Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/111

 and it is entitled,  'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to make a navigable Cut or Canal from a certain place in the township of Salford, to or near Worsley Mill, and Middlewood, in the manor of Worsley, and to or near a place called Hollin Ferry, in the county palatine of Lancaster.'  In this act it is recited, that certain persons had obtained an act in the 10th George II. entitled,  'An Act for making navigable the River or Brook called Worsley Brook, from Worsley Mill, in the township of Worsley, in the county palatine of Lancaster, to the River Irwell, in the said county,'  but that they had hitherto neglected to carry any of the powers of this act into execution. This, then, was the first step taken towards making this very early and useful navigation; but the degree of supineness exhibited by the original undertakers, in having so long neglected the execution of a work which has been and is yet the source of immense wealth to its noble owner, is most strikingly contrasted by the enterprising spirit and astonishing perseverance of the Duke of Bridgewater, who, unassisted, except by the natural genius of Brindley, carried into execution a series of difficult and expensive works, which are, even at this time, unexampled.

The primary object of "The Father of British Inland Navigation," as the Duke of Bridgewater has been justly styled, was to open his valuable collieries at Worsley, and to supply the town of Manchester with coal, at a much cheaper rate than could be done by the imperfect navigation of the Mersey and Irwell. The works were commenced immediately on the royal assent being given to the act, under the powers of which, a considerable portion of that part of the canal, between Worsley Mill and Manchester, was executed; but the proposed line from Worsley to Hollin Ferry, on the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, was abandoned. In the year subsequent to the obtaining of the first act, the Duke again applied to parliament and obtained a second, entitled,  'An Act to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, to make a navigable Cut or Canal from or near Worsley Mill, over the River Irwell, to the town of Manchester, in the county palatine of Lancaster, and to or near Longford Bridge, in the township of Stretford, in the said county.' 

Under this act the whole of the canal from Worsley to