Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from Kyme Eau - Sleaford Canal

Kyme Eau - Sleaford Canal

1792	Promoted by an Act.
1794	Opened.
1878	Abandoned by an Act.

Kilbagie Canal

1780	Opened about 1780.
1861	Closed before this date.

Keyingham Navigable Drains project

October 1795	Joseph Hodskinson	He did a preliminary report indicating that the drains could be rebuilt so that they would be navigable for about 3 miles to Keyingham bridge.
3 October 1796	William Chapman	Was commissioned to make a survey of the proposed navigation.
30 June 1797	William Chapman	He reported that small 8 ton double-ended craft, 28 feet long by 7 feet wide should be able to use the drains to move about 9 miles inland. They would draw about 2 feet 6 inches and would be woked in pairs. A transhipment quay and basi should be built by the Humber. His estimate for the work was 1,500 pounds.
1801	Robert Stickney	The plan of his survey is deposited showinga new 1½ mile cut from the Humber to join the existing drain, which, apart from three shortening cuts, would then be used to the junction. The then existing Roos Bridge drain would then be utilised, but the drain to Owstwick would be extended by a short cut to the Roos-Burton Pidsea road.
1802	An Act authorised navigation improvements subject to landowners approval but no work was done.

Knarsborough Canal Schemes

1800	Ralph Burton	Took the levels for William Chapman's proposed route.
February 1800	William Chapman	Commissioned to survey a route for the navigation.
July 1800	William Chapman	Reported the results of the survey offering two alternative routes. An 8 mile canal with 12 locks could take Humber sloops and would cost 22,908 pounds. A 6 mile, 9 lock, canal taking smaller craft (54 feet by 9 feet) would cost 13,189 pounds.
19 May 1818	Thomas Telford	He reported on two lines, one to the Ouse a mile below Linton Lock, the other to the Wharfe a mile above Tadcaster.

Kensington Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1824	Authorised by an Act.
1828	Opened.
1839	Sold to the West London railway in 1839.
1859	Filled in.

Kent & Sussex Junction Canal project

September 1800	Alexander Sutherland	A plan for this canal, based on his survey was deposited.
1802	John Rennie	Netlam and Francis Giles he surveyed the route as part of his check of Alexander Sutherland's work. He confirmed Sutherland's main line and Lamberhurst branch and added another to Ashford and Wye. He estimated the cost at £175,653
1802	Francis Giles	Together with Netlam Giles he surveyed the route as part of John Rennie's check of Alexander Sutherland's work.
1802	Netlam Giles	Together with Francis Giles he surveyed the route as part of John Rennie's check of Alexander Sutherland's work.
1802	Alexander Sutherland	His main line and Lamberhurst branch was confirmed by John Rennie.

Ketley Canal

1788	Completed in 1788 and, because of the sharp incline and water shortages, included a 73 foot inclined plane, the first on an English canal.
1818	Dutens	Recorded that the canal was disused.

Kymer's Canal

1766	The first Act of Parliament for a canal in Wales.
1766	Richard Evans	Surveyed the route for the proposed canal.
1769	Opened.
1867	Closed about 1867

London & Cambridge Junction Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1812	Authorising Acts were passed (and 1814) but little or no work was done.
1814	Authorising Acts were passed (and in 1812) but little or no work was done.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1720	Promoted by Act.
1766	John Longbotham	He proposed a canal from Leeds to Liverpool, according to Joseph Priestley.
1768	Robert Whitworth	He did most of the field work for John Longbotham's plan for the canal.
Early 1768	John Longbotham	He planned a route from the Aire & Calder Navigation at Leeds to Liverpool via Gargrave, down the valley of the Lancashire rivers Calder and Ribble to near Preston and Ormskirk.
1769	Henry Berry	Engaged, with Richard Melling, to check P P Burdett's revised line for the western end of the canal.
1769	Robert Whitworth	He was sent by Brindley to check the line surveyed by John Eyes and Richard Melling and found that there was an error of 35 feet in the height of Burnley embankment.
1769	John Eyes	Did a survey with Richard Melling 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.
Mid 1769	Richard Melling	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	Richard Melling	Engaged, with Henry Berry, to check P P Burdett's revised line for the western end of the canal.
January 1769	James Brindley	He largely approved John Longbotham's plan for the canal.
January 1769	John Longbotham	James Brindley largely approved his plan for the canal.
14 June 1769	James Brindley	He was called in by the Yorkshire committee to advise on a new line surveyed on the instruction of the Lancashire committee. He asked Robert Whitworth to check the line.
14 June 1769	John Longbotham	Took a letter to James Brindley, on behalf of some of the Lancashire committee, asking for his views on proposed changes to the Lancashire part of the canal route.
14 June 1769	Richard Beck	Instructed to assist P P Burdett in a survey for the canal.
14 June 1769	P P Burdett	Instructed to survey a proposed line for the canal assisted by Richard Beck.
11 December 1769	James Brindley	A meeting was held at the Black Bull in Burnley at which his estimates for the rival Lancashire lines were given. £174,324 for the 66 miles proposed by John Longbotham and £240,881 for P P Burdett's 83 miles.
11 December 1769	John Longbotham	It was agreed at a general meeting that his line for the canal should be adopted.
1770	Promoted by Act.
1770	John Longbotham	He is appointed clerk of works and later when James Brindley asked to be relieved from his post as cheif engineer he takes on this role as well.
May 1770	James Brindley	Was appointed chief engineer with a salary of £400. Afterwards he asked to be released from this commitment and the job went to the clerk of works, John Longbotham.
1772	William Jessop	He was called in check John Longbotham's levels between Shaw Green and Liverpool.
October 1772	John Longbotham	His contract is renewed and he is paid £500 a year for his full time employment.
1774	Bingley Three Rise and Bingley Five Rise staircase locks opened.
1774	Over fifty miles of waterway open by early 1774.
1774	The Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal were opened on the 21st March 1774. Five laden boats descended the locks watched by thousands of people.
June 1775	John Longbotham	He resigned from the company after the committee had complained of him not spending enough effort to the canal. He had recently bought coalmines at Upholland.
1777	The following Staircase Locks were built Dobson, Dowley Gap, Field, Kirkstall Forge, Newlay and Oddy.
1777	William Jessop	He was called in to advise on the canal line below Armley.
July 1777	Richard Owen	He was appointed engineer.
Summer 1782	Richard Owen	He is discharged from his post of engineer.
1789	Robert Whitworth	He reported on the cost of completing the canal, which he estimated at £169,818 including Foulridge Tunnel on the summit. This he thought "compared with what has been done on other canal, will be a small affair".
1790	Promoted by Act.
1790	Robert Whitworth	He became engineer, assisted by his younger son William.
1790	William Whitworth	His father took up the post as engineer and he acted as his assistant.
November 1790	James Fletcher	Was appointed engineer for the Yorkshire side of the canal under Robert Whitworth.
1791	Josiah Clowes	Was asked his opinion on Foulridge Tunnel and possible alternatives to it.
1791	John Longbotham	He produces another route for the Lanchire section of the canal in response to Robert Whitworth's line.
1791	John Rennie	He surveyed a branch from the Rochdale Canal's line at Todmorden through Holme Chapel, Ormerod, Burnley Ridge and Colne to the summit above Barrowford Locks. An alternative junction near Burnley was planned in case the company decided to take their line that way.
1791	Robert Whitworth	Much of his time was occupied by the 1,640 yard, 17 foot wide, Foulridge tunnel that was to have 8 feet headroom above water level. He intended that 120 yards of it would be built on the cut and cover system. He was asked by some proprietors if a open summit level would not be cheaper and defended his plans.
July 1791	Robert Whitworth	He and Joseph Preistley were instructed to survey a line from the Leeds & Liverpool at Euxton to Red Moss, the proposed ending of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal extension.
1794	Promoted by Act.
1795	Burnley Embankment (designed by Robert Whitworth, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Company Engineer) started.
1795	Robert Whitworth	Following the appointment of Samuel Fletcher as resident engineer and in view of his own other commitments he continued as engineer at half salary.
Autumn 1795	Samuel Fletcher	He was appointed resident engineer.
April 1799	Samuel Fletcher	Was placed in charge of the section of canal to Enfield (Clayton-le-Moors).
April 1799	Joseph Fletcher	Was given the job of assisting his brother Samuel on the section of canal to Enfield (Clayton-le-Moors).
June 1800	John Longbotham	He asked the company for a small annual stipend saying he was in "the decline of life" and without employment. In return for some papers he held he was advanced some small amounts and the company paid his funeral expenses of £40.
1801	Gannow tunnel was completed in early 1801.
1804	James Fletcher	Appointed joint surveyor with his uncle Joseph Fletcher.
1804	Joseph Fletcher	Appointed joint surveyor with his nephew James Fletcher.
1805	James Fletcher	Reported jointly with Joseph Fletcher on alternative links to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.
1805	Joseph Fletcher	Reported jointly with James Fletcher on alternative links to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.
1816	Fully opened.
1816	John Rennie	He reported that if through trade increased the summit would be short of water in dry seasons. He suggested that priorty be given to the more profitable merchandise traffic rather than have the water used by cargoes such as limestone which paid lower tolls. He also recommended the enforcement of the 20 ton rule under the 1770 Act which allowed for a minumum toll at the twenty ton rate for boats carrying less or empty boats.
1819	Promoted by Act.
1823	George, junior Leather	He reported on the cost of coal carried by the Lancaster and Leeds & Liverpool canal routes and the effects of the various costs on the trade carried by both companies.
Autumn 1824	James Fletcher	He supervised the work of repairing the recently colapsed section of Foulridge Tunnel, for which he was granted an increase in salary and 100 guineas "in consideration of his extraordinary exertions in repairing the tunnel".
1825	George Stephenson	His route for a Liverpool & manchester Railway was defeated by opposition from the canal company supported by the Sankey Brook, Ashton and Peak Forest companies.
1827	Walmsley Stanley	Was appointed resident engineer for the Liverpool side of the canal.
1827	Abinus Martin	Was for a short time resident engineer at Liverpool before Walmsley Stanley.
1828	James Fletcher	He reported together with Walmsley Stanley, his fellow joint engineer, on alternative proposals to improve the River Douglas below Tarleton or to build a new canal parallel to the river.
1828	Walmsley Stanley	He reported together with James Fletcher, his fellow joint engineer, on alternative proposals to improve the River Douglas below Tarleton or to build a new canal parallel to the river.
July 1837	John Leather	While working as part of George Leather & Son he reported in favour of proposals for a new lock at Leeds to connect the canal to the River Aire above the weir.
Spring 1839	James Fletcher	He reported together with Walmsley Stanley, his fellow joint engineer, and Robert Nicholson, the law clerk, on proposals from the Leeds & Armley Navigation Company to build a new River Aire lock.
Spring 1839	Walmsley Stanley	He reported together with James Fletcher, his fellow joint engineer, and Robert Nicholson, the law clerk, on proposals from the Leeds & Armley Navigation Company to build a new River Aire lock.
1840	James Fletcher	He suggests that Foulridge Tunnel should be opened out to ease congestion and estimates the cost at £23,000.
1843	Charles Vignoles	He was engaged to examine the plans of the Liverpool & Bury Railway where it proposed to cross the canal in Liverpool.
1844	Walmsley Stanley	He became engineer for the canal following the death of James Fletcher.
1844	Thomas Fletcher	Was first resident engineer on the Yorkshire side of the canal then assistant to Walmsley Stanley when he became engineer.
1884	Edward Filliter	Estimated a cost of £45,000 for the Winterburn reservior which was to hold 284 million gallons of water.
17 August 1893	Henry Rofe	As consultant engineer he attended the official opening of the new Winterburn reservoir and presented the Chairman with a silver key in a silver box, with which to perform the opening ceremony.
17 August 1893	A W Stansfeld	As assistant engineer for the eastern side of the canal he took part in the oppening ceremony of the Winterburn Reservoir.
1896	A W Stansfeld	Now a director of the company he discussed with Bingley Urban District Council his scheme for generating electricty by water power from the canal. No agreement on charges was reached.
1898	Henry Rofe	He reported that a second reservior above Winterburn reservior could be built for £126,000 and some trial borings were made but it was not built.
1899	R H White	He estimated tha it would cost another £44,357 to complete the work that was taking place on the Barrowford to Blackburn pound.
Spring 1902	R H White	A committee of shareholders formed in Bradford in 1901 to investigate the company's affairs reported. They thought the condition of the canal was a credit to him as engineer.
November 1904	A W Stansfeld	He suggested that as he was working full time for the company in his role as managing director he would prefer to become a paid general manager. The board did not agree to this but agreed to increase his salary.
May 1907	A W Stansfeld	Following the death of the company engineer, R H White, he resigned his directorship and became general manager and engineer.
1924	A W Stansfeld	He retired as general manager and engineer but was retained as consultant.
1926	Robert Davidson	He was appointed Engineer and General Manager.
1 January 1948	Robert Davidson	The canal was nationalised and he became a member of the Docks & Inland Waterways Executive.
1955	IWA National Rally at Skipton held 15th and 21st August.
1956	Sailing Through England by John Seymour, Published by Eyre & Spottiswoode - Account of a long journey on a dutch barge, on East Coast waterways and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
1965	IWA National Rally at Blackburn.
1968	IWA National Rally at Liverpool.
1972	Leeds and Liverpool Canal Craft by G Wheat, Published by Northern Counties Carriers.
1977	The Leeds & Liverpool Canal by D C Lyons, Published by Hendon Publishing Co.
1983	IWA National Festival at Wigan.
1992	Around and About The Leeds & Liverpool Canal by Mike Clarke, Published by Milepost Research -Comprehensive tourist guide. Illustrated with coloured maps, line drawings and photographs.
1996	Walks from the Leeds-Liverpool Canal by Mary Welsh, Published by Cicerone Press - Description of 34 walks.
1999	Burscough Boatmen: Their Marriages and their Boats by Robert Cheetham-Houghton , Published by Countyvise - A history, with photographs, of the boating families of this small town on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.