the progressive silting of the shipping channels. When the Duke of Bridgewater died in 1803, he left his coal mining and canal businesses to be run by a Trust. In 1872, the navigation part of the trust was sold to the Bridgewater Navigation Company at a cost of £1,115,000. This consisted of the Bridgewater Canal and the Mersey and Irwell Navigations, together with their docks and warehouses. The company developed further improvements including a new dock, the Fenton Dock (named after the chairman of the company), which was completed in 1875 at a cost of £50,000. This was equipped with hydraulic cranes and served by high level tramways and railway sidings. Meanwhile, the Weaver Trustees were developing their trade, having built the Delamere Dock in 1870. The engineer for this dock was Edward Leader Williams who later became the engineer for the Manchester Ship Canal. There were no further large scale developments at the port until the Tollemache Dock was opened at Weston Point in 1885. Coming of the Manchester Ship Canal From about 1877, the silting of the channels started to improve and trade improved again. The improvement continued until 1889 when the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal caused problems. Trade declined again, and in 1894 the independent customs Port of Runcorn was abolished and incorporated into the Port of Manchester. Construction of the ship canal began in November 1877. On 3 August 1887, the Manchester Ship Canal Company purchased the Bridgewater Navigation Company for £1,710,000, thus acquiring the Bridgewater Canal and its docks and the Mersey and Irwell system. The ship canal allowed large ocean-going ships to access the Port of Runcorn. The canal was completed from Eastham to Weston Point by 1892, and in July of that year a temporary port called Saltport was established at the mouth of the River Weaver. By 1893, the ship canal was opened as far as the Old Quay Dock. In order to allow direct access to the Port of Runcorn and the Weaver Navigation, four locks were built. Weston Marsh lock at the mouth of the Weaver allowed access to the Weaver Navigation; Weston Mersey lock enabled entrance to the Weaver Docks; the Bridgewater docks were served by the Bridgewater lock; and the Old Quay dock by the Runcorn Old Quay lock. The ship canal was opened throughout its length in 1894. Saltport was bypassed and a few years