BRIDGEWATER, FRANCIS EGERTON, 3RD DUKE OF (1736-1803), the originator of British inland navigation, younger son of the first duke, was born on May 21, 1736. Scroop, first duke of Bridgewater (1681-1745), was the son of the third earl of Bridgewater, and was created a duke in 1720 ; he was the great-grandson of John Egerton, first earl of Bridgewater (d. 1649; cr. 1617) , whose name is associated with the production of Milton's Comas; and the latter was the son of Sir Thomas Egerton 0540-1617), Queen Elizabeth's lord keeper and James I.'s lord chancellor, who was created baron of Ellesmere in 1603, and in 1616 Viscount Brackley (q.v.).
Francis Egerton succeeded to the dukedom at the age of 12, on the death of his brother, the second duke. Shortly after attaining his majority he became engaged to the beautiful duchess of Hamil ton, but her refusal to give up the acquaintance of her sister, Lady Coventry, led to the breaking off of the match. Thereupon the duke broke up his London establishment, and retiring to his estate at Worsley, devoted himself to the making of canals. The navigable canal from Worsley to Manchester, which he projected for the transport of the coal obtained on his estates, was (with the exception of the Sankey canal) the first great undertaking of the kind executed in Great Britain in modern times. The con struction of this work, with its famous aqueduct across the Irwell, was carried out by James Brindley, the celebrated engineer. In 1762 he obtained parliamentary powers to provide an improved waterway between Liverpool and Manchester by means of a canal, which was completed in 1772. The difficulties were still more formidable than those of the Worsley canal, involving, as they did, the carrying of the canal over Sale Moor Moss.
He died unmarried on March 8, 1803, when the ducal title be came extinct, but the earldom of Bridgewater passed to a cousin, John William Egerton, who became seventh earl. By his will he devised his canals and estates on trust, under which his nephew, the marquess of Stafford (afterwards first duke of Sutherland), became the first beneficiary, and next his son, Francis Leveson Gower (afterwards first earl of Ellesmere) and his issue. The trust did not expire till Oct. 19, 1903, when the whole property passed under the undivided control of the earl of Ellesmere. The canals, however, had in 1872 been transferred to the Bridgewater Navigation Company by whom they were sold in 1887 to the Manchester Ship Canal Company.