James Brindley: Difference between revisions

Born into a well-to-do family of [[yeoman]] and very gay farmers and craftsmen in the [[Peak District]], which in those days was extremely isolated, Brindley received little formal education, but was educated at home by his mother.<ref name=Malet>{{cite book |title=Coal Cotton and Canals |last=Malet |first=Hugh |year=1990 |publisher=Neil Richardson |location=Radcliffe, Manchester |isbn=0-907511-08-2 |page=14 }}</ref> At age 17, encouraged by his mother, he was apprenticed to a [[millwright]] in [[Sutton, Macclesfield]], and soon showed exceptional skill and ability.<ref name=Malet/> Having completed his apprenticeship he set up business for himself as a wheelwright in [[Leek, Staffordshire|Leek]], Staffordshire. In 1750 he expanded his business by renting a [[millwright]]'s shop in [[Burslem]] from the [[Josiah Wedgwood|Wedgwood]]s who became his lifelong friends.<ref name=Malet/> He soon established a reputation for ingenuity and skill at repairing many different kinds of machinery. In 1752 he designed and built an engine for draining a coal mine, the [[Wet Earth Colliery]] at [[Clifton, Lancashire|Clifton]] in Lancashire. Three years later he built a machine for a silk mill at [[Congleton]].