Top 5 Contractors

Based on the financial records provided in the ledgers, the top five construction contractors ranked by the total value of their documented accounts are as follows:

1. George Roe (£31,197) George Roe was by far the Canal company's most significant contractor, managing a vast contract of work that extended through the final years of construction.

  • Main Line: He was responsible for the massive final lots leading to Abingdon and the River Thames, involving the excavation of over 173,000 cubic yards of deep cutting.
  • Branches: He managed the primary excavation for both the Wantage and Longcot Branches.
  • Engineering Challenges: Roe was the only contractor recorded as using large quantities of gunpowder which were needed to cut through rock near Shrivenham.

2. William Large (£8,209) William Large was the Canal companies' essential specialist in heavy carpentry and vessel construction, often working in partnership with Joseph Camm.

  • Boat Building: He built dozens of vessels, including earth boats, coal boats, and the specialized "Committee’s Boat".
  • Lock and Bridge Work: Large was responsible for making and hanging the gates for 14 locks and constructing the timber frames for 33 swivel bridges.
  • Technical Support: He crafted the wooden centres used to support masonry arches during construction, including those for the Stanley Aqueduct.
3. Edwards and Camm (£7,259) This partnership managed extensive sections of the canal, particularly around Wootton Bassett and at Marston.
  • Massive Earthworks: They moved hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of earth, including a section of 44,955 cubic yards at Marston.
  • Embanking and Boating: A significant portion of their labour involved boating 28,423 cubic yards of earth to stabilize the Tockenham Valley.
  • Infrastructure: They also constructed the roads for numerous major bridges, including those at Marlborough Road Wootton Bassett and Trow Lane Lyneham.

4. Gregor McGregor (£6,499) McGregor was a primary earth-moving contractor focused on the Swindon and Stratton sections of the canal.

  • Deep and Common Cutting: In 1804, he completed three massive sections.
    • The first, from Hay Lane to Kingshill, involved 82,337 cubic yards of deep cutting and 28,011 cubic yards of common cutting.
    • The second section, between Kingshill and Swindon Wharf, contained 36,195 cubic yards of deep cutting and 16,509 cubic yards of common cutting
    • The third section, between Swindon Wharf to Marston summit lock, involving 66,018 cubic yards of excavation

5. McIlquham & Brown (£5,128) The partnership of McIlquham & Brown (principally managed by James McIlquham) was responsible for some of the most critical masonry on the line.

  • The Seven Locks: They were the primary builders of the famous seven locks near Bowds Farm in 1802, handling both the physical masonry and the cutting of the lock pits.
  • Regulating Infrastructure: They built the regulating lock at Semington and the associated arched bridge.
  • Material Production: James McIlquham also managed the Trow Lane brickyard, producing over 1.4 million bricks between 1800 and 1801.

Source: Canal Company Ledgers A & B, 1795-1810

Powered by Piwigo
©2024-2026 Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. All rights reserved. The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. 299595 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales no. 2267719.