two reports, one of which he prepared with Edward Hare. |
Engineer.
1777 | He was put in charge of the building of Redhill Lock and other improvements, as recommended by William Jessop, and employed contractors to do the work. |
A Manchester architect who surveyed the line of the proposed Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, serving on its committee from 1791 to 1814.
1791 | He did the parliamentary survey for the Act passed this year. | |
1793 | Conducted a preliminary survey of the canal line with Samuel Fletcher. | |
1793 | He and Hugh Henshall survyed the navigation and reported that if the locks and cuts were kept in good order and the millers prevented from lowering the water level the navigation could be even more successfull and more reliable. | |
October 1794 | Together with his partner, Robert Fulton, he accepted a contract for cutting part of the canal. | |
1804 | Around this time he was probably the engineer who built a 7.75 mile cut from the navigation at Latchford to the entrance lock into the Mersey at Runcorn. | |
9 September 1804 | He writes to the Liverpool corporation and points out that although the Rochdale Canal is not complete "timber & other goods" from Hull are arriving at Manchester through that route even "under the disadvantage of twelve miles of land carriage". |
Surveyor. Woked with Henry Berry.
Mid 1769 | Did a survey with John Eyes for a line of canal that went through Burnley. Their survey was checked by Robert Whitwoth who found a 35 feet error in the levels at Rishton. | |
Late 1769 | Engaged, with Henry Berry, to check P P Burdett's revised line for the western end of the canal. |
Engineer who patented a system of hauling boats by a steel rope layed in the riverbed. The system opened on the River Neckar, Germany, in 1878.
1878 | He attended a Trent shareholders meeting to explain his system of hauling boats by a wire rope on the bed of the river. |
Engineer.
1772 | He and Thomas Tofield were employed by local landowners to advise on improving the river for drainage. They also considered seeking new powers for completing the original proposed navigation from Malton to Scarborough. | |
December 1799 | He was asked to assist William Chapman to report on drainage proposals for the river. |
Engineer from Dublin.
1793 | He is appointed resident engineer and superintendent. | |
January 1794 | He started pile driving for the Lune Aqueduct foundations inside 20-foot coffer dams kept dry by steam pumping. | |
1795 | He had many complaints about the bad work of the contractors, John Pinkerton and John Murray, and their inattention to his instructions. Robert Whitworth was called in to arbitrate and the work was taken back and let out again as smaller contracts under Millar's supervision. | |
1799 | His contract was not renewed. |
Engineer of Preston.
1805 | He made two surveys for the continuation of the canal to Kendal, one through Hincaster with a 340-yard tunnel and the other a more direct route with a 670-yard tunnel at Rains Hall at the cost of £71,755 for the cheaper option. He also suggested a 13-mile tramroad with three inclined planes at a cost of £38,575. | |
July 1806 | Pumping of water from the Ribble started after he finished the tunnel between the canal and the river and other works. He had been assistant engineer for some years after 1794. |
Engineer of Hammersmith. His only canal building venture was the North Walsham and Dilham Canal. Later he went to the USA and wrote Elements of Civil Engineering which includes much information on canal building.
January 1811 | He did a survey for a canal from the River Ant near Dilham to North Walsham. | |
September 1811 | He did a survey for a canal from the River Ant near Dilham to North Walsham. | |
5 April 1825 | Canal cutting started under his direction employing a hundred navies from Bedfordshire. | |
1826 | He completed the canal. | |
1827 | He left his post as engineer. |
Took part in the survey of the River Don in 1722. Worked with Mark Andrew, worked with Joseph 1 Atkinson and worked with William Palmer.
1720 | Worked on a survey for making the river navigable and between 1723 and 1724 leased the tolls jointly with Mark Andrew | |
1722 | Doncaster Corporation commissioned him, with William Palmerl and Joseph Atkinson, to survey the river. |
Built weirs and locks on the Aire.
1704 | Built Beal and Haddlesey Locks, with George Atkinson, so completing the original from Leeds to the Ouse. |
Surveyor.
Summer 1796 | Together with the engineer, Robert Fulton, proposed a 14 mile tub-boat canal across Cornwall from The Helford River near Gweek to The Hayle River below St Erth. |
Engineer who was assistant to Thomas Morris on the Chester Canal in 1775.
Early 1776 | Around this time he briefly served as company engineer. |
Engineer.
August 1793 | He answered an advertisement for a superintendent of woks and was given the job of building the navigation to William Jessop's plan. | |
Autumn 1793 | Work was underway on building the navigation but he had changed the line and number of locks from the William Jessop's plan. | |
August 1794 | His salary is raised. | |
5 November 1794 | He has completed 1.25 miles to Monk Bridge and it is opened. He is told to "treat the workmen upon the canal in such manner as appears to him proper, not exceeding the sum of ten pounds". | |
30 November 1795 | He was severely criticised in a report by John Rennie who said that had William Jessop's plan been followed the navigation would be open to Sheriff Hutton instead of being well short with all the money spent. He was replaced as engineer shortly afterwards. |
Engineer of the Regent's Canal. He worked for John Nash in his architects practice for ten years at first in Wales and from 1796 in London.
10 August 1812 | He was appointed engineer with a salary of £1,000 a year. | |
1824 | He was employed to survey the river with a view to making some improvements in the navigation but produced a more radical plan than had been expected. He suggested that the shallow meandering river between Sandwich and the sea should be replaced by a new cut and a new harbour be built near Sandown Castle at a cost of £45,777. | |
Early February 1825 | Following a survey he reported that a canal from the proposed Sandown Castle harbour to Deal would cost £30,535 for a 1.75 mile canal that would take 500-ton vessels. | |
1835 | He left the company. |
An engineer on the Mersey & Irwell Navigation son of Thomas, senior, who was Brindley's assistant on the Bridgwater Canal. Son of Thomas, Senior Morris and son of Thomas, Senior Morris.
June 1797 | His plan and estimate for a canal from above Warrington to Hempstones, just above Runcorn, was approved. | |
1806 | He undertook to build the Weston canal for £38,000 but the Weaver trustees thought his proposals too vague and diffuse. |
A Liverpool engineer who had worked with James Brindley on the Duke of Bridgewater's canal extension to Runcorn and then went to Ireland. Father of Thomas, junior Morris, father of Thomas, junior Morris and assistant to James Brindley.
1774 | Was called back from Ireland to take up the appointment of engineer. | |
September 1775 | He had been dismissed by this date. |
Engineer.
1881 | He engineered major construction works following major subsidence problems. This work was to continue until 1888. |
Surveyor.
1795 | He was employed by John Rennie to resurvey the line which at Tamerton bridge or Launceston would join the Bude Canal. | |
1796 | He resurveyed a shorted route, that ended at Dunmere about 1.5 miles from Bodmin, under John Rennies direction. | |
After August 1796 | He was employed to resurvey the section of canal to Horsebridge. |
Engineer of the New River Company, architect and surveyor. Was assisted by Dennis Edson.
1786 | He gave evidence on a Bill for making the river navigable from Diglis at Worcester to Meadow Warf at Coalbrookdale. | |
Early 1790 | He resurveyed the river for a new Bill to improve navigation between Diglis and Stourport. | |
Late 1790 | He was called in to address the problem of water supply. He found the tunnel and summit level were leaking 1.25 million cubic feet a week and that the canal needed 5 million cubic feet a week and that only 2.5 million cubic feet of water a week was available from the River Churn and Thames Head. | |
1791 | He was asked by the commissioners to survey the upper river and recommended the replacement of 25 weirs and flash locks between Abingdon and Lechlade by a smaller number of pound locks. He also severely criticised the state of the navigation. | |
May 1791 | He was directing the improvement works on the river. | |
June 1791 | He resigned. | |
1792 | The Thames & Severn Canal company ask him consider how a canal could be built from the Thames above Oxford to the proposed canal. | |
Early 1792 | He was retained by the company as an expert in water supply matters at the time the company were trying to get a Bill through parliament and were opposed by millowners. | |
October 1792 | He as engineer for the company and William Jessop for the Barnsley Canal jointly planned a level junction lock to ensure that neither canal lost water. | |
November 1792 | He and John Thompson were asked to survey the line for the canal. | |
22 December 1792 | He started a two day survey for a canal from the river to Barnsley. | |
26 December 1792 | He reported favourably on the project. His diary records "Bad day, in a chaise to Sheffield; viewed the line, lands and brooks to that place. Viewed the termination and place for bason. Attended a committee - made a report viva voce to the meetingon this canal". | |
1793 | He did a survey for the line of the proposed canal with Richard Hall. | |
1793 | He was asked to resurvey the line as "Chief and Principal Engineer" on £350 a year plus expenses and proposed a 17.75 mile canal 70 foot wide and 18 foot deep to carry ships of up to 300-tons. He estimated the cost at £121,330. | |
1793 | He revised the line surveyed by John Longbotham and his work was in turn used by Hugh Henshall working on behalf of William Jessop in his task of deciding between the routes. | |
Spring 1793 | He gave evidence on the Bill for the navigation around this time. | |
August 1793 | He reported to the commissioners on his survey of the river below Maidenhead and recommended a 4.75 mile canal with 3 locks from Boulter's Lock to Eton. | |
After August 1793 | He and Robert Whitworth were appointed joint engineers to the project. | |
September 1793 | He had started setting out the line of the canal. | |
Early 1794 | He was retained again to give parliamentary evidence in the second attempt to get their Bill through parliament. | |
February 1794 | He and Robert Whitworth attended a meeting of canal supporters that decided that new locks on the Thames would not meet the needs of navigation. | |
March 1794 | He prepared drawings for a canal cutting machine but the canal committee preferred alternative designs. | |
Autumn 1797 | He made visits to the canal in September and October and in response to C B Trye's criticism that he spent too little time on the canal he agreed to be paid 4 guineas a day plus travelling expenses. | |
October 1797 | He ceased to be engineer following some quarrel with James Dadford. | |
1813 | The navigation trustees asked him to advise them on the obstruction and injury to navigation a proposed bridge across the Mersey might cause. |
Engineer.
After June 1762 | Working as deputy to John Smith he constructed swing bridges based on a model that James Brindley supplied. |
Engineer
After June 1797 | Was appointed engineer for the canal. | |
After 1805 | He was appointed to build the line to Market Harborough. | |
13 October 1809 | His construction of the line to Market harborough was completed at the cost of £40,500 for the basin, buildings and 6¾ miles of canal. |
Engineer. Assistant to John Smeaton.
After November 1759 | He assisted Smeaton on the Wakefield to Dewsbury section. | |
1765 | He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept. | |
1771 | Successfully opposed the canal BIll on behalf of the Thames Commissioners. He said that there would be an increased danger of flooding at Bray and that miller's income would fall to a point where they could not maintain flash locks. He also put forward the Commissioner's own plans for improvements. |
Engineer in charge of the Rye to Cliff End section of the Royal Military Canal.
Late 1806 | Completed the canal construction. |
Engineer on the Manchester, Bolton & Bury. Nephew of Matthew Fletcher.
1805 | Was appointed as the first full manager-engineer of the company at £500 a year with house, horse-keep and expenses when away from home. | |
1805 | Was asked by the Mersey & Irwell company to estimate the cost of this link. | |
August 1806 | He was ordered to have steamboats built for the company's Manchester to Runcorn passenger services. | |
Early 1811 | Met with the Bridgewater Canal company to agree on action following protests from traders about the two companies agreed higher rates. Some rates were later lowered. |
Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.