Brindley, James

Brindley, James

▪ British engineer
born 1716, Tunstead, near Buxton, Derbyshire, Eng.
died Sept. 30, 1772, Turnhurst, Staffordshire
 pioneer canal builder, who constructed the first English canal of major economic importance.

      Beginning as a millwright, Brindley designed and built an engine for draining coalpits at Clifton, Lancashire, in 1752. In 1759 the Duke of Bridgewater (Bridgewater Canal) hired him to build a 10-mile (16-kilometre) canal to transport coal from the duke's mines at Worsley to the textile-manufacturing centre at Manchester. Brindley's solution to the problem included a subterranean channel, extending from the barge basin at the head of the canal into the mines, and the Barton Aqueduct, which carried the canal over the River Irwell.

      The success of that canal encouraged similar projects: the Grand Trunk Canal, penetrating the central ridge of England by the Harecastle Tunnel, and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire, the Coventry, the Oxford, the old Birmingham, and the Chesterfield canals, all designed and, with one exception, executed by Brindley. In all, he was responsible for a network of canals totaling about 360 miles (580 km). The improvement in communications helped to hasten the Industrial Revolution. Brindley, a self-made engineer, undertook all his works without written calculations or drawings, leaving no records except the works themselves.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • BRINDLEY, JAMES —    a mechanician and engineer, born in Derbyshire; bred a millwright; devoted his skill and genius to the construction of canals, under the patronage of the Duke of Bridgewater, as the greatest service he could render to his country; regarded… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • James Brindley — (1716 ndash; 30 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.Early lifeBorn into a well to do… …   Wikipedia

  • Brindley — James Brindley Brindleyplace in Birmingham James Brindley (* 1716 in Tunstead, Derbyshire; † …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • James Brindley — (1716 – 30 septembre 1772) est un ingénieur anglais. Il est né à Tunstead,dans le Derbyshire, et résida une grande partie de sa vie à Leek. Il devint l un des ingénieurs les plus importants du XVIIIe siècle. Le premier ingénieur …   Wikipédia en Français

  • BRINDLEY — UNITED KINGDOM (see also List of Individuals) .. 1716 Thornsett/UK 27.9.1772 Turnhurst/UK James Brindley worked as a young man for mill construction. In 1752, his extraordinary qualities in mechanical works attracted attention, and he was asked… …   Hydraulicians in Europe 1800-2000

  • James Brindley — Das Barton Aquae …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Brindley Benn — Brindley Horatio Benn CCH (born January 24, 1923) was one of the key leaders of the Guyanese independence movement, and Deputy Prime Minister of the first elected government of Guyana. Early lifeBrindley Horatio, born in Kitty, Georgetown, is the …   Wikipedia

  • Brindley (disambiguation) — Brindley may refer to:;Places * Brindley, village in Cheshire, England * Brindley Heath, Staffordshire * Brindley Mountain, Alabama, USA;People * Aud Brindley (1923 1957), American basketball player *Doug Brindley (born 1949), Canadian ice hockey …   Wikipedia

  • Brindley — (spr. lĭ), James, Mechaniker, geb. 1716 m Tunstead in Derbyshire, gest. 30. Sept. 1772 zu Turnhurst in Staffordshire, erlernte ohne Schulbildung den Mühlenbau, konstruierte 1752 eine Wasserhebungsmaschine für Steinkohlenminen, 1755 eine neue… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Brindley — (spr. Brindli), James, geb. 1716 zu Tunsted in Derbyshire; war erst Mühlenbaumeister, baute später den Bridgewaterkanal, legte in Staffordshire einen neuen Kanal zwischen Bristol u. Liverpool an u. beschäftigte sich mit dem Plane, England u.… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”