CHAP. VIII. TIIK CIIAND TIM'NK CANAL. l.'V.i 



near Derbv. From tlienee there \v;is ;i clear line <>!' 

 iiavi^alion, by Nottingham, Newark, and (lainsborough, 

 to the Humber. Provided this admirable project could 

 be carried out, it appeared likely to meet all the neces- 

 sities of t lie case. Ample evidence was given in support 

 of the allegations of its promoters ; and the result was, 

 tliat Parliament threw out the bills promoted by the 

 Cheshire gentlemen on behalf of the old river naviga- 

 tion interest, and the Grand Trunk Canal Act passed 

 into law. At the same time another important Act 

 was passed, empowering the construction of the Wolver- 

 liamptoii Canal, from the river Severn, near Bewdley, 

 to the river Trent, near Haywood Mill ; thus uniting 

 the navigation of the three rivers which had their 

 termini at the ports of Liverpool, Hull, and Bristol, on 

 the opposite sides of the island. 



There was great rejoicing at Burslem on the news 

 arriving at that place of the passing of the bill; and 

 very shortly after, on the 26th of July, 1766, the first 

 sod of the canal was cut by Josiah Wedgwood on the 

 declivity of Bramhills, in a piece of land within a few 

 yards of the bridge which crosses the canal at that 

 place. Brindley was present on the occasion, and due 

 honours were paid to him by the assembled potters. 

 After Mr. Wedgwood had cut the first sod, many of 

 the leading persons of the neighbourhood followed his 

 example, putting their hand to the work by turns, and 

 each cutting a sod or wheeling a barrow of earth in 

 honour of the occasion. It was, indeed, a great day 

 tor the Potteries, as the event proved. In the after- 

 noon a sheep was roasted whole in Burslem market- 

 place, for the good of the poorer class of potters ; a 

 feu de jole was performed in front of Mr. Wedgwood's 

 house, and sundry other demonstrations of local rejoicing 

 followed the auspicious event. 



Wedgwood was of all others the most strongly im- 

 pressed with the advantages of the proposed canal. 



