14 captures

16 Feb 2004 - 19 Mar 2007

Apr	JUN	Aug
	21
2003	2004	2005

success

fail

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TIMESTAMPS

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from Red Jacket Canal

Red Jacket Canal

Late 1817	William Kirkhouse	As engineer he started building the canal.
Autumn 1818	William Kirkhouse	He completed the canal.

Retyn and East Wheal Rose scheme

1821

John Edgcumbe

He surveyed the line and estimated the cost at £16,000.

Ripon Canal

After December 1766	John Smeaton	He surveyed the Ouse and Ure, using the earlier surveys of William Palmer and Richard Ellison, and proposed a lock at Linton and a canal from the Ure at Oxclose to Ripon.
1767	Promoted by Act.
1767	John, junior Smith	He was appointed resident engineer for the canal and Ure Navigation.
Early 1767	John Smeaton	He gave evidence to parliament for the Ure and Ripon Canal Act.
30 May 1767	William Jessop	The Act for the Ure and Ripon Canal was passed based on his survey.
1770	William Jessop, while working as assistant to John Smeaton, did a survey for the canal and the Ure navigation,
1770	William Jessop	did a survey for the canal and the Ure navigation while working for Smeaton.
1820	Promoted by Act.

Royal Military Canal

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

1804	George Jones	He is working on the canal.
October 1804	John Rennie	He is retained as consultant.
March 1805	John Rennie	He wrote 'In respect to the contractors, I am sorry to say they have greatly disappointed my expectations, founded upon the diligence and accuracy with which I have seen other great Works done by them'.
1806	Completed from Shorencliffe to Winchelsea as a line of defence.
Late 1806	Lt-Col Nicolay	Completed the canal construction.
1807	Promoted for navigation by an Act, but originally built as a defence against a Napoleonic Invasion.
1916	The Grand Military Canal. By P Bonthron. First published.
1972	The Royal Military Canal by P A L Vine, Published by David & Charles.

Romford Canal

28 September 1809	Ralph Walker	He signed a map entitled "Plan for Proposed Canal from Romford to the River Thames". This scheme was for a canal from Rainham Creek with an entrance lock and basin from the Thames connecting to the River Beam by a cutting. The route to Romford would then have followed the river valley.
September 1812	Ralph Walker	He produced a map showing a 4¾ mile canal with six locks rising 34 feet in total from Rainham Creek to Romford.
1818	A & C Driver	They were asked to comment on the scheme and replied that they were "very doubtful whether the projectors will be able to accomplish their object".
23 September 1818	Robert Vazie	At a meeting the proposals he developed with the promoter E Y Hancock were presented.
1824	Robert Vazie	He announced a new plan for the canal with an estimated cost of under £60,000 with locks to admit the largest lighters navigating the Thames, Lee and Regent's Canal.
1875	Authorised by an Act, work started on a lock and a tunnel under the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway line.
1877	Work stopped.

Reading - Monkey Island Canal project

1771	Robert Whitworth	He had done the survey for the canal and now supported the Bill before parliament. He thought a 120-ton barge would take 6 hours to travel the canal from Reading to Monkey Island for a toll of ½d per mile.He said it sometimes took 3 hours to pass one flash lock on the Thames.
1771	Joseph Nickalls	Successfully opposed the canal BIll on behalf of the Thames Commissioners. He said that there would be an increased danger of flooding at Bray and that miller's income would fall to a point where they could not maintain flash locks. He also put forward the Commissioner's own plans for improvements.

River Roding

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

1737	Promoted by an Act.
1764	Opened.

River Rother (Eastern)

October 1804	John Rennie	He described the Scots Float sluice, used for access between the river and the Royal Millitary Canal, as being 'very inconvenient and illadapted to the present vessels which navigate the Rother'.
1813	John Rennie	He supervised a survey, carried out by Netlam Giles, for the canalisation of the river from Newenden bridge through Robertsbridge to near Mayfield.
1813	Netlam Giles	He did a survey on behalf of John Rennie for the canalisation of the river from Newenden bridge through Robertsbridge to near Mayfield.
1826	Promoted by Act.
1830	Promoted by Act.
1830	Sir John Rennie	Jointly reporting with his brother he blamed the shoals in the river on the admission of tidal water through Scots Float sluice into the upper Rother.
1830	George Rennie	Jointly reporting with his brother he blamed the shoals in the river on the admission of tidal water through Scots Float sluice into the upper Rother.
1844	William Cubitt	Together with James Elliot he rebuilt Scots Float Sluice.
1844	James Elliott	Was appointed Expenditor of the Rother Levels and together with William Cubitt he rebuilt Scots Float Sluice.
1916	The Rivers Rother & Arun. By P Bonthron. First published.

River Rother (Western)

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

1783	William Jessop	He reported on the lower river to Petworth Mills.
1790	William Jessop	He reported on the lower river to Midhurst.

Stockton & Darlington Canal Project

December 1767	James Brindley	Brindley was asked to do a survey and sent Robert Whitworth.
19 July 1769	James Brindley	Having checked Robert Whitworth's survey a joint report is issued proposing a 26 mile 7 furlong canal for 25 ton narrowboats.
19 July 1769	Robert Whitworth	Brindley having checked his survey, a joint report is issued proposing a 26 mile 7 furlong canal for 25 ton narrowboats.

Stainforth & Keadby Canal

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

17 October 1792	John Thompson	He was appointed engineer and later appeared before the parliamentary committee in the passage of the Bill..
November 1792	Robert Mylne	He and John Thompson were asked to survey the line for the canal.
November 1792	John Thompson	He and Robert Mylne were asked to survey the line for the canal.
1793	William II Fairbank	Appeared before the parliamentary committee as surveyor.
1795	Robert Whitworth	He surveyed the unfinished canal.
1795	Daniel Servant	He became engineer for the canal.

Salisbury & Southampton Canal

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

1770	James Brindley	He was approached to survey the line for this canal but was too busy and offered anassistant.
Late 1793	Joseph Hill	He surveyed the route and estimated the cost as £47,209.
1795	Authorised by an Act.
1795	Joseph Hill	An Act enabling the navigation was passed based on his revised estimate of £48,930 for building the canal. He is appointed resident engineer.
January 1798	John Rennie	He was called in to inspect the Southampton tunnel which had 200 yards cut. He wrote that 'those parts that are likely to stand are ill formed and seem to have been done with little care or Judgement'.
June 1798	John Rennie	He inspected the whole line and reported that the works 'are generally proceeding in a workmanlike manner'.
1799	Thomas Dadford junior	Took part in arbitration on behalf of the contractors in a dispute with the canal company.
Spring 1799	James Hollinsworth	He measured the work actually done on the canal and compared it to money paid out. This was done on behalf John Rennie who reported to the company in May.
May 1799	John Rennie	Having employed James Hollingsworth to measure the work actually done in comparison to the charges made he reported to the company criticising both their engineer Joseph Hill and the contractors.
May 1799	Joseph Hill	He was severely criticised by John Rennie in his report on the canal works.
Summer 1799	William Jessop	He and John Rennine arbitrated on behalf of the company in a dispute with the contractors.
Summer 1799	John Rennie	He and William Jessop arbitrated on behalf of the company in a dispute with the contractors.
1800	Joseph Hill	He left the company in dispute and unpaid.
September 1800	George Jones	He restarted work on the canal, having been made engineer on John Rennie's recomendation.
3 February 1801	John Rennie	He wrote to the company 'When is Mr Jessop and myself to look for payment of our Bill for the arbitration business of the Salisbury and Southampton Canal - besides the Arbitration there is a considerable sum due to me for the former Surveys and Reports.
1802	Opened this year or 1803.
July 1803	John Rennie	He estimated that £9,950 was needed to complete the canal and £2,000 to repair deterioration.
June 1804	George Jones	He issues a writ for the payment of his salary. No payment was made and sheriffs seived portions of the canal.
1808	Company defunct by 1808.
1809	John Rennie	He wrote to the company clerk asking for his bill to be paid and was told that there were two plans for the future of the canal but it was difficult to get creditors together.The clerk ends the reply 'It is now running to ruin very fast'.

Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation

1793	Stainforth & Keaby Canal promoted by an Act.
1798	Promoted by an Act.
1802	Stainforth & Keaby Canal opened.
1809	Promoted by an Act.
1815	Promoted by an Act.
3 January 1895	William Hammond Bartholomew	Advised the Aire & Calder board not to buy shares in the company due to role of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway in the company.
1983	Modenisation of the waterway below Rotherham was completed.
1995	The Complete Guide to the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation by Christine Richardson & John Lower, Published by Hallamshire Press - guide with maps and colour photographs.

Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal

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

1766	Promoted by an Act.
1766	Thomas Dadford senior	He and Samuel Simcock were the engineers bulding the canal under James Brindley's direction.
1766	John Baker	Clerk of Works assisting Thomas Dadford senior on the construction of the canal.
Early 1766	Hugh Henshall	Did the survey for the Act with Samuel Simcock.
Early 1766	Samuel Simcock	Did the survey for the Act with Hugh Henshall
Mid 1766	James Brindley	Appointed Surveyor.
Mid 1766	Samuel Simcock	He and Thomas Dadford senior worked as James Brindley's assistants on the canal.
Mid 1766	James Perry	Appointed Treasurer.
19 March 1766	James Perry	With a group of supporters decides to promote a Bill for the canal.
1772	Fully opened.
1781	Stourport Narrow Locks between the river and the canal basins built as staircase locks.
1790	Promoted by an Act.
4 April 1839	Robert Frost	His plan for the Hatherton Branch was accepted with his estimated cost of £12,345.
1860	Edward Leader senior Williams	The company bought two steam coasters for use on the Severn which he had designed, the Ironside and the Cuurassier. These wer 94 feet long with a 19 feet 6 inches beam built on a wooden frame with an iron plate skin.
1897	H J Marten	He was asked by the Brisol and Wolverhampton Chambers of Commerce to report on the possibility of enlarging the upper Severn locks and the canal as for as Aldersley to take 170-ton to 200-ton barges. He said it could be done at moderate cost.
1975	Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal by J Ian Langford, Published by Goose & Son.

Stourbridge Extension Canal

Early 1820	Samuel Hodgkinson	He made a survey for an extension of the Stourbridge Canal to Shut End either by canal or railway.
1829	William Alexander Provis	Around this time he was asked, together with William Fowler and J U Rastrick, to put forward proposals for a canal extension towards Shut End.
1829	John Urpeth Rastrick	Around this time he was asked, together with W A Provis and William Fowler, to put forward proposals for a canal extension towards Shut End. The company preferred his line.
1829	William Fowler	Around this time he was asked, together with W A Provis and J U Rastrick, to put forward proposals for a canal extension towards Shut End.
Early April 1836	James Green	The company decided he should make a survey of the line but he seems not to have done the survey.
1837	Authorised by an Act of June 1837.
June 1837	John Urpeth Rastrick	He was asked to be engineer but he did not take up the post.
June 1837	William Fowler	He was appointed engineer.
Late 1838	William Richardson	About this time he was appointed engineer.
September 1838	William Fowler	He left his post as engineer.
September 1838	Benjamin Townshend	He was appointed engineer.
1840	Opened on 27 June 1840.

Stort - Cam Canal projects

6 December 1780	Robert Whitworth	On the 16 Novenber 1779 he was asked prepare a plan for a navigation from Bishop Stortford to Cambridge and reported a route along the Stort valley to near Elsenham then across the watershed into the Granta (Cam) valley to Cambridge.
1789	John Rennie	It was decided to apply for an enabling Act based on his proposals for a canal from Bishop's Stortford, through Saffron Waldon to Brandon Creek, with branches to Cambridge and Burwell Lode. He estimated the cost as £168,257.
1811	John Rennie	He supervised a new survey for the canal carried out by Netlam and Francis Giles.
1811	Francis Giles	He re-surveyed the route with Netlam Giles under the direction of John Rennie.
1811	Netlam Giles	He re-surveyed the route with Francis Giles under the direction of John Rennie.

River Severn

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

1503	Promoted by Act.
1531	Promoted by Act.
1532	Promoted by Act.
1772	Promoted by Act.
1784	William Jessop	He was commissioned by the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Company to estimate the cost of removing shallows in the river, making a horse towing path and other navigation improvements.
August 1784	William Jessop	He recommended that the river be made navigable from from Meadow Wharf at Colnbrookdale to Diglis below Worcester. By building 13 or 14 locks and weirs and other works it would be possible for craft drawing up to 4 feet to navigate in all seasons.
1785	George Young	About this time he re-surveyed the river from Coalbrooke to Diglis, below Worcester, that William Jessop had surveyed. He proposed 15 locks instead of Jessop's 13 or 14.
1786	Robert Mylne	He gave evidence on a Bill for making the river navigable from Diglis at Worcester to Meadow Warf at Coalbrookdale.
Early 1790	Robert Mylne	He resurveyed the river for a new Bill to improve navigation between Diglis and Stourport.
May 1791	Robert Mylne	He was directing the improvement works on the river.
June 1791	Robert Mylne	He resigned.
1799	Promoted by Act.
1803	Promoted by Act.
1809	Promoted by Act.
1814	Promoted by Act.
1831	Thomas Rhodes	As engineer of the proposed Severn Navigation Company he proposes weirs across the two branches of the river at Gloucester with a lock in the east channel, a second lock near Upton and three more between Worcester and Stourport. He estimated the cost as £200,000 for a 12 foot depth up to Worcester and 6 foot to Stourport, £168,248 for a 10 foot depth to Worcester or £111,544 for a sufficient depth to take existing craft efficiently.
Autumn 1838	Edward Leader senior Williams	As engineer responsible for river improvements between Stourport and Gloucester he presented a revised plan to the Commission.
1840	William Cubitt	Appointed engineer to the Severn Improvement Association with E Leader Williams as sub-engineer.
1840	James Walker	He said that in this year there was traffic above Gloucester of 3,328 laden canal boats and 84 empties, 405 partly-laden barges, 296 laden trows and 253 partly-laden craft. Craft from Shorpshire remained aground at Ironbridge during droughts; when the river rose they came down to Gloucester in fleets of 20 or 30, taking 11 to 16 hours on the journey and unloading as quickly as possible so they could return before the water level fell.
Autumn 1840	Edward Leader senior Williams	He was appointed sub-engineer to the newly formed Severn Improvement Association.
December 1840	William Cubitt	Reported the the actual river traffic as 380,000 tons.
1843	William Cubitt	Appointed chief engineer and carried out £139,850 of improvements under the direction of Grissell & Peto contractors of Lambeth.
17 December 1846	William Cubitt	He certified that the river had a minimun depth of 6 foot at all seasons. This allowed tolls to be charged from the start of 1847.
August 1847	William Cubitt	He recommends a new lock at Tewkesbury to improve the depths on the river.
August 1847	Edward Leader senior Williams	As engineer for the Commisssion he admitted that the depth of the river was only 4 feet in some parts, blaming the deletion of his proposed lock at Upton from the 1842 Act.
1849	Edward Leader senior Williams	He told an enquiry that it was impossible to maintain channel depths by dredging as this made the channels "so many mill-races, down which it was difficult to navigate the vessels" leading to frequent accidents.
1852	James Walker	Reported on behalf og the Admiralty. with Captain Beechey, recommending a lock at Lower Parting at Gloucester but not at Tewkesbury.
1852	Captain Beechey	Reported on behalf og the Admiralty. with James Walker, recommending a lock at Lower Parting at Gloucester but not at Tewkesbury.
1869	W B Clegram	An Act was passed, based on proposals he made together with Leader Williams, to build a weir in the western channel to divert more water to the eastern or Glocester channel of the river..
1869	Edward Leader senior Williams	An Act was passed based on his and W B Clegram's proposals for a weir in the western channel to improve flows in the eastern channel to Gloucester and for a lock at Llanthony.
1872	W B Clegram	He joined the Board of the Severn Bridge Company that was to build a railway bridge across the river above Sharpness.
1897	H J Marten	He was asked by the Brisol and Wolverhampton Chambers of Commerce to report on the possibility of enlarging the upper river locks and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal as for as Aldersley to take 170-ton to 200-ton barges. He said it could be done at moderate cost.
1916	The Upper Severn. By P Bonthron. First published.
1970	The Severn and its Bore by F R Rowbotham, Published by David & Charles.
1985	The Severn by Wilson Stephenson, Published by Frederick Muller - Part of the Rivers of Britain series.
1998	The River Severn - A Pictorial History by Josephine Jeremiah, Published by Phillimore & Co. - Early prints and sketches, plus photographs from the last hundred years, illustrate this brief history.
1999	IWA National Festival at Worcester.
1999	Severn Traders by Colin Green, Published by Black Dwarf - Illustrated history of the trows, barges and other trading craft of the River Severn.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.