Sir Nigel Gresley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sir Nigel Gresley by Henry Pickering | |
| Born | 11 January 1726 |
| Died | 7 April 1787 |
| Burial place | Bath Abbey |
| Known for | Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal |
Sir Nigel Gresley, 6th Baronet (11 January 1726 – 7 April 1787) was an English land-owner, mine-owner, and canal builder. Born into the Gresley family of Staffordshire, he enrolled at an early age in the Royal Naval Academy. He served in the Royal Navy for eight years, attaining the rank of lieutenant, before his career was cut short due to rheumatic issues. In 1753 he inherited his brother's baronetcy, and became owner of estates at Drakelow and Knypersley. As part of these he owned several mines at Apedale, and in 1775 he obtained an Act of Parliament to build Sir Nigel Gresley's Canal, which was completed in the following year and held a monopoly over Newcastle-under-Lyme coal for forty-two years. He died at Bath, Somerset, in 1787.