Brindley, James (1716-1772), a British engineer, built the first industrial canal in England. It was the 7-mile (11-kilometer) Bridgewater Canal for carrying coal from the Worsley coal mines to Manchester. This was the first of many important canals that played an essential part in the spread of the Industrial Revolution, a period of rapid industrialization that began in the 1700’s. Brindley built many other waterways, including the Trent and Mersey Canal and an extension of the Bridgewater Canal from Manchester to Runcorn. Brindley was born near Buxton, in Derbyshire, England. He died on Sept. 27, 1772.
