STAMPLESS 1809 Letter--Wilmington DELAWARE to MARYLA (12/30/2010)...

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STAMPLESS 1809 Letter--Wilmington DELAWARE to MARYLAND!

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STAMPLESS 1809 Letter--Wilmington DELAWARE to MARYLAND!

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Sold Date: 12/30/2010
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Stamps

James Brindley -- EarlyAmerican Canal Builder

Nephew of Famous English Canal Engineer -- 1809 Autographed Letter to Son

He Shoots Sheep-Killing Dogs and Can't Wait to Go Fishing!

-- -- NO RESERVE -- --

James Brindley (1745-1820) was born in England , and his father Joseph was the brother of the celebrated English canal engineer, James Brindley (1716-1772) . After apparently apprenticing under his famous uncle -- known today in Great Britain as the " Father of English Canals " -- young James sailed to colonial America , settling in Wilmington, Delaware , where he would eventually build, advise or consult on the following canal projects: Maryland's Potomac Canal , Virginia's James River Project , Little Falls and Great Falls canals, Pennsylvania's Conewago, Tulpehocken (Swatara Route) , and Swatara canals, South Carolina's Santee Canal , and the Susquehanna Canal in Maryland and Pennsylvania. When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the services of a young and talented engineer would have been in great demand, as the fledgling nation looked for ways to improve trade and transportation routes, and canal builders were in short supply.

The Conewago Canal Company was formed by a number of prominent early Americans, such as Robert Morris and David Rittenhouse , and from 1793 to 1798, James Brindley worked as " Chief Engineer " on the Conewago Falls canal project. Conewago Falls is located in Pennsylvania, approximately 15 miles north of Middletown, Virginia.

James married Elizabeth Ogle in 1779, and they would have three children: Sarah , Susanna , and James Joseph . A fourth child -- Catherine -- was actually born to James Sr., apparently the result of an amorous liason prior to his wedding to Elizabeth.

Brindley knew and associated with future U.S. President George Washington (who worked as a surveyor and engineer), and Washington mentions Brindley by name in a letter. Washington wrote "... Mr. James Brindley , nephew of the celebrated person of the same name...possesses I presume, more practical knowledge of Cuts & Locks for the improvement of inland navigation, than any man amongst us..."

According to one account, Washington even spent the night in Brindley's mansion during the Revolutionary War . Historical records detail Brindley's sympathy with the colonists , and in 1778 he took the Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity , and eventually became a Second Lieutenant in Capt. John Garrett's Militia.

Brindley became a wealthy and prominent citizen of Delaware and was actively working right up until his death in 1820 at age 75. Although he never achieved the international celebrity of his more famous English uncle, his valuable contributions to early American transportation helped to build America and improve early American commerce in the first decades of its existence.

James Joseph Brindley (1783-1858) was one of three children born to American canal engineer James Brindley (1745-1820) and Elizabeth Ogle , the only son with daughters Sarah and Susannah . James Joseph married Hannah Baker and they would be the parents of daughters Elizabeth , Rebecca and Sallie , and Civil War hero, Richard Brindley.

James Joseph's father, James, was the nephew and student of the famous English canal builder of the same name : James Brindley (1716-1772) known as the " Father of the English Canal ." The Brindley family came to America in the mid-1700s and settled in Wilmington, Delaware . James had studied under his famous English uncle and during his lifetime would advise or consult on the following canal projects: Maryland's Potomac Canal , Virginia's James River Project , Little Falls and Great Falls canals, Pennsylvania's Conewago, Tulpehocken (Swatara Route) , and Swatara canals, South Carolina's Santee Canal , and the Susquehanna Canal in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

The Brindley family were affluent members of the Wilmington, Delaware community , friends with George Washington, Benjamin Latrobe, E. I. du Pont , and other historical Americ...