Sir Nigel Gresley, 6th Baronet (c. 1727 - 7 April 1787) was an English land-owner, mine-owner and the builder of Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal

Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal

Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal was a private canal between Apedale and Newcastle-under-Lyme both in Staffordshire, England. It was used to transport coal from Sir Nigel Gresley's mines. It opened in 1776 after being approved by Act of Parliament in 1775. The act placed controls on the price at which...

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Gresley was the son of Sir Thomas Gresley, 4th Baronet and his first wife Dorothy Bowyer, daughter of Sir William Bowyer, 4th Baronet. He succeeded his brother who died of smallpox

Smallpox

Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...

 without issue in 1753. As well as Drakelow in Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

, Gresley inherited from his mother's family Knypersley Hall

Knypersley Hall

Knypersley Hall is an 18th century Georgian style country mansion at Biddulph, Staffordshire which has been subdivded into residential apartments. It is a Grade II* listed building....

 at Biddulph

Biddulph

Biddulph is a town in Staffordshire, England, north of Stoke-on-Trent and south east of Congleton, Cheshire.-Origin of the name:Biddulph's name may come from Anglo-Saxon bī dylfe = "beside the pit or quarry"...

, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

. He became High Sheriff of Staffordshire

High Sheriff of Staffordshire

This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Staffordshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...

 in 1759.

Gresley owned coal mines at Apedale

Apedale

Apedale is a village in Staffordshire, England. The village is home to the Apedale Community Country Park. The park is unusual for the area as it was previously as an opencast mine....

 in Staffordshire. In 1773 an Act of Parliament

Act of Parliament

An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

 was passed allowing him to build a canal

Canal

Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

 from Apedale to Newcastle-under-Lyme

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...

. The canal opened in 1776 was called the Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal

Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal

Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal was a private canal between Apedale and Newcastle-under-Lyme both in Staffordshire, England. It was used to transport coal from Sir Nigel Gresley's mines. It opened in 1776 after being approved by Act of Parliament in 1775. The act placed controls on the price at which...

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Family

Gresley married in 1753 Elizabeth Wynn, daughter of the Rev. Wynn, of Cheshire and had a son, Nigel Bowyer Gresley, and six daughters. He was succeeded by his son. His daughter Anne married industrialist John Edensor Heathcote

John Edensor Heathcote

Sir John Edensor Heathcote, was a Stoke on Trent industrialist and owner of Longton Hall in Staffordshire which he rebuilt in 1778.He was born in Longton Hall, the son of Michael and Rachel Heathcote...

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Sources

• Debrett's Baronetage of England 7th Edition (1839) pp 34/5 (Google Books)