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Sir Edward Leader Williams (1828-1910). BritishEngineer and designer of the Manchester Ship Canal.
Edward Williams was born in Worcester in 1828, the son of a Worcester engineer also named Edward. After attending the Royal Grammar School Worcester he became an apprentice to his father. His brother Benjamin Williams Leader RA was the famous landscape artist. In 1856 he was chosen out of 110 applicants to be Chief engineer for the River Weaver. He began to specialise in canal construction and produced plans for enlarging the Weston Canal in 1865.
He joined the Bridgewater Navigation Company and worked on the Bridgewater Canal before being employed in 1882 to design a ship canal in Manchester.
Williams worked for Lord Egerton, the owner of the canal, and became chief designer and chief engineer.
When the canal opened in 1894 it was described as the greatest piece of engineering in the World. The canal was opened in 1894 by Queen Victoria and Edward was kinghted.
Amongst his other works include the Anderton boat lift in Cheshire.
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