Search England, Calder and Hebble Navigation Company

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• First name
• Last name
• Year
• Event year
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The original image will often include additional details that are not included on the transcript.

These records originate from The National Archives RAIL 815 (Calder and Hebble Navigation Company) series, and contain an array of records such as company minutes, letter books and accounts pertaining to the running of the Calder and Hebble Navigation Company.

The Calder and Hebble Navigation Company was established in 1758, with the primary aim of improving navigation on the River Calder between Wakefield and Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire. Rather than constructing a brand-new waterway, the company decided to improve the already existing river, with the navigation opening officially in 1770. It would become an important transport route during the Industrial Revolution, carrying coal, textiles, stone and other goods across West Yorkshire and beyond and the company was responsible for the maintenance of the waterway. Its staff included engineers, clerks, labourers, lock keepers and many others. The records in this collection paint a detailed picture of how the company operated, documenting everything from repairs, meetings, toll accounts and correspondence.

From the 1830s onwards in Britain, the rapid expansion of the railway saw the gradual decline in waterway traffic. Trains could carry goods faster, operate in more adverse weather conditions and reach destinations that canals simply could not. By the late 19th century, the railway became the dominant form of transport for both freight and passengers. Canals did not disappear, with many modernising and remaining in use and many are still in use today for leisure rather than industry.