(JKOWTII OF MANCHESTER. 



403 



low scale, for lu' studied in all ways to economize the 

 Duke's means, that every available shilling might he 



expended oil the ] M'oseelit loll of the Works. 



Tlie inadequate diameter of his remuneration was 

 dm i hi less well enough known to Brindley himself, and 

 rendered liim very independent in his hearing towards 

 the Duke. 1 They had frequent differences as to the 



1 The Earl of Bridgewater, in his 

 singular publication, the ' Letter to 

 the Parisians,' above referred to, states 

 that " Brindley offered to stay en- 

 tirely with the I hike, and do business 

 lor no one else, if lie would give 

 him a guinea a week;" and this 

 statement is related by the late Karl 

 of Kllesmere in his 'Essays on His- 

 tory, Biography,' &c. But, on the 

 lace of it, the statement looks untrue; 

 and we have since found, from Brind- 

 lev's own note-hook, that, on the 25th 

 of May, 1762, he was receiving a 

 guinea a day from the Earl of "\Var- 

 rington for performing services lor 

 that nobleman ; nor is it at all likely 

 that lie would prefer the Duke's threc- 

 and-sixpence a day to the more ade- 

 quate rate of payment which he 

 was accustomed to charge and to re- 

 ceive from other employers. It is 

 quite true, however and the fact is 

 confirmed by Brindley 's own record 

 that he received no more than a guinea 

 a week whilst in the Duke's service; 

 which only affords an illustration of 

 the fact that eminent constructive 

 genius may be displayed and engineer- 

 ing greatness achieved in the absence 

 ol any adequate material reward. 

 We re i: ret to have to add that I 'rind- 



ley's widow (afterwards the wife of 

 Mr. Williamson, of Longport) in vain 

 petitioned the Ihike and his repre- 



sentatives, as well as the above Earl 

 of Bridgewater, for payment of a 

 balance said to have lx>en due to 

 Brindley lor services, at the time of the 

 engineer's death. In her letter to 

 Robert Bradshaw, M.I'., dated the 

 'Jnd May, 1803, Mrs. Williamson 

 says: "It will doubt h ss appear to 

 \ou extraordinary that, so very late 

 an application should now lie made 



.... but I must beg leave to state 

 that repeated applications were made 

 by rne (after Mr. Brindley's sudden 

 and unexpected death) to the late Mr. 

 Thomas Gilbert and also to his bro- 

 ther, but without any other ei:< < t 

 than that of constant promises to lay 

 the matter before His Grace ; and I 

 conceive it owing to this channel ol 

 application that no settling ever took 

 place. A letter was also written to 

 His Grace on this subject so late as 

 the year 1801, but no answer w r as re- 

 ceived. From the year 1765 to 

 1772, Mr. Brindley received no money 

 on account of his salary. At that 

 time he was frequently in veiy great 

 want, and made application to the 

 Duke, whose answer (to use the 

 Duke's expression) w y as, * 1 am much 

 more distressed for money than ycu ; 

 however, as soon as I can recover my- 

 self, your services shall not go unre- 

 warded.' In consequence of this, Mr. 

 Brindley was under the necessity of 

 borrowing several sums to make good 

 engagements he was then under to 

 various canal companies. In the year 

 1774, two years alter Mr. Briudley's 

 death, the late Mr. John Gilbert paid 

 my brother, Mr. Henshall, the trifling 

 sum of 100?. on account of Mr. Brind- 

 ley's time, which is all that has Urn 

 received. 1 beg leave to suggest how 

 small and inadequate* a return this is 

 for his services during a period of 

 seven years. Mr. M.'s travelling ex- 

 ] enses on His Grace's account during 

 that time were considerable, towards 

 which, when he had not sufficient 

 money to carry him the whole jour- 

 ney, he now and then received a small 

 sum. How far his plans and under- 

 takings have Urn beneficial to His 

 1 interest is well known." In 



