x Roads and Canals through Staffordshire 103 



the outline of a jug (even a Bolingbroke) or the fine 

 turn of a teapot are synonymous with the creating of a 

 canal or the building of a city ? No, no ! my friend ; 

 let us speak softly, or rather be silent, on such 

 fribling performances. Your friend shall endeavour to 

 please the ladies for the good of his family and friends, 

 but he must not be vain of such trifles or mistake them 

 for great actions." 



The committee, at one of their first meetings of the 

 Canal Company, ordered that the works should at once 

 be proceeded with at both ends of the Harecastle Tunnel 

 and also at Wilden Ferry. But many years passed 

 before the Harecastle Tunnel was finished. Brindley 

 died at the age of fifty-six, and the works were con- 

 tinued and finished by his brother-in-law, Henshall. 

 Harecastle Tunnel was not opened until 1777 that is, 

 it had been no less than eleven years in construction. 



At the same time it must be said that the Grand 

 Trunk Canal was the most formidable undertaking that 

 had up to that time been constructed in England. Its 

 whole length, including the junctions with the Birming- 

 ham Canal and the Eiver Severn, was 139J miles. 

 Wedgwood stuck closely to the canal during its long 

 progress. None knew better than he the difficulties 

 occasioned to the commerce of Staffordshire by the 

 defective communications by road and canal to the ports 

 of Liverpool and Hull ; and none rejoiced more strongly 

 than he did on the final completion of the works. 



He had by this time bought and built Etruria, and 



