Charles Jones (engineer)

Despite Jones's extensive career working with prominent engineers (such as John Rennie, William Jessop and Josiah Clowes) on many waterways, he gained a reputation of unreliability and inability, and was dismissed from a number of projects.

Jones's engagement at Sapperton was ensured through recommendation by the canal's engineer, Josiah Clowes, who described him as "well qualified by experience to take the conduct and management [of the works]".

[4] Jones's budget allowed for him to use an early type of railway in the construction, although his financial management led him to fail to pay his workers and he spent various periods in debtors' prison at Bisley, Minchinhampton, and Gloucester.

One spell in jail almost caused Jones to break his contract, which stated that he was not to be absent from the tunnel works for more than 28 days at a time.

[6] In 1785, after a spell in gaol, Jones wrote to a Samuel Smith stating that of his own volition he would not set foot in the inns near the tunnel's ends at Hailey Wood or Sapperton.

[6] The same year, after Jones disappeared on a three-day drinking binge, the canal proprietors gave him a three-month ultimatum to finish the tunnel or resign.

This claim was refuted by the proprietors,[1] and in retaliation the company described him as "neither a skilfull Artist, Attentive to his Business or Honorable, but Vain, Shifty and Artfull in all his Dealings".

[2] Despite referring to himself as the "Architect of Grewell [sic]",[5] Jones's tunneling on the Basingstoke Canal was much like that on the Thames and Severn Canal—he failed to progress satisfactorily and the proprietors' visit to the works in August 1789 led to him being dismissed.

[2] In August 1791, Jones was engaged on the Rother Navigation near Midhurst;[8] it appears that a number of employees from the Basingstoke Canal—including Jessop and Pinkerton—were also involved in the project.