Another monumental tribute to Brindley's ability and character can be illustrated by his response to a disastrous undertaking by Abraham Bennett:       Bennett was employed upon the creation of machinery for a new paper-mill, to be built by the River Dane at Wildboarclough, Cheshire. He inspected the machinery in two other mills, to use as his model for for Wildboarclough, but his apparent insobriety in the taverns of Manchester led to him returning with insufficient practical information to enable the proper execution of the project. However, Bennett set his men to work upon the proposed machinery, not being willing to forego the financial rewards of such a job. The assembled machinery would neither fit nor work and it was clear that Bennett was not fit for demands of the project. Even so, Bennett and his men persevered with the task, but made no satisfactory progress. Bennett was unwilling to admit to his own incompetence as a mechanic and feared for his reputation and thereby his future employment prospects.       As the incompetent work proceeded it was witnessed by an 'old hand', whose disdain for the work soon became known publicly as he spoke freely in the local tavern. The work was described as a farce and that Abraham Bennett was wasting his employer's money.       Brindley got to hear what was being said and became concerned for both the honour of the workshop and the reputation of his master. At the end of the week's work he left the mill without speaking of his intention to anyone. Instead of returning to his lodgings in his master's house he went to Manchester. When Bennett discovered that Brindley was not at home he became alarmed, thinking that he had abandoned his apprenticeship. Brindley would have been entitled to do this owing to his being twenty-one, and 'of the age of legal majority'. Bennett sent a messenger to Brindley's mother's house but he was not there. Sunday brought no word of the whereabouts of young Brindley and Bennett concluded that he had indeed absconded.       On the following Monday Bennett went to continue the work at the mill, whereupon the first person he saw was the young James Brindley, working upon rectifications to what had been done so far. Brindley had been to Smedley Mill, one of the models for the Wildboarclough mill, to inspect the machinery in order to solve his master's problems with its application on the current project. He had walked the twenty-five miles there on the Saturday evening and on the Sunday morning had approached Mr Appleton, the owner of the mill, and gained his permission to inspect the machinery. Brindley spent the whole of the Sunday making careful observations and pondering the solution to the difficulty. Confident of his own mastery over the problem he walked the twenty-five miles back to Macclesfield again.       As a result of Brindley's effort, determination and demonstration of his skill Abraham Bennett handed the contract over to his apprentice. The whole design was revised according to Brindley's instruction, parts being rejected and rebuilt, others being redesigned and completely new improvements introduced. The work was brought to a successful conclusion, within the contractual time allowed, to the entire satisfaction of the proprietors of the mill.

The experience at Wildboarclough left no doubt in Abraham Bennett's mind as to James Brindley's outstanding skill and enormous ability. Bennett must have felt that he had indeed been saved by his apprentice, and so left him in charge of the workshop. For several years later Brindley maintained Bennett and his family, and when Bennett died, Brindley continued with the outstanding contracts to their completion. The Wildboarclough episode in James Brindley's life gives testimony to his loyalty, with his concern for the reputation and credibility of his master; his modesty, as there is no evidence or suggestion of his ever demanding credit or recognition for his achievement; and his generosity, as shown by his support for Bennett and his family.

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