James Barnes (ca. 1739 – 1819) was a canal and railway engineer in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and twice Mayor of

Banbury Banbury is an historic market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. The parish had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding ...

Career

In May 1786, Barnes was appointed Surveyor of the Works for the Oxford Canal Company at a salary of £50 per annum. His role was to engineer the completion of the Oxford Canal south from Banbury to Oxford which had been designed by Robert Whitworth. His contract was for completion of the canal by the start of 1791, but this was achieved one year early. By 1791 his salary had risen to £200 (). The success of the work with the Oxford Canal Company led an agreement with

George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham (17 June 1753 – 11 February 1813), known as George Grenville before 1779 and as The Earl Temple between 1779 and 1784, was a British statesman. Background and early life Grenville w ...

to survey a route from Braunston to London which resulted in the formation of the

Grand Junction Canal The Grand Junction Canal is a canal in England from Braunston in Northamptonshire to the River Thames at Brentford, with a number of branches. The mainline was built between 1793 and 1805, to improve the route from the English Midlands, Midlan ...

. The plan was approved in 1792. In 1799 he prepared plans for a route from the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal to Braunston, but this was not proceeded with. In 1802 a revised plan was prepared with a route to Norton Junction, and following review by

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotland, as well ...

this plan was approved and became the Grand Union Canal (old). He resigned from the Grand Junction Canal Company in 1805.

Works

1793 - 1805 *

Wendover Arm Canal The Wendover Arm Canal is part of the Grand Union Canal in England, and forms part of the Canals of the United Kingdom, British canal system. It is usually known as the Wendover Canal, but historically its builders referred to their branch canals ...

1794 *

Braunston Tunnel Braunston Tunnel is on the Grand Union Canal about east of Braunston, Northamptonshire, England top lock. It is in the northern outskirts of Daventry, about east of the village of Braunston. Braunston Tunnel is in length. Built by Jessop an ...

1794 – 1796 (with William Jessop) *

Paddington Arm The Paddington Canal or Paddington Arm (also known as Paddington Branch) of the Grand Union Canal is a canal from Bull's Bridge in Hayes, Hillingdon, Hayes, west London, to Paddington in central London, England. Little Venice, London, Little Ven ...

1801 * Buckingham branch canal 1801 *

Blisworth Tunnel Blisworth Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, England, between the villages of Stoke Bruerne at the southern end and Blisworth at the northern end. Measurements The northern end is about from the northern e ...

1802–1805 (with William Jessop) * Grand Union Canal (old) 1802 (plans) *

Carmarthenshire Railway The Carmarthenshire Railway or Tramroad was a horse-worked plateway built in South Wales in 1803. History The Carmarthenshire Railway or Tramroad was authorised under an act of Parliament, the (42 Geo. 3. c. lxxx), of 3 June 1802 – ...

1803 - 1805 *Aylesbury branch canal (opened 1814) *Northampton branch canal (opened 1815)

Life

In 1801 and again in 1809 he was Mayor of Banbury. His daughter Mary, married Richard Austin on 14 July 1803. Richard Austin acquired an interest in Dunnell Brewery, North Bar, Banbury, and James was also involved in this business. His wife Mary died on 7 January 1807 aged 54. He died on 18 January 1819 and was buried on 25 January in St John the Baptist's Church, Bodicote. A memorial was erected in the church where is he proudly described as the ‘Principal Engineer of the Grand Junction Canal’.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, James 1730s births 1819 deaths English canal engineers British railway civil engineers 18th-century English engineers 19th-century English engineers