The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/all/20040427114044/http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk:80/jim.shead/Engineers7.html
Jim Shead Waterways Photographer & Writer
Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.
Home Introduction Waterways List Waterways Map Links Books DVD
Articles Boats Photo Gallery Photo List Features Contact
Glossary A - D Glossary E - L Glossary  M - R Glossary  S - Z History Help

Waterways Engineers and Surveyors from Gravatt, William



William Gravatt

Engineer on navigations and assistant to Brunel on the building of the Bristol & Exeter Railway. Was recommended by Bryan Donkin.

1832

Calder and Hebble Navigation

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".

Summer 1836

River Parrett

Was appointed engineer.

Thomas Gray

Surveyor to the Exeter corporation.

January 1790

Stover Canal

Was engineer for the canal.

1792

Exeter & Crediton Navigation

He surveyed a proposed line from Four Mills, Crediton, to the River Exe just below Exe Bridge.

James Green

West country canal engineer

1810

Torrington Canal

He prepared a plan for a canal from Torrington along the eastern side of the River Torridge past Weare Giffard to enter the river above Hallspill and oposite Landcross.

1813

Braunton Canal and River Taw schemes

He suggested that two drainage channels in Braunton Marsh should be connected by a lock so that boats could have access to the north part of the marsh.

1817

Bude Canal

Together with Thomas Shearn he surveyed the line for the canal.

1818

Exeter Ship Canal

He was asked to report on possible improvements to the canal.

1819

Bude Canal

Following the passing of the canal Act he subscribes £3,000 to the scheme.

October 1820

Exeter Ship Canal

He made his report on the state of the canal and was asked to dredge and straighten the channel and to repair the Double Locks.

1821

English & Bristol Channels Junction Canal project

Made a survey of the route and recommended a tub-boat canal with 5 inclined planes and 4 tunnels.

Late 1821

Exeter Ship Canal

He finished the dredging, straightening and repair work on the canal.

1823

Liskeard & Looe Union Canal

He was called in to advise on the making of a canal, railway and turnpike road, all of which he said were possible. On the question of a canal he ruled against locks and recommended a tub-boat canal with inclined planes at an estimated cost of £14,000.

1823

Torrington Canal

He is appointed engineer and starts the cutting of the navigation with the Torridge river lock and basin.

Early September 1823

Liskeard & Looe Union Canal

He asked to prepare a report to support the planned Bill for the authorisation of the canal.

1824

English & Bristol Channels Ship Canal

He took part in a survey of the route, under the leadership of Thomas Telford, and signed the plans.

1824

Exeter Ship Canal

He recommended that the canal should be extended 2 miles down the estuary to Turf so that craft drawing up to 12 feet could enter the canal on all tides.

Autumn 1825

English & Bristol Channels Ship Canal

He surveyed a line for the Taunton branch of the canal.

1827

Stover Canal

He was asked how the approach to Newton could be improved and he proposed a mile long canal from a basin in the town centre, across the shallows, to a tide-lock at the entrance.

April 1828

Glamorganshire Canal

He reported to Lord Bute who had requested his advice on improving the port of Cardiff. Green thought that the entrace to the canal was too high up the River Taff so that vessels had difficulty in navigating the winding tidal channel. He proposed a ship canal to get vessels off of the tidal waters, this was to be authoised in the Bute Ship Canal Act of 1830.

1 May 1829

Grand Western Canal

He presented to the shareholders his idea for extending the canal to Taunton as a tub-boat canal with inclined planes. He was then asked to make a survey on the basis of the line set out in the 1796 Act.

March 1830

Grand Western Canal

He reported that the canal would cost £61,324 with seven lifts and one inclined plane.

1831

Chard Canal

He examined a proposal for the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal Company to build the main drain at Westmoor as part of their navigation and suggested it would be better for them to make a branch direct to Chard.

Mid 1831

Chard Canal

He carried out a survey and proposed a canal leaving the Bridgwater & Taunton at Creech St Michael with five pounds separated by inclined planes and lifts. The cost was estimated at £57,000 andthe completion time as five years.

1833

Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal

He recommended that the canal should be extended to Pembrey New Harbour, a new tramroad connection should br made and that the Gwendrath valley line should be extended for over 5 miles, with three inclined planes.

Late 1833

London & Birmingham Junction Canal project

He surveyed the line of the canal.

Mid 1834

Grand Western Canal

He reported that to prevent alterations of the levels of the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal affecting the working of the boat lifts (which depended on constant levels) locks would be needed at Lowdwells and Taunton.

June 1835

Grand Western Canal

The committee criticise him in their annual report because of problems with the boat lifts, saying he had "with too much confidence on theoretical principles, never subjected it to a full and fair trial". Five lifts were working on the open part of the canal to Wellington.

August 1835

Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal

The extension to the old main line that he proposed in 1833 was now complete.

27 January 1836

Grand Western Canal

He is replaced as engineer after problems with one of the lifts and a complete failure of the Wellisford inclined plane.

30 January 1836

Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal

He left his post of engineer having failed to complete the inclined planes for the estimated cost.

February 1836

Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal

He ceased being engineer for the Burry Port company after a failure of the walls caused the harbour to be closed.

Early April 1836

Stourbridge Extension Canal

The company decided he should make a survey of the line but he seems not to have done the survey.

1 July 1837

Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal

His Gwendraeth valley line had been built at a cost of £55,918. It incuded 3 inclined planes with 57, 56 and 84 feet rises plus two locks.

James (Birmingham) Green

Engineer and probably the father of the Westcountry engineer. Assistant to James (Woolaton) Green.

1776

Stourbridge Canal

Was appointed to assist Thomas Dadford junior as engineer.

1800

Dudley Canal Line No 1

Was working as engineer.

1800

Stourbridge Canal

Was appointed engineer.

James (Woolaton) Green

Engineer who worked for Lord Middleton at Woolaton. Assistant to James (Birmingham) Green.

June 1791

Nottingham Canal

Surveyed a line for the canal under William Jessop's supervision.

1792

Nottingham Canal

Was appointed engineer at 300 guineas a year under William Jessop.

1793

Grantham Canal

He was appointed engineer for the section of canal from the Trent to the Leicestershire border.

John Green

Engineer of Wroxham, Norfolk.

October 1777

River Bure

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.

Thomas Green

Engineer.

1804

Warwick & Birmingham Canal

He was appointed engineer when Thomas Sheasby left due to ill-health.

James, junior Griggs died December 1852

Engineer. Son of James, senior Griggs.

1844

River Lee

He assists Francis Giles with a survey of the river.

James, senior Griggs

Engineer. Father of James, junior Griggs.

April 1791

River Lee

He had previously been foreman but was now acting as surveyor due to John Glynn's illness.

September 1791

River Lee

He was formally appointed surveyor.

John Grundy 1719 - 1783

Born at Congerstone near Market Bosworth. Engineer who work on the River Witham and suveyed various navigations. Was assisted by Samuel Allam.

October 1756

Louth Navigation

He reported on his preliminary survey of the proposed navigation.

June 1759

River Blyth

He was asked to give a second opinion on Langley Edwards survey for the navigation but was too busy to take on the task immediately. He did however set out his terms for the work which proved too expensive for the commissioners to consider.

7 August 1760

Louth Navigation

Went though his proposal for a 9 lock, 11 mile, navigation with John Smeaton.

1761

River Witham Navigation

Together with Langley Edwards and John Smeaton he presented the results of their survey of the river between Lincoln and Boston.

6 December 1762

Louth Navigation

A petition was presented to parliament for a navigation based on his proposals and an Act was passed in March 1763.

1765

Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation

He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept.

18 December 1766

Driffield Navigation

His report proposes a 10 mile navigation, half river and half canal at an estimated cost of £7,000. This was the basis of the Act passed in the following year.

Early 1767

River Swale

He gave evidence on the Bill for the navigation estimating the cost as £19,844.

After 1769

Chesterfield Canal

He proposed a line from Chesterfield to the Trent that was over five miles shorter and £23,430 cheaper than the line that Brindley proposed but it did not include Worksop or Retford on the route.

12 June 1772

Market Weighton Canal

The commissioners decide not to employ Grundy as consultant as his terms were considered too expensive.

August 1772

Market Weighton Canal

A group of landowners ask him to check John Smith's plans and estimats or the canal and he writes a critical report. He proposes locks of around 8 foot fall, about half the fall of some of the locks Smith planned. He is soon afterwards taken on as Consultant Engineer in place of Smith.

John Gunnery died Late 1791

Engineer. Assistant to Josiah Clowes.

June 1790

Dudley Canal Line No 1

Appointed engineer under Josiah Clowes.

John Gwyn

Engineer.

November 1761

Calder and Hebble Navigation

He and Matthias Scott were appointed as surveyors.

November 1762

Calder and Hebble Navigation

He was assigned to collect tolls on for the newly opened part of the lower river.

January 1765

Calder and Hebble Navigation

He was dismissed when Brindley took over responsibility from Smeaton.

John Hadley

Engineer from West Bromwich and an expert on waterwheel driven pumps. Worked on the Aire & Calder Navigation.

1695

Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire

He surveyed the river and concluded it could be made navigable for less expence than expected.

1699

Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire

He was appointed engineer at £420 per year.

July 1699

River Ouse (Yorkshire)

He was engaged to survey the river and concluded a lock was needed ay Naburn.

Edward Hall

Engineer from the Dartford, Kent, area.

November 1835

Dartford & Crayford Navigation

He proposed a ship canal from the entrance to Dartford Creek to the town of Dartford. This was to take vessels of 300 - 400 tons.

Matthew Hall

Surveyor.

1793

Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation

He surveyed the route under John Rennie's direction.

Richard Hall

Surveyor.

1789

Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal

He made a survey and proposed a line for the canal from the Severn at The Haw above Gloucester through Tirley, Corse, Staunton, Redmarley d'Abitot, Dymock, Ashperton, Yarkshill, Lugwardine and Tupsley to Hereford.

1792

Bristol - Cirencester canal project

He and Robert Mylne surveyed a line for a canal from Bristol to join the Thames & Severn near Cirencester.

1792

Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal

He made a survey of a route for the proposed canal.

Sydney Hall born 1812

Engineer who was a pupil of George Edwards of Lowestoft then of William Cubitts. Was pupil of William Cubitt and was assisted by Issac Whitewood.

1834

Chard Canal

He was appointed engineer.

1842

Chard Canal

He was working on the Chard Common incline.

July 1842

Chard Canal

By this time he had left the company.

W T Hall

Engineer.

Mid 1828

Barnsley Canal

He became engineer following the death of Joseph Atkinson.

January 1830

Barnsley Canal

He completed the programme of bridge raising so that "Billy Boys" coasting vessels could use the canal.

July 1842

Barnsley Canal

As the company manager he reports the effects of the depressed state of trade in the country and on the competition from the railways.

1853

Barnsley Canal

As Company Engineer he was told to survey and estimate for a railway from the canal near Barugh locks to a proposed new colliery near Mapplewell, northeast of Barugh.

Richard Hamnett

Surveyor from Somerset.

1826

Glastonbury Canal

He suggested two routes for the canal one, along the River Brue, was rejected but the other, which incuded making existing drains navigable, was close to the route adopted by the promoters.

Charles Handley

Engineer. He was also one of the appointed valuers for the Warwick & Napton Canal and was described as a yeoman of Barford in Warwickshire.

Mid 1793

Warwick & Napton Canal

Surveyed a route for the canal.

August 1795

Warwick & Napton Canal

He suggested that if the canal's line was altered so that it joined the Oxford Canal at Napton instead of Braunston a saving of £50,000 would be made. This suggestion was adopted and he was given 300 guineas for the work he did in surveying the altered line.

Spring 1796

Warwick & Napton Canal

He was appointed engineer at 350 guineas a year including valuation fees, plus five free shares on the satisfactory completion of the work.

19 March 1800

Warwick & Napton Canal

The canal was completed, he was given his five free shares and was retained as engineer on £150 a year.

1802

River Nene

The commissioners called on his services to prove that there was a sufficient water supply to enable the Northampton Arm to be built to connect the river to the Grand Junction Canal.

1819

Warwick & Napton Canal

The company gave permission for him and John Tomes to make a private cut from the canal near Long Itchington.

Edward Hare

Engineer.

1801

River Welland

The Deeping Fen Act was passed based on two reports, one of which he prepared with George Maxwell.

John Harris

Engineer.

March 1773

St. Columb Canal

He gave evidence to a House of Lords committee during the passage of the Bill.

Jesse Hartley

Engineer. He was surveyer and engineer of Liverpool Docks.

1835

Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal

Was appointed engineer.

November 1835

Carlisle Canal

He produced plans for inner and outer docks at Port Carlisle.

June 1836

Carlisle Canal

He proposed to start work at Port Carlisle by enclosing the ground and building the outer dock with a single gate.

Samuel Hartley

Engineer. Was assistant to William Jessop.

1782

Calder and Hebble Navigation

Under Jessop's direction he starts work on replacing the single Brooksmouth lock and the two-rise Salterhebble locks with three new locks.

1793

Barnsley Canal

He was appointed engineer and had a long running dispute with the contractor John Pinkerton.

January 1805

Barnsley Canal

He was ordered to lay out the line for a 2.5 mile tramway to Silkstone but it was not to be built for several years due to lack of money.

1820

Barnsley Canal

Because of water shortages he is told to enlarge the pumping engine that lifts water from the Cold Hiendley reservoir.

February 1823

Barnsley Canal

He leaves his post of resident engineer.

Joseph Haslehurst

Engineer. A colliery engineer who worked at Chesterfield.

24 June 1824

Scarsdale & High Peak Canal project

He issued his prospectus for the 44 mile canal.

Richard Hassard

Engineer.

1875

Glamorganshire Canal

Did a survey for a new dock in Cardiff which would be connected to the Great Western Railway.

Sir John Hawkshaw

Engineer.

1865

River Weaver

He approves Edward Leader Williams' plans for river improvements.

1881

Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal

He reported on the canal's condition to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.

T & C Hawksley

Canal engineers Worked with James Abernethy.

22 August 1888

Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal

Commissioned to report, with James Abernethy, on the construction of a canal between the Trent and Sheffield.In October they recommended new larger locks on the existing waterway.

Hugh Henshall 1734 - 1816

Engineer and brother-in-law of James Brindley. Brother-in-law of James Brindley, surveyed a tramroad with Thomas Dadford junior and worked with William Hammond Bartholomew.

May 1765

River Weaver

He and Robert Pownall were asked to survey routes between Winsford and Lawton, near Kidsgrove, via either Middlewich or Nantwich.

Early 1766

Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

Did the survey for the Act with Samuel Simcock.

3 May 1766

Trent and Mersey Canal

Appointed Clerk of Works at £150 p.a. to included the cost of a clerk.

Autumn 1772

Chesterfield Canal

Was appointed to act as consultant following Brindley's death.

Autumn 1772

Trent and Mersey Canal

He suceeded to the post of engineer on Brindley's death.

May 1777

Trent and Mersey Canal

Completes the canal started by Brindley.

1787

Mersey & Irwell Navigation

With two other engineers he investigated the flooding and noted that the navigable depth at Hollins Ferry was 2 feet to 2 feet 9 inches, whereas it had been 1 foot 8 inches sixteen years previously.

October 1791

Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal

He reported on the survey he had done in preparation for a Bill and said that the canal could be supplied by floodwater reserviors and rivulet water without interfering with mills. He estimated a cost of £42,400 for an 11 mile canal with 16 locks.

September 1792

Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal

He re-surveyed the line of the canal and suggested that the draught of boats should be increased by a foot to 4 feet 6 inches.

1793

Grand Western Canal

He seems to have worked for William Jessop when he was advising on the line of the canal.

1793

Mersey & Irwell Navigation

He and Charles McNiven 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.

1794

Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal

He and Thomas Dadford junior surveyed the line for a tramroad from Llan-march Coal and Mine Works to the Clydach ironworks.

Previous PageNext Page

Jim Shead Waterways Photographer & Writer
Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.
Home Introduction Waterways List Waterways Map Links Books DVD
Articles Boats Photo Gallery Photo List Features Contact
Glossary A - D Glossary E - L Glossary  M - R Glossary  S - Z History Help