Waterways Engineers and Surveyors from Bevan, Benjamin, junior

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Benjamin, junior Bevan

Spring 1826	River Yare	Gave evidence in the inquiry into the Norwich & Lowestoft Navigation Company Bill for improvements to the river.
April 1826	Haddiscoe (or New) Cut - Norfolk & Suffolk Broads	Between 10 April and 1 May he, and five other leading civil engineers, gave evidence to parliament on the Bill to build the cut.
1827	River Nene	Appointed surveyor for the river, following the resignation of the former surveyor, Joseph Aris.
After 1827	River Nene	He had the 1818 order banning Grand Junction Canal boats from the river rescinded.
1840	River Nene	Represented the Nene Commissioners at a meeting to consider John Rennie's report on improvements to the lower river.

G P Bidder

July 1851	Monmouthshire Canal	Together with Robert Stephenson he reported the problems of working locomotives on tramroads with sharp curves.
1857	Trent and Mersey Canal	As engineer of the North Staffordshire Railway, who were then the owners of the canal, he considered the widening of the canal and running barges on fixed services.

John Blackwell

Early 1825	Kennet and Avon Canal	As the company engineer he was instructed to go into the North of England to see the operation of railways and locomotives and to report back to the committee.
10 September 1834	Kennet and Avon Canal	Was directed to visit every part of the navigation to identify cost savings and improvements to trade.

R Boddington

October 1845

Worcester and Birmingham Canal

Began a survey on behalf of the canal company of a railway route between Birmingham and Worcester.

Thomas Bolton

1793	Public Devonshire Canal Project	Appionted surveyor for the project and proposed a line which was approved by Robert Whitworth.
Early 1793	Bude Canal	Together with George Bentley he made a preliminary survey for a line from Bude Harbour to Hatherleigh.
Late 1793	Padstow - Lostwithiel Scheme	Together with George Bentley he made a survey for a line and suggested a short canal with improvements to the river navigations or a longer canal that was not dependent on river improvements.
1794	Tamar Manure Navigation	Together with George Bentley he proposed a level line from Moewellhamquay to Wrixhill, Dunterton, and to Launceston. These propsals were rejected and they came up with a different line.

W Bond

John Booth

Astley Bowdler

August 1810

Lydney Canal

He was dismissed from his post as clerk and engineer. He had originally been employed by the Severn & Wye company to build a tramroad but this idea was changed to a canal scheme.

John Box

Henry Bradford

1758	River Trent	Proposed to make the rivers Trent and Tame navigable to Tamworth.
1766	Coventry Canal	Surveyed a line for a canal from Coventry to Tamworth with a river extension from there to Fazeley.

Thomas Bradley

Engineer. There may have been two or three engineers of this name but at present they are all listed under this one entry.

2 October 1781	River Ancholme	Appointed engineer.
December 1792	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Appointed engineer at £105 a year.
1794	Calder and Hebble Navigation	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.
Late 1796	Rochdale Canal	Appointed resident engineer.
1816	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Went to the rivers Thames and Trent to assess their dredgers.
1819	Calder and Hebble Navigation	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	Calder and Hebble Navigation	He estimated that it would cost £34,533 to build the branch from Salterhebble to Halifax. The enabling Act was passed the following year.
26 October 1826	River Ancholme	John Rennie writes to the commissioners recommending an assistant for Bradley to improve financial control.
28 March 1828	Calder and Hebble Navigation	The opening of his completed Halifax Branch.
1832	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Now in poor health, the company appointed William Gravatt as engineer, nominally under his control.

William Brassey

James Brindley 1716 - 27 September 1772

Pioneer canal builder, begining with the Bridgewater Canal in 1759. Originally a millwright. Employer of Thomas Dadford senior, employed Samuel Simcock, checked work of Robert Pownall, employed Robert Whitworth, assisted by Thomas, Senior Morris and advised William Martin.

1758	Trent and Mersey Canal	At the request of Earl Gower, Lord Anson and Thomas Broade he surveyed the line of a canal from Wilden Ferry to Stoke-on-Trent.
1 July 1759	Bridgewater Canal	At this date he was part-time assistant engineer for the canal and had started a survey of the Worsley to Manchester section..
1760	Bridgewater Canal	As Engineer for the canal he gives evidence to parliament.
Before 1760	Fletcher's Canal	He devised a system for pumping water from the Wet Earth colliery using a water from the river Irwell to drive a wheel. The works included a half mile channel which forty years later were converted into the canal.
14 August 1760	River Don	Called into to advise the company on changes to the navigation and to estimate the costs of altering three fixed bridges to swing bridges.
1761	Bridgewater Canal	Surveys the line to the Mersey.
17 July 1761	Bridgewater Canal	His Barton Aqueduct over the Mersey & Irwell Navigation was opened.
September 1761	Bridgewater Canal	Conducted a survey for the extension of the canal from Longford Bridge to Hempstones, a little above Runcorn, including a branch to Stockport from Sale Moor. His work on this continued until January 1762.
1762	Chester Canal	Surveys canal line.
January 1762	Bridgewater Canal	He went to London to give evidence on the Bill to extend the canl to the Hempstones, near Runcorn.
11 March 1762	Bridgewater Canal	He told the Lords committee concerning the extension to the canal "The great use it will be in assuring a traffic to Liverpool and Manchester, and if it is carried into execution will reduce the price of the carriage of goods full one half".
1763	River Don	Was paid 5 guineas for helping William Martin to estimate the cost of a connection from below Thorne to the Trent.
1764	River Weaver	Checked Robert Pownall's plans to make Witton Brook navigable.
1765	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Became engineer in succession to Smeaton.
31 January 1765	Calder and Hebble Navigation	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.
Early March 1765	Trent and Mersey Canal	He meets with Josiah Wedgwood and they discusses a navigation to Stoke-on-Trent based on Brindley's 1758 plan.
December 1765	River Weaver	Said that a junction between the Bridgewater canal and the river was practicable.
1766	Huddersfield Broad Canal	Surveys line for canal.
Mid 1766	Rochdale Canal	He surveyed two routes for the canal and estimated the cost as £79,180 for a route similar to the one later built, and £102,625 for a route through Bury.
Mid 1766	Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal	Appointed Surveyor.
Mid 1766	Trent and Mersey Canal	Shareholder in the canal
May 1766	Trent and Mersey Canal	He has ten £200 shares in the new company.
3 May 1766	Trent and Mersey Canal	Appointed Surveyor-General at £200 p.a.
1767	Birmingham Canal Navigations	Surveyed the line of the canal.
1767	Coventry Canal	Surveyed the route for the canal.
1767	Droitwich Canal	Surveyed the route for the canal and is said to have produced alternative estimates for a barge and a narrow canal.
1767	Oxford Canal	Surveyed the route for the canal.
Spring 1767	Trent and Mersey Canal	In a letter of the 2nd March Josiah Wedgwood expresses concern that Brindley is endangering his life and health through over work. On the 2nd of April he says "Poor Mr Brindley was not well enough to attend the Committee".
4 June 1767	BCN Main Line	Following his survey he put forward two possible lines and recommended the route from New-Hall, over Birmingham Heath, through the Smethwick, Oldbury, Tipon Green and Bilston areas to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. The cost was estimated at £50,000.
December 1767	Stockton & Darlington Canal Project	Brindley was asked to do a survey and sent Robert Whitworth.
1768	English & Bristol Channels Ship Canal	He was asked by a group of Taunton men to survey a line for an inter-channel canal but the survey was done by his assistant, Robert Whitworth.
After January 1768	Coventry Canal	Appointed engineer and surveyor at £150 a year and undertook to give at least two months attendance in each whole year.
2 March 1768	BCN Main Line	Appointed engineer at £200 a year.
4 March 1768	Droitwich Canal	Appointed Inspector of Works.
Spring 1768	Forth & Clyde Canal	Surveyed a route proposing 4 feet deep canal with lock dues of 1.5 old pence a ton.
January 1769	Leeds and Liverpool Canal	He largely approved John Longbotham's plan for the canal.
May 1769	Oxford Canal	Subscribed for £3,000 worth of shares
14 June 1769	Leeds and Liverpool Canal	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 July 1769	BCN Main Line	The canal committee observed "That Mr Brindley has frequently passed by, and sometimes come into Town, without giving them an opportunity of meeting to confer with him upon the progress of this undertaking" and "expressing their dissatisfaction at not being able to see him at such times".
19 July 1769	Stockton & Darlington Canal Project	Having checked Robert Whitworth's survey a joint report is issued proposing a 26 mile 7 furlong canal for 25 ton narrowboats.
24 August 1769	Chesterfield Canal	Presented to a meeting at Worksop the plans and estimates resulting from his survey. The line was to run from Chesterfield, through a tunnel at Norwood, past Shireoaks, Worksop and East Retford to Stockwith on the Trent. The cost was estimated at £100,000.
September 1769	Coventry Canal	Dissmissed as engineer by the company.
11 December 1769	Leeds and Liverpool Canal	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.
1770	Salisbury & Southampton Canal	He was approached to survey the line for this canal but was too busy and offered anassistant.
Early 1770	London Canal Project	He was asked by the city of London to suggest how navigation of the lower Thames could be improved. In June he proposed a by-pass canal, for craft of 200 tons, from Monkey Island, below Maidenhead, to Isleworth. He estimated the cost at £47,885 including branches to the river at Windsor and Staines.
May 1770	Leeds and Liverpool Canal	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.
Early September 1770	Oxford Canal	He sent his resignation to the company following a minute that they issued saying "the Engineer Surveyor and Clerks of this Company do not associate or drink with any of the Inferior Officers or Workmen". The company appologised for any offence caused and the resignation blew over.
1771	Trent and Mersey Canal	Proposed a canal from Swarkestone to Chesterfield, which would have by-passed both the Trent and the Derwent. It was opposed on the grounds that river navigations were much cheaper.
Mid 1771	Chesterfield Canal	Engaged for superintending the Execution of the Works.
14 January 1771	BCN Main Line	Together with Samuel Simcock he denies that the canal was built with many windings to increase tolls. They said that the canal winding enabled it to serve more people.
November 1771	Lancaster Canal	He was approached to do the survey for the canal but it was carried out by Robert Whitworth.
1772	Caldon Branch - Trent and Mersey Canal	Survey the route for the canal, during which he caught a chill that led to his death.

W A Brooks

Nicholas Brown

Thomas Brown

November 1791	Ashton Canal	Probably prerared the plans and estimates for the canal.
1794	Peak Forest Canal	Appointed resident engineer under Benjamin Outram.
October 1804	Peak Forest Canal	The opening of Marple Locks, for which he was engineer. These were to replace the Marple tramroad.
1811	Peak Forest Canal	As part of the Wright & Brown partnership he leased limekilns from Samuel Oldknow and managed them until about 1860.

G B Bruce

1887

Tennant Canal

Co-wrote a report stating that except for a portion near the terminus the canal was obsolete.

Peter Bruff

1824	River Colne	Produced a plan for a ship canal to run parallel to the river from Hythe to Wivenhoe. He also proposed a 2.25 mile barge canal from Hythe to Lexden.
1853	Chard Canal	Appointed engineer.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel 9 April 1806 - 15 September 1859

1833	Fossdyke Canal	Surveyed the navigation and made a report.
Mid 1835	Glamorganshire Canal	Made a survey with a view to improvements of the sea lock and the Cardiff end of the canal.
After 1838	Kennet and Avon Canal	Suggests a junction between the Great Western Railway and canal at Reading.
1851	Tennant Canal	As the railway company engineer he was in favour of a canal and railway junction with the Vale of Neath Railway at Aberdulais.
November 1851	Aberdare Canal	Was ordered to provide transfer facilities at Aberdare to allow the transfer of coal and other materials between the railway and the canal tramroad.

Sir Marc Isambard Brunel 25 April 1769 - 12 December 1849

1825	Padstow - Lostwithiel Scheme	Examined a 13 mile Padstow to Fowey route for a ship canal, including a large tunnel near Lanhydrock. He estimated the cost at £450,000.
Late 1829	Oxford Canal (Northern Section)	Engaged to recommend action on widening and shortening the canal line. He presented his proposals and a bill for £512 19s 7d.

John Brunton

1832

Swansea Canal

Acted as engineer for the Brecon Forest Tramroad that was a feeder for the canal.

Robert Brunton

After 1832

Swansea Canal

Acted as engineer for the Brecon Forest Tramroad that was a feeder for the canal.

George W Buck

1819	Ellesmere Canal	Appointed engineer of the Eastern Branch.
1823	Ellesmere Canal	Carried out extensive repairs on the Vyrnwy Aqeduct that had every arch fractued due to it originally being constucted from sub-standard materials. It was strengthened using iron bands.
December 1832	Ellesmere Canal	Was appointed as clerk and engineer of the Western Branch of the canal with instructions to investigate the accounts. He previously worked on the Eastern Branch.
December 1833	Ellesmere Canal	He left the company to become an assitant to Robert Stephenson, having had an interest in railways from the early days of steam.

Henry Buck

Mid 1816	Sheffield Canal	Was appointed resident engineer.
Late 1819	Carlisle Canal	Was appointed resident engineer.
July 1820	Carlisle Canal	Resigned from his post of resident engineer.

Feb	APR	Jun
	27
2003	2004	2005

1779	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Appointed resident engineer following Robert Carr's depaarture.
Early 1792	Calder and Hebble Navigation	Left the company.

Mid 1793	Huddersfield Narrow Canal	Did the original survey for the line of the canal.
April 1794	Huddersfield Narrow Canal	Appointed surveyor and superintendent under Benjamin Outram.
Early 1799	Huddersfield Narrow Canal	With Standedge tunnel the only remaining major work to be completed, his job came to an end.
Summer 1810	Peak Forest Canal	By this time he had completed a survey for a link to the Cromford Canal.
1814	Huddersfield Narrow Canal	Appointed engineer.
1819	Huddersfield Narrow Canal	Left his post as engineer.

1810	English & Bristol Channels Ship Canal	Together with J Dean he surveyed the line of the canal under Rennie's direction.
1823	English & Bristol Channels Ship Canal	He and J Dean oppose a rival tub boat canal, proposed by James Green, as an alternative to Rennie's plans for a ship canal.