James Brindley (1716–72) — His Simultaneous Commercial Development of Mills, Steam Power and Canals

In the middle of the eighteenth century James Brindley’s natural affinity to all things mechanical resulted in a successful business as a millwright and later national fame as a canal engineer, but he was also an early advocate of the potential benefits of steam power. Along with other pioneers in the field — with the exception of Watt — he did not bring a scientific approach to the subject of heat, instead he applied his own, possibly idiosyncratic, methodology to commissions awarded by local colliery owners in the midlands. In turn others, with commercial interests in deep mine pumping, came to inspect Brindley’s installations and garner ideas, although cognisant of the patent protecting what they saw. In a fiercely competitive age a great deal of effort was invested in discovering the advances of others. However, his careers in mills, steam, and canals were not mutually exclusive and he continued to have commercial interests in all three spheres.