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William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. | William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. | ||
Jessop was born in Devonport, Devon in 1745, the son of a shipwright known to leading civil engineer [[John Smeaton]] through his work on the [[Eddystone Lighthouse]]. | |||
When his father died, William Jessop was taken on as a pupil by [[John Smeaton]] (who also acted as Jessop’s guardian), working on various canal schemes in Yorkshire. | |||
After working for some years as Smeaton's assistant, Jessop increasingly began to work as an engineer in his own right. | |||
In 1790, he founded (with fellow engineer [[Benjamin Outram]]) the [[Butterley Co|Butterley Iron Works]] in Derbyshire to manufacture (amongst other things) cast-iron edge rails – a design Jessop had used successfully on a horse-drawn railway scheme for coal wagons in Loughborough, Leicestershire (1789). | |||
* His projects included: | * His projects included: | ||
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** Harbours at Shoreham-by-Sea and Littlehampton, West Sussex | ** Harbours at Shoreham-by-Sea and Littlehampton, West Sussex | ||
From 1784 to 1805 Jessop lived in Newark in Nottinghamshire, where he twice served as town mayor. | |||
William's son, [[Josias Jessop]] (d 1826) was also a noted canal engineer; he also is credited with surveying and building the [[Cromford and High Peak Railway]]. | |||
== See Also == | == See Also == | ||
Revision as of 16:33, 2 December 2010
William Jessop (23 January 1745 - 18 November 1814) was a noted English civil engineer, particularly famed for his work on canals, harbours and early railways in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Jessop was born in Devonport, Devon in 1745, the son of a shipwright known to leading civil engineer John Smeaton through his work on the Eddystone Lighthouse.
When his father died, William Jessop was taken on as a pupil by John Smeaton (who also acted as Jessop’s guardian), working on various canal schemes in Yorkshire.
After working for some years as Smeaton's assistant, Jessop increasingly began to work as an engineer in his own right.
In 1790, he founded (with fellow engineer Benjamin Outram) the Butterley Iron Works in Derbyshire to manufacture (amongst other things) cast-iron edge rails – a design Jessop had used successfully on a horse-drawn railway scheme for coal wagons in Loughborough, Leicestershire (1789).
- His projects included:
- Calder and Hebble Navigation (1758-70)
- Aire and Calder Navigation
- Ure and Ripon Canal (1767)
- Chester Canal (May 1778) as a contractor with James Pinkerton
- Barnsley Canal (1792-1802)
- Grand Canal of Ireland between the River Shannon and Dublin (1773-1805)
- Grand Junction Canal (1793-1805 - later part of the Grand Union Canal)
- Cromford Canal, Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire
- Nottingham Canal (1792-1796)
- River Trent Navigation
- Grantham Canal (1793-1797 - the first English canal entirely dependent on reservoirs for its water supply)
- oversight of the Ellesmere Canal – (1793-1805 - detailed design undertaken by Thomas Telford)
- the Rochdale Canal (1794-1798)
- West India Docks and Isle of Dogs canal, London (1800-1802; John Rennie was a consultant on the Docks project)
- the Surrey Iron Railway, linking Wandsworth and Croydon (1801-1802 – arguably the world's first public railway – albeit horse-drawn)
- The 'Floating Harbour' in Bristol (1804-1809)
- Kilmarnock and Troon Railway (1807-1812; the first railway in Scotland authorised by Act of Parliament)
- Harbours at Shoreham-by-Sea and Littlehampton, West Sussex
From 1784 to 1805 Jessop lived in Newark in Nottinghamshire, where he twice served as town mayor.
William's son, Josias Jessop (d 1826) was also a noted canal engineer; he also is credited with surveying and building the Cromford and High Peak Railway.