William Bennet (engineer)
Encyclopedia
William Bennet was an English
civil engineer
, noted for his work on canals. Nothing is known of his early life or family history, but details of his work from about 1790 until 1826 are documented. His major projects were for the Dorset and Somerset Canal
and the Somersetshire Coal Canal.
, as his first recorded projects concerned surveying of an extension to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal
from Bolton to join the Leeds Liverpool Canal, then being proposed, and surveying of the Bury and Sladen Canal, to create a link to the Rochdale Canal
. The surveys were completed in 1792, after which he surveyed a canal from Accrington to Bury, which although it obtained an Act of Parliament
in 1794 to authorise its construction, was never built. During this period he met Robert Whitworth, who employed him for a time, and was influential in his move to projects in the South West.
, and so did not complete the Dorset and Somerset plans until mid 1795. The committee rejected the final part of his route, which would have joined the Kennet and Avon Canal
at Dundas Aqueduct, but accepted a revised route to Widbrook on 13 August 1795.
Bennet estimated the cost at £146,008, and presented evidence on the engineering aspects of the project, which enabled the Committee to obtain an Act of Parliament in 1796. The scheme involved caisson locks, on which Robert Weldon held a patent, and although construction of the canal began in September 1796, Bennet deferred any work on the locks until the outcome of trials on the neighbouring Somersetshire Coal Canal were known. Since November 1795, Bennet had also been the engineer for that scheme.
It was estimated that the use of caisson locks could save the Somersetshire Canal Company around £10,000, but the trials were not successful. Bennet was consulted when the brickwork forming the lock walls started to bulge, but Benjamin Outram
was approached in February 1800, and he recommended replacing the locks with an inclined plane. Bennet assessed Outram's proposal, and three other proposals for balance locks, by James Fussell
, Norton and Whitmore. Although he wanted to proceed with a lock scheme, the decision to build an inclined plane was made in June 1800, but that was not a success. The Company obtained a new Act or Parliament in 1802 to authorise its replacement by a flight of conventional locks, but by 1806 it became evident that Bennet had underestimated the cost by a third, and he was dismissed.
On the Dorset and Somerset Canal, Bennet had to decide what to do when the lock trials showed the flaws in Weldon's caisson locks. He recommended locks based on a patent by James Fussell, and although the first trial was a success, the scheme ran out of money in 1802, and was never completed.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, noted for his work on canals. Nothing is known of his early life or family history, but details of his work from about 1790 until 1826 are documented. His major projects were for the Dorset and Somerset Canal
Dorset and Somerset Canal
The Dorset and Somerset Canal was a proposed canal in the south west of England. The main line was intended to link Poole, in Dorset with the Kennet and Avon Canal near Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. A branch was to go from the main line at Frome to the southern reaches of the Somerset coalfield at...
and the Somersetshire Coal Canal.
Early career
It is thought that Bennet originated in LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, as his first recorded projects concerned surveying of an extension to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal
Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal
The Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal is a disused canal in Greater Manchester, England, built to link Bolton and Bury with Manchester. The canal, when fully opened, was 15 miles 1 furlong long. It was accessed via a junction with the River Irwell in Salford...
from Bolton to join the Leeds Liverpool Canal, then being proposed, and surveying of the Bury and Sladen Canal, to create a link to the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
. The surveys were completed in 1792, after which he surveyed a canal from Accrington to Bury, which although it obtained 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...
in 1794 to authorise its construction, was never built. During this period he met Robert Whitworth, who employed him for a time, and was influential in his move to projects in the South West.
Major Projects
Whitworth had been approached by the Dorset and Somerset Canal Committee, with a view to him surveying that scheme, but felt that he was too busy with other work, and so recommended Bennet as a suitable alternative in 1793. Bennet was at the time busy with plans for the Ivelchester and Langport NavigationIvelchester and Langport Navigation
The Ivelchester and Langport Navigation was a scheme to make the River Ivel navigable from Langport to Ilchester, in Somerset, England...
, and so did not complete the Dorset and Somerset plans until mid 1795. The committee rejected the final part of his route, which would have joined the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
at Dundas Aqueduct, but accepted a revised route to Widbrook on 13 August 1795.
Bennet estimated the cost at £146,008, and presented evidence on the engineering aspects of the project, which enabled the Committee to obtain an Act of Parliament in 1796. The scheme involved caisson locks, on which Robert Weldon held a patent, and although construction of the canal began in September 1796, Bennet deferred any work on the locks until the outcome of trials on the neighbouring Somersetshire Coal Canal were known. Since November 1795, Bennet had also been the engineer for that scheme.
It was estimated that the use of caisson locks could save the Somersetshire Canal Company around £10,000, but the trials were not successful. Bennet was consulted when the brickwork forming the lock walls started to bulge, but Benjamin Outram
Benjamin Outram
Benjamin Outram was an English civil engineer, surveyor and industrialist. He was a pioneer in the building of canals and tramways.-Personal life:...
was approached in February 1800, and he recommended replacing the locks with an inclined plane. Bennet assessed Outram's proposal, and three other proposals for balance locks, by James Fussell
James Fussell
James Fussell was the name of several men from the same family who established a business grinding edge tools and forging iron plates at several sites on the Mells River and its tributaries around Mells, Somerset, England...
, Norton and Whitmore. Although he wanted to proceed with a lock scheme, the decision to build an inclined plane was made in June 1800, but that was not a success. The Company obtained a new Act or Parliament in 1802 to authorise its replacement by a flight of conventional locks, but by 1806 it became evident that Bennet had underestimated the cost by a third, and he was dismissed.
On the Dorset and Somerset Canal, Bennet had to decide what to do when the lock trials showed the flaws in Weldon's caisson locks. He recommended locks based on a patent by James Fussell, and although the first trial was a success, the scheme ran out of money in 1802, and was never completed.
Later life
Very little is known of his subsequent career. He was involved with an inclined plane from Bathampton Quarries to the Kennet and Avon Canal in 1808, and he worked with Robert Anstice advising on the River Axe drainage scheme, also in 1808. Between 1821 and 1825, he was resident in Eccles Green, Lancashire, and produced a report jointly with Thomas Tredgold in 1825, on using the route of the abortive Dorset and Somerset Canal for a railway.See also
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...
- Waterways in the United KingdomWaterways in the United KingdomWaterways in the United Kingdom is a link page for any waterway, river, canal, firth or estuary in the United Kingdom.-Related topics:*Waterway, water power, navigable, navigable aqueduct, navigable river, navigable waters, navigability, Waterway society, List of waterway societies in the United...
- List of civil engineers