1803.] Lhe Countefs of Ailefoury.—The Duke of Bridgwater. OTF 
mond. The Earl of Ailefbury died in Febru- 
ary 1747. In December 31747 fhe married 
the late General Conway, brother to the late 
Earl of Hertford, by whom fhe had one daugh- 
ter, married to the late honourable Mr. Da- 
mes, fon to the then Lord Milton, fince cre- 
ated Earl of Dorchefter. During her union 
with General (afterwards Marfhal) Conway, 
a man well known as a foidier and a ftatef- 
man, and for every endearing virtue in. pri- 
vate life, the enjoyed, from the time of their 
marriage until his death, a period of nearly 
fifty years, that perfe@t and uniform ftate of 
happinefs which fhe fo well merited as a wife, 
a mother, and a friend. 
complifiments were juftly celebrated by the 
laze lord Orford, in his poem, defcriptive of 
the Beauties of the Court of George the Se- 
cond ; but thofe admirable qualities were in 
her the leaft of her merits. Her good fenfe, 
her amiable temper, her benevolent mind, 
her affeGtionate and feeling heart, preferved 
to her the love and efteem of mankind, and 
the tender affetion of her family and friends, 
to the laf moment of a leng and well {pent 
life. 
In Cleveland-row, St. James’s, Francis 
Egerton, Duke of Bridgwater. He was born May 
21, 1736. He fucceeded his brother John, the 
late duke, in February 1748. Dying un- 
married, the title of duke becomes extin&, 
but the title of earl of Bridgwater, with the 
other minor titles, defcend to major-general 
John William Egerton, colonel of the rath 
‘regiment of dragoons, eldeft fon of Dr. Eger- 
ton late bifhop of Durham, who was grand- 
fon of John, the third Earl of Bridgwater. 
That time and fortune which too many others 
have devoted to-purpofes, if not injurious to 
fociety, at leaft ufelefs, his Grace fpent in 
purfuits that entitle him to be called the be- 
nefactor of his country. By his active fpirit 
and unfhaken perfeverance he amafled im- 
menfe wealth, But the public grew rich 
with him, and his labours were not more pro- 
fitable to himfelf than they were to. his 
country. He has left his eftate in Hertford- 
fhire, with his houfe, piétures, plate, &c. 
valued at 150,000l. to earl Gower, together 
with his canal property in Lancafhire, which 
brings in from 50,0001. to 80,000]. per’ an- 
num. All this property is entailed on earl 
Gower’s fecond fon ; his firft fon will inherit 
the marquis of Stafford’s eftates. To general 
Egerton, now. earl of Bridgwater, he has 
left his eftate at Afhridge, in Buckingham- 
fhire ; (where he was interred) alfo his 
eftates in Shropfhire and Yorkthire, worth 
upwards of 30,ocol. per annum. About 
600,000]. in the funds he has left chiefly to 
general Egerton, and partly to the countefs 
of Carlifley lady Anne Vernon, and lady 
Louifa Macdonald, the chief baron’s lady. 
But it may be neceflary here toenterinto an 
ampler detail of his Grace’s life and charac- 
ter. The late Duke rendered himfelf con- 
fpicuous by being the patron, and, it may be 
Her beauty and ac-. 
faid, the father of a moftimpertant public un- 
dertaking, which mutt in the end be attended 
with the greateft national benefit. He was. 
the firft man who countenanced the plan and 
fupported the expence of cutting a navigable 
canal in this kingdom. ‘Ths great project 
he had digefted in his mind before he was of 
age, and as foon as he came in poffeffion of 
his fortune, proceeded to put it in execution, 
Among other eftates, he had one at Wore 
fley in the county of Lancafler, rich in coal 
mines; but which, on account of the ex- 
pence of land-carriage, although the rich and 
flourifhing town of Manchefter was fo near, 
was of little value. Defirous of working 
thefe mines to advantage, he formed the plan 
of a navigable canal from his own eftate at 
Worfley to Manchefer. For thispurpofe he 
confulted the ingenious Mr. Brindley, whe 
had already given fome {pecimens of his wan- 
derful abilities, on the probability of execut- 
ing fuch a work. Tha: artift, having furvey- 
ed the ground, at once pronounced it to be 
practicable. Accordingly, in the feifien of | 
parliament 1758-9, the Duke applied for a 
bill to make a navigable canal from Salford, 
near Manchefter, to Worfley. His Grace met 
with great opposition in its paflage through 
the two houtes, and it would now appear in- 
conceivable that fuch ftrong prejudices fhould 
have been entertained againft a plan of public 
utility, fo apparently advantageous. ‘The 
duke, however, fucceeded, and immediately 
fet about his work, which appeared to pro- 
mife fo well, that the next year he applied 
for, and obtained another act to enable him 
to extend the line, and to pafs from Worfley 
over the river lrwell, near Barton-bridge, to 
the town of Manchefter. The Duke of Bridy- 
water had not only the merit of having 
{pirit to commence works of fuch immenfe 
magnitude, but alfo for having called into 
action the great abilities of the late Mr. James 
Brindley, who, with little aid from educa- 
tion, and lefs knowledge of the mathematics, 
planned and executed works which woald have 
done honour to the firft and beft of artifts. 
This canal begins on Worfley-mill, about fe- 
ven computed miles from Manchefter, where 
the Duke cuta bafon capable of holding all 
his boats, and a great body of water which 
ferves as a refervoir or head for his naviga- 
tion. ‘The canal enters a hill by a fubterra- 
neous pafiage big enough for the admiffion of 
flat-bottom bosts, which are towed aleng by 
hand-rails, near a mile under ground, to his 
coal-works; then the paflage divides into 
two, both of which may be continued at 
pleafure. Tis paflage is infome places cut 
through the folid rock, and in others is 
arched with brick. Aur-funnels are cut in 
feveral places to the top of the hill. The 
arch at the entrance is about fix feet wide, 
and widens in fome places for the boars te - 
pafs each other: the boats are loaded from 
waggons which rua on railed ways. Five or 
fix of thefe boats, which carry feventons.cach, 
aLe 
