Sir Richard Weston was an English canal builder and a responsible for improving agricultural practices. The construction of the Wey Navigation, one of the first man-made navigation's in Britain, was down to Sir Richard Weston. He also introduced new plants and systems of crop rotation, mainly from Belgium and other parts of Europe, which significantly improved crop yields.
Born the eldest son of Sir Richard Weston in 1591 and died in 1652
In 1613 he inherited the family estates at Sutton and Clandon and was knighted on 27th July in 1622 at Guildford.
In the early 1630s Sir Richard Weston embarked on the construction of the Way Navigation. Copying the system for canals and locks in The Netherlands. The River Wey runs from Godalming to the River Thames at Shepperton. The Wey Navigation itself runs between Shepperton and Guildford Town Centre.
Appointed as one of the Royal Commissioners to oversee the work in 1635. During the English Civil War (1642–1651), his property was sequestrated and he went into exile.
In 1644 he visited Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp and took the opportunity to study agricultural methods in use there. By 1649 he was back in England and instigated a bill in parliament to authorise the construction of the navigation which became an Act of Parliament in 1651. Weston immediately set to work on construction, although he died before the scheme reached completion.
Sir Richard Weston died aged 61 and was buried at Trinity Chapel Guildford. He married Grace Harper of Cheshunt, they had seven sons and two daughters.
In 1794, the Basingstoke Canal ran from Basingstoke to Weybridge where it joins the Wey Navigation. making great use of Sir Richard's legacy.
These engineers played a significant role in the development of the canal system in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Their innovations helped to transform transportation and infrastructure in the country.
