James Brindley

James Brindley (* 1716 in Tunstead, Derbyshire, † September 30, 1772 in Turn Hurst Hall, Wolstanton, Staffordshire ) was a British civil engineer channel.

Life and work

The son of a wealthy farmer and craftsman's family grew up in the then little- developed area of the Peak District and received little formal education. At the age of 17 he was apprenticed to a millwright in Sutton, Macclesfield and soon showed exceptional technical talent. After completing his apprenticeship, he started his own business in Leek, Staffordshire. In 1750, he expanded his business and rented a Mühlenmacherei of the Wedgewood family were to Brindley's friends. Brindley has earned a reputation to be able to various types of machinery design and repair, so he built in 1752 a drainage system for a coal mine in Lancashire, in 1755 a machine for a silk mill in Congleton. Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, who wanted to improve the transport of its coal mines in Worsley to Manchester, became aware of Brindley and charged him in 1759 with the establishment of a channel.

The 1761 finished Bridgewater Canal is still regarded as a technical triumph. As a special performance of Barton Aqueduct over the River Irwell applies. Brindley preferred to minimize earthworks and moved longer distances or channel tunnel against a heightened excavation. His greatest achievement was the introduction of Lehmauskleidung that made its channels waterproof. Due to its success Brindley was applied to numerous other canals. His reflections on the airlock technology were crucial in the development of the Narrowboat Canal system.

Brindley hoped the four great rivers of England, Mersey, Trent, Severn and Thames to link with channels (the " Grand Cross" plan). First, the Trent and Mersey canal was built, and then from 1772 the Chester Canal. However, the transportation of coal from the Midlands to the Thames functioned until 1790, long after Brindley's death. On the whole 587 km of waterways were built under his direction.