|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
3rd Duke of Bridgewater (The Canal Duke) 1736 - 1803 |
| Francis Egerton was born in
Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire on 21st May, 1736,
the youngest of the eight children of Scroop Egerton, the
1st duke. His father died when Francis was
only nine years of age, by which time he was second in
line to the dukedom, brought about by his brothers dying
of tuberculosis or other illnesses. His elder brother,
John, became the second duke in 1745, but he died in 1748,
so the dukedom came to Francis by default. At the age of
twelve he was one of the largest landowners in England at
that time. His childhood was far from happy, and he left home after going to Eton at the age of twelve. He sought help with his unhappiness from his cousin, Samuel Egerton, and his uncle, the Duke of Bedford. Samuel Egerton owned the estate at Tatton in Cheshire, so it is probable that Francis first became aware of Worsley during his stays with his cousin. In 1752 Francis embarked on the Grand Tour, a rite of passage for noblemen at that time; it was a journey that transformed him from a child into a young and ambitious man. On his return he became very interested in gambling and horse-racing, even riding his own horses at meetings. In 1758 he was due to be married to Elizabeth, the young widow of the Duke of Hamilton, and one of the Irish Gunning sisters whose beauty was legendary. However, the marriage did not take place because of a scandalous affair involving Maria, Elizabeth’s sister. When Francis asked Elizabeth to disavow Maria’s actions, she refused, so Francis terminated the engagement. It is not known what effect this sadness had on Francis, but he never married. Following this personal disappointment, Francis left London and concentrated instead on his estates. During his Grand tour he had visited the Canal du Midi in southern France, a visit that had a lasting impression on him. Therefore, with his determination to concentrate on his ducal responsibilities, he saw the opportunity to complete a scheme that was first proposed by his father Scroop in 1737, which was to make Worsley Brook navigable as far as the River Irwell. Francis was aware that such a canal scheme, which would enable coal to be transported between Worsley and Manchester, would mean prosperity for his estates in Lancashire and Cheshire. However, before such a scheme could be put into practice, there was one main problem that he had to overcome, that of finding a supply of water for the canal. This problem was solved by John Gilbert, the Duke’s agent. Gilbert’s plan was to drain the mines at a much lower level than was traditional; this overcame the problem of draining deep-mine workings, and provided a constant supply of water for the canal. More ingenious, though, was Gilbert’s plan to build a sough, a sort of channel, that would allow flat boats to pass down it, and carry coal into the canal. This idea overcame the need to raise coal out of the mine in buckets, a very laborious task. So, thanks to Gilbert’s brilliant plan, the Duke had his proposal approved by Parliament on 23rd March, 1759, when the first Bridgewater Canal Act was passed into law. The original plan was to run a canal between the Delph at Worsley and the River Irwell at Barton. Work had begun at Worsley before the act was passed, and before long the area was transformed with the building of works premises, and several cottages for the new employees who came to the area. |
