Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton was born on the 21st of May 1736 at a time when his family expected him to be merely another son. He was the youngest child of Scroop Egerton, who held the title of 1st Duke of Bridgewater. His early years were marked by poor health and what contemporaries described as unpromising intellectual capacity. The idea of cutting the legal entail on his estate was seriously entertained by his mother during this period. This would have allowed her to pass the title to someone else if Francis failed to develop properly.
The death of his elder brother in 1748 changed everything for the young boy. Francis succeeded to the dukedom at the age of twelve while still a child himself. He became the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater and the 6th Earl of Bridgewater simultaneously. This sudden elevation placed immense responsibility upon a teenager who had previously been considered sickly and intellectually limited. Despite these early doubts about his future, he began to exhibit business acumen after receiving some education.
James Brindley served as the celebrated engineer who constructed the canal connecting Worsley to Manchester. John Gilbert acted as the duke's agent throughout the entire building process. They worked together to create what is often cited as the first true modern canal in Britain. The project aimed to transport coal obtained from the duke's estates at Worsley in Lancashire. An aqueduct across the River Irwell stood as one of the engineering marvels of the time.
In 1762 parliamentary powers were granted to provide an improved waterway between Liverpool and Manchester. The execution faced formidable challenges including traversing Sale Moor Moss. John Gilbert and James Brindley overcame all obstacles despite the duke's dwindling financial resources during construction. Both canals were completed by the time Bridgewater was thirty-six years of age. The remainder of his life was spent extending them and improving his estates rather than starting new projects.
The duke accumulated great wealth through his canal and coal interests during the late eighteenth century. His annual income was said to have exceeded £80,000 at its peak. This figure represented a massive sum that made him the richest nobleman in England. The family owned other estates including Belton House and a small Sussex estate. They also held 6,000 acres at Ashridge which became a focal point for later development.
On leaving his Brackley and Worsley estates, the duke had an annual income in taxes and duties of £75,000. Estimates from 1997 placed this value at approximately £2,360,000 in modern currency terms. With the Bridgewater fortune exceeding £2,000,000 he set about rebuilding Ashridge. He began to pull the old buildings down but died before his plans could be completed. His heir inherited nothing but rubble from these ambitious reconstruction efforts.
The art collection was valued at £150,000 when acquired. Modern estimates place this figure at about £4.75 million today. Most of his purchases are still held by the Egerton family who inherited them after his death. The 1st Duke of Sutherland received the collection as heir following Francis's passing. This patronage represented a significant investment in Old Master paintings during his later years.
By his will the duke devised his canals and estates on trust under complex legal arrangements. His nephew the 2nd Marquess of Stafford became the first beneficiary after his death. Next came his son Lord Francis Leveson-Gower and his issue. An extraordinary use was made of the legal rule that property may be settled for the
duration of lives in being and twenty-one years after.
The legatees included a great number of persons connected with the duke plus all peers who had taken their seats in the House of Lords on or before his decease. The last of the peers died in 1857 but one commoner survived until the 19th of October 1883. The trust did not expire until the 19th of October 1903 when the whole property passed to Francis Egerton, 3rd Earl of Ellesmere. The canals were transferred to the Bridgewater Navigation Company in 1872 before being sold in 1887 to the Manchester Ship Canal Company.
A marble wall monument in Little Gaddesden Church is dedicated to his memory. On the nearby Ashridge Estate the Bridgewater Monument was erected in 1832. It stands 'in honour of Francis, Third duke of Bridgewater' as Father of Inland Navigation. The Bridgewater Canal in North West England still bears the Duke's name today.
In 1905 Francis
Egerton, 3rd Earl of Ellesmere erected a fountain in Worsley Green. This memorial appeared after a former factory built by the duke there was demolished. A new concert hall named after the duke opened in Manchester in 1996 though it sits next to the adjoining Rochdale Canal. Illustrations exist of an unrealised 1836 proposal by William Fairbairn to build a Bridgewater Crescent at the eastern end of Piccadilly in Manchester.
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Common questions
When was Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater born?
Francis Egerton was born on the 21st of May 1736. He was the youngest child of Scroop Egerton who held the title of 1st Duke of Bridgewater.
How did Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater become the duke?
The death of his elder brother in 1748 changed everything for the young boy. Francis succeeded to the dukedom at the age of twelve while still a child himself and became the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater simultaneously with the 6th Earl of Bridgewater.
Who built the canal connecting Worsley to Manchester for Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater?
James Brindley served as the celebrated engineer who constructed the canal connecting Worsley to Manchester. John Gilbert acted as the duke's agent throughout the entire building process to create what is often cited as the first true modern canal in Britain.
What was the annual income of Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater at its peak?
His annual income was said to have exceeded £80,000 at its peak. This figure represented a massive sum that made him the richest nobleman in England during the late eighteenth century.
When did the trust established by Francis Egerton 3rd Duke of Bridgewater expire?
The trust did not expire until the 19th of October 1903 when the whole property passed to Francis Egerton 3rd Earl of Ellesmere. The last of the peers died in 1857 but one commoner survived until the 19th of October 1883.