Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from Bude Canal

Bude Canal

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

1774	Promoted by Act.
1774	John Box	Surveyed the line for the proposed canal with Edmund Leach.
1774	Edmund Leach	Surveyed the line for the proposed canal with John Box.
1778	John Smeaton	In his report he re-estimated the authorised line at £119,201, saying that "the county of Cornwall... seems but ill-adapted for the making of canals across the country, being so very frequently intersected with valleys, that to preserve a level for any considerable space between two given points, it becomes necessary to go through a vast meandering course". He proposed that instead the River Bude should be locked for 3½ miles; that 6 miles of canal with three planes should be built to the River Tamar, and then 15½: miles of river navigation with ten locks to Greston bridge, from where more locked river could carry the navigation to Calstock, or a branch canal could take it up to Launceston. His estimated the cost to Greston bridge as £46,109. He suggested that a less satisfactoy alternative would be a canal from Bude to Launceston only, but shortened to 34 miles, with five planes.
1785	Edmund Leach	Based on his work in surveying the proposed Tamar Canal (an idea that developed into the Bude Canal) he published a book called A Treatise of Universal Inland Navigations.
Early 1793	George Bentley	Together with Thomas Bolton he made a preliminary survey for a line from Bude Harbour to Hatherleigh.
Early 1793	Thomas Bolton	Together with George Bentley he made a preliminary survey for a line from Bude Harbour to Hatherleigh.
30 September 1793	Robert Fulton	Wrote a letter to Lord Stanhope suggesting inclined planes instead of locks for the canal. Lord Stanhope replied saying his idea for working the plane had already been thought of by Edmund Leach. This was the start of a correspondence that lasted until 1796.
1794	Robert Fulton	He took out a patent for improvements in inclined planes, in which wheeled boats (later used on the canal) were mentioned.
1796	John Rennie	He was consulted by Lord Stanhope on the idea of a 'pendenter' that was a type of vertical boat lift.
1817	James Green	Together with Thomas Shearn he surveyed the line for the canal.
1817	Thomas Shearn	Together with James Green he surveyed the line for the canal.
1819	Promoted by Act.
1819	James Green	Following the passing of the canal Act he subscribes £3,000 to the scheme.
July 1819	John Kingdon	He was appointed engineer and started cutting the canal.
1823	Opened (except for Druxton Branch).
8 July 1823	John Kingdon	He had completed the canal and it opened to traffic.
1825	Druxton Branch opened.
1835	James Meadows Rendel	He enlarged the sea-lock and basin.
31 May 1838	James Walker	He reports to the Exchequer Bill Loan Commissioners on the canal and says of the inclined planes "Every means appears to be taken to avoid accident; the machinery though complex - and perhaps necessarily so - is ingenious. It has, I understand, given trouble but not lately, and it does not appear with care which is indispensable, likely to do so to any extent, although with such heavy machinery accidents are unavoidable occasionally".
1891	Closed by an Act.
1972	The Bude Canal by Helen Harris & M Ellis , 192 pages, Published by David & Charles.
1998	Bude Canal Past & Present by Bill Young & Bryan Dudley Stamp , Published by the authors - The history and present description of this abandoned canal.

River Bure

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

October 1777	John Green	He was the engineer responsible for extending the navigation by building locks. He reported that about £3,600 had been spent and that another £2,951 was required to complete the navigation.
October 1777	John, junior Smith	He reported on the river works currently in progess and stated some £3,600 had been spent and another £2,951 was needed to complete the navigation.
25 February 1778	John, junior Smith	He agreed to continue work on the navigation following the raising of more funds.

Bridgwater and Taunton Canal

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

1811	Promoted under an Act as the Bristol & Taunton Canal.
1824	Act passed to renew the powers under the 1811 Act, which had lapsed, and authorise variations to the line. The new Act proposed an extension to Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock.
1825	Josiah Easton	He proposed a ship canal from Combwich to Bridgewater.
1827	Opened from Taunton to Huntworth.
Before 1827	James Hollinsworth	He was enginner for the canal.
1829	William Jessop	He proposed a ship canal from Comwich to Bridgwater.
1835	Henry H Price	He was requested by the Bridgwater corporation to report on the practicability of building a ship canal from Combwich to Bridgewater, building a dock thereand extending the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal from the existing junction with the River Tone at Huntworth to the proposed new dock.
1837	Extension fom Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock construction promoted under an Act.
1841	Extension fom Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock opened on 25th March.
1994	By Waterway to Taunton by Tony Haskell , Published by Somerset Books A history of the Bridgewater and Taunton Canal and the River Tone Navigation.
1994	Reopened.

Baybridge Canal

1825

May Upton

He estimated a cost of £5,958 to widen the River Adur in places upstream of Bines Bridge and to straighten the channel, provide new cuts over a length of 3 miles and 3 furlongs and to re-build Bines Bridge. This was to produce a navigation 28 feet wide, 4 feet deep with two 7-feet deep locks 75 feet long by 12 feet 6 inches wide.

Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation

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

1677	Andrew Yarranton	In his book England's Improvement by Land and Sea he recorded the results of his survey and estimated a cost of £8,000 to make the river navigable.
13 July 1733	John Hore	He started his survey of the navigation and later recommended the building of a canal for the estimated cost of £12,870 against the £9,355 he estimated was needed to make the river navigable.
1762	John Smeaton	He carried out a survey and estimated the cost of a navigation as £16,697.
1762	Thomas Yeoman	He did a survey and estimate for the navigation.
19 June 1764	Thomas Yeoman	The following extract from his letter to John Smeaton demonstrates the difficulties he had with the navigation promoters: . . . Now Suppose I should tell you that I am not paid for what I have done will you believe me and if I should add that the under Sheriff took it in his head two Days to attend the Survey with Company and order'd provision & to the Water Sides, lay all night at Danbury at my Inn, and left me to pay every thing even so much as his and his friends Corn and Hay for their Horses, will you give credence to it? but so it is my Friend and so it must be, until they take it in their Heads to pay; Should not I charge two Years Interest in September next? . . . I beg that my best wishes be acceptable to Mrs Smeaton, Children and Self and am with sincerity Dear Sir Your most obedient and obliged humble Servt Thos Yeoman.
1765	John Smeaton	He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept.
1765	John Grundy	He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept.
1765	Thomas Yeoman	He produced another plan which was used in the application for a Bill to parliament and estimated the cost as £13,000. He proposed widening the river to 30 feet at the surface and 20 feet at the bottom with a depth of 4 feet and locks 70 feet long and 14 feet wide.
1765	Langley Edwards	Was approached to prepare a scheme in opposition to Thomas Yeoman's plan for the river but was too busy to take on the work.
1765	Joseph Nickalls	He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept.
1765	Ferdinando Stratford	He and his brother were retained by Maldon objectors to the navigation. They both contracted ague and fever on the survey from which he died.
1765	William Stratford	He and his brother were retained by Maldon objectors to the navigation. They both contracted ague and fever on the survey from which he was ill for a year before he recovered..
1766	Promoted under an Act.
1792	John Rennie	Charles Wedge surveyed a line to Heybridge Basin under his direction.
1792	Charles Wedge	He surveyed a line to Heybridge Basin under the direction of John Rennie.
1793	Promoted under an Act.
1793	John Rennie	Matthew Hall carried out a survey of the canal under his direction.
1793	Richard Coates	Controlled the construction of the navigation, a task that he carried out on behalf of John Rennie to whom he was an assistant.
1793	Matthew Hall	He surveyed the route under John Rennie's direction.
1793	Benjamin Henry Latrobe	He recommended the deepening and straightening of the Blackwater as far as Fullbridge.
July 1793	John Rennie	Richard Coates started work on the construction of the navigation under his direction.
1794	Benjamin Henry Latrobe	He builds on his earlier report and suggests improvements of the Blackwater upstream to its junction with the Chelmer.
1797	Opened.
25 May 1799	John Rennie	Following complaints about shoals appearing after every flood he surveyed the navigation. In his report of 5th June he offers to contribute his time to rectify defects in the navigation.
25 November 1805	John Rennie	Following complaints of water loss from millers at Moulsham, Barnes, Sandford, Little Baddow, Paper and Hoe he did a survey and reccomended improvements costing £4,918.
1993	Barging into Chelmsford by John Marriage, Published by Ian Henry Publications Ltd - History, traffic and an update of the waterway.

Calder and Hebble Navigation

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

1740	John Eyes	He made a survey of the proposed navigation and together with Thomas Steers produced a projection.
1740	Thomas Steers	He produced a projection of the proposed navigation together with John Eyes who had made the survey on which it was based.
1744	Joseph 1 Atkinson	Was granted a leese of the River Calder for £3,600.
Autumn 1756	John Smeaton	He was asked to survey a navigation between Wakefield and Elland but was too busy with work on the Eddystone lighthouse.
June 1757	John Smeaton	He was again asked to survey a navigation between Wakefield and Elland and agreed to come in the autumn, requesting a scale plan of the river in preparation.
21 November 1757	John Smeaton	He reported to a meeting at Halifax on his proposals, based on his recent survey, for a 23½ mile navigation to take 20 to 25 ton craft with a draught of up to 3 feet 6 inches. This was to run from Wakefield to Salterhebble bridge.
1758	Promoted by an Act.
January 1758	John Eyes	Did a survey to extend the proposed navigation to Sowerby Bridge.
7 July 1758	John Smeaton	He was appointed part-time superintendent (or engineer) at £250 a year.
25 November 1759	John Smeaton	His pay for work as engineer began and it is believed that construction started after this date.
After November 1759	Joseph Nickalls	He assisted Smeaton on the Wakefield to Dewsbury section.
November 1761	John Gwyn	He and Matthias Scott were appointed as surveyors.
November 1761	Matthias Scott	He and John Gwyn were appointed as surveyors.
November 1762	John Gwyn	He was assigned to collect tolls on for the newly opened part of the lower river.
15 November 1764	John Smeaton	He claimed no salary after this date and was replaced by James Brindley in the following January.
1765	James Brindley	Became engineer in succession to Smeaton.
January 1765	John Gwyn	He was dismissed when Brindley took over responsibility from Smeaton.
January 1765	Matthias Scott	He was dismissed when Brindley took over responsibility from Smeaton.
31 January 1765	James Brindley	Following his survey he presents his plans and estimates, for extending the Calder Navigation to Sowerby Bridge, to a meeting of the commisioners. He was then appointed "Surveyor, Manager and Undertaker" for carrying out the works at one and a half guineas a day.
1768	John Longbotham	Around this time he did a survey for a 2 mile 5 furlong canal with 20 from Godley bridge, near Halifax, to the Calder navigation. This was probably done on behalf of a private group of promoters or single promoter.
Spring 1768	John Smeaton	He surveyed the river following the February floods which he reported as "higher than any flood in man's memory, of of which there is any tradition".
1769	Promoted by an Act.
1769	John Smeaton	He supported the Bill in parliament which became the Act giving powers to extend the navigation to Sowerby Bridge, raise extra capital and change the name of the waterway to "The Company of Proprietors of the Calder & Hebble Navigation".
16 May 1769	Luke Holt	The navigation company committee nominated him and Robert Carr as surveyors or resident engineers.
18 May 1769	Robert Carr	The navigation company committee nominated him and Luke Holt as surveyors or resident engineers.
1770	Opened from Wakefield to Sowerby Bridge.
1770	John Longbotham	He surveyed two possible branches one betweem Birstall and Dewsbury and the other to Bradford via Cleckheaton the Spen valley.
December 1770	John Smeaton	He surveyed the newly openned line to Sowerby Bridge and found "the River now put into as good a State of Security as could possibly be expected in the Time and is indeed in the General in a very defensible Condition".
1771	John Smeaton	He was asked the best way to supply water to the summit at Sowerby Bridge and advised the construction of a "Tunnel made in the way of an Adit or Sough, such as those made for draining Collieries" from Hollis Mill through the high ground. It was started in June 1772 and was completed in March 1774.
March 1774	Luke Holt	Left the company's service.
December 1775	William Jessop	He was engaged to build Mirfield cut with John Pinkerton as contractor.
1779	William Jessop	He reported on and approved John Smeaton's proposals for improvements to the navigation.
1779	John Smeaton	He surveyed the navigation and suggested changes including the replacement of the staircase pair of locks that James Brindley had installed at Salterhebble plus the single Brooksmouth lock by a new set of three single locks.
1779	William Brassey	Appointed resident engineer following Robert Carr's depaarture.
1779	Robert Carr	Left the company and was succeeded by William Brassey.
After 1779	William Jessop	He and John Pinkerton started three businesses which took advantage of the new Mirfield Cut, lime-burning, a colliery and a dry dock.
1780	William Jessop	He started work on improvements at Kirklees and a new cut at Brighouse.
1782	Samuel Hartley	Under Jessop's direction he starts work on replacing the single Brooksmouth lock and the two-rise Salterhebble locks with three new locks.
1785	William Jessop	Battye Ford cut is extended to his plans.
1791	William Jessop	Around this date he gave up his interest in the lime-burning and colliery business on Mirfield cut.
1792	William Jessop	He was not employed as consultant after this date when Thomas Bradley became the canal engineer.
Early 1792	William Brassey	Left the company.
December 1792	Thomas Bradley	Appointed engineer at £105 a year.
1794	Thomas Bradley	The company paid him £105 for his part in supporting the Rochdale Canal Bill in its passage through parliament. He was now recognised as a fully competent engineer and from this time on he undertook all the planning and execution of his work, the company no longer employing William Jessop as consultant.
1800	William Jessop	Around this date he gave up his interest in the dry-dock business on Mirfield cut.
1808	William Jessop	He was consulted by the company concerning a dispute with Sir Thomas Pilkington over the building of new locks at Fall Ing.
1816	Thomas Bradley	Went to the rivers Thames and Trent to assess their dredgers.
1816	Bryan Donkin	He met the company's engineer, Thomas Bradley, in London to discuss dredgers. Donkin had previously sent a plan for a dredger to the company.
1817	Bryan Donkin	He received an order for a dredger from the company.
1819	Thomas Bradley	The company awarded him £500 as remuneration for his past long and valuable services. They also promised him a pension of £200 a year when he retired and added £100 a year to his present salary.
Late 1824	Thomas Bradley	He estimated that it would cost £34,533 to build the branch from Salterhebble to Halifax. The enabling Act was passed the following year.
1825	Promoted by an Act.
1828	Branch to Halifax opened.
28 March 1828	Thomas Bradley	The opening of his completed Halifax Branch.
1832	Thomas Bradley	Now in poor health, the company appointed William Gravatt as engineer, nominally under his control.
1832	Bryan Donkin	Recommended William Gravatt as engineer for the navigation under Thomas Bradley.
1832	William Gravatt	He was appointed as engineer on the recommendation of Bryan Donkin. He stayed only a matter of months despite his "Talents un-questionably of a superior Order" in favour of someone "of more experience in the management of Workmen in this part of the Country".
May 1833	William Bull	Appointed engineer and soon after recommended 60,000 pounds worth of improvements to the navigation.
1834	H R Palmer	He was asked to report following an Act that allowed improvements to the navigation up as far as Mirfield. He suggested large-scale works at the cost of £83,403. The committee and shareholders agreed on a smaller navigation 7 feet deep and 50 foot wide.
Early 1836	George Stephenson	He and others representing the promoters of the Manchester & Leeds Railway Bill approached the company with offers of good bridge clearances for navigation, and free access for the navigation to "Fields of Coal or other Minerals" but failed to persuade the company not to oppose the Bill.
Mid 1882	William Hammond Bartholomew	Took charge of the improvement and enlargement of the locks.
February 1886	William Hammond Bartholomew	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.
1942	Halifax Branch abandoned.
1972	Yorkshire's River of Industry by J Ogden , Published by Terrence Dalton Ltd. The River Calder.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.