Search England, Ellesmere Canal Company
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Delve into this collection to discover more about the everyday running of the Ellesmere Canal Company and the people who contributed to its success during the late 18th and 19th century. Whether your ancestor was recorded among the committee minutes or you are interested in the general history of the company itself, this unique collection gives you a fascinating insight into the company that employed prominent engineers such as William Jessop and Thomas Telford.
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Each record includes a transcript and the option to view the original image. While details can vary for each record, you can expect to find a combination of the following facts:
- Name
- Year
- Event date
- Project title
- Record type
- Archive reference
Many of the images in this collection are company minutes, and therefore the original image often contains many further details that are not included on the transcript.
Discover more about these records
These records originate from The National Archives RAIL 827 (Ellesmere Canal Company) series, and contain an array of records such as shareholders records, company minutes and other miscellaneous records pertaining to the running of the Ellesmere Canal Company.
The Ellesmere Canal Company was the original company behind the ambitious 18th-century canal scheme that would aim to link the Mersey, the industrial areas of north-east Wales and the River Severn at Shrewsbury. The canal project was proposed in 1791 and in 1793, an Act of Parliament was obtained creating the Ellesmere Canal Company. The Ellesmere Yard was also established in 1806 to serve as the company’s official headquarters, offices and workshop. The yard still stands today as one of the very few remaining canal maintenance yards in the UK.
In 1813, the company would merge with the Chester Canal Company and by 1846, was amalgamated into the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company. Canal companies across the country would struggle to compete with the rapid expansion of the railways during the nineteenth century and decline in commercial traffic. Trains could carry goods faster, operate in more adverse weather conditions and reach destinations that canals simply could not. By the late 19th century, the railway became the dominant form of transport for both freight and passengers.
The canal has not vanished – surviving sections have been incorporated into modern canals, and the waterway is now primarily used as a leisure, navigation and supply network.
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