James Brindley

James Brindley
James Brindley with Barton Aqueduct in the background by Francis Parsons (1770)
Born	1716 Tunstead, England, Great Britain
Died	27 September 1772(1772-09-27) (aged 55–56) Stoke-on-Trent, England, Great Britain
Burial place	Newchapel, England, United Kingdom
Children	2 daughters

James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th Century.

Born into Peak District, which in those days was extremely isolated, Brindley received little formal education, but was educated at home by his mother.^[1] At age 17, encouraged by his mother, he was apprenticed to a millwright in exceptional skill and ability.^[1] Having completed his apprenticeship he set up business for himself as a wheelwright in Leek, Staffordshire. In 1750, he expanded his business by renting a millwright's shop in Burslem from the Wedgwoods who became his lifelong friends.^[1] He soon established a reputation for ingenuity and skill at repairing many different kinds of machinery. In 1752, he designed and built an engine for draining a coal mine, the Wet Earth Colliery at Clifton in Lancashire. Three years later he built a machine for a silk mill at Congleton.