HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 429 



uit fireman ; the person who immerses or dips it into the lead 

 fluid; the second, or glass fireman; the dresser, or sorter in the 

 warehouse ; the enameller, or painter ; the muffle, or enamel fire- 

 man. Several more are required to the completion of such pieces 

 of ware, but are in inferior capacities, such as turners of the wheel, 

 turners of the lathe, &c. c. 



We cannot better conclude our account of this important Manu- 

 facture than by giving a short biographical sketch of one, who, by 

 his genius and exertions, mainly contributed to the accomplish- 

 ment of that stupendous undertaking, The Grand Trunk, or Staf- 

 fordshire Canal, and with which, and the name of BRINDLEY, the 

 best interests of the Staffordshire Potteries must ever be associated. 

 Some account of this, and his other great works, is incorpo- 

 rated in the memoir of their immortal master. 



JAMES BRINDLEY, a person of extraordinary genius for mecha- 

 nical inventions, and distinguished by his skill in planning and con- 

 ducting inland navigation, was born at Tunsted, in the parish of 

 Wormhill, and county of Derby, in the year 1716. His parents 

 possessed a small freehold, the income of which his father dissi- 

 pated by field diversions, and by associating with persons above 

 his rank ; and thus the education of the son was wholly neglected. 

 Urged by the necessities of his family, he contributed to its sup- 

 port till he was nearly 17 years of age, by that kind of labour 

 which, in country places, is assigned to the poor ; but at this age 

 he bound himself apprentice to a millwright, whose name was Ben- 

 net, near Macclesfield, in Cheshire, and soon became expert in his 

 business, discovering, at the same time, a singular genius for the 

 extension and improvement of the mechanic arts in general. Ac- 

 cordingly, in the early period of his apprenticeship, he performed 

 several parts of the business without any instructions from his mas- 

 ter, and gave so much satisfaction to the millers who employed 

 him, that he was always consulted in preference to his master or 

 any other workman; and before the expiration of his servitude, 

 when Mr. Bennet, by his age and infirmities, became unable to 

 work, he carried on the business with reputation, and provided a 

 comfortable subsistence for the old man and his family. About 

 this time his master was employed in constructing an engine paper- 

 mill, the first of the kind that had been attempted in these parts ; 

 but as he was likely to fail in the execution of it, Mr. Brindley, 

 without communicating his design, set out on Saturday evening 

 jr the business of the day was finished, and hating inspected the 



