Thu 27 Jul 1843
Letter from Thomas Davies, Park-End Wharf, Oxford, applying for a reduction of tonnage on coal conveyed by the canal to Oxford.
Company will reduce tolls on all coal carried below Eynsham Bridge from 2/6 to 1/6 per ton, on condition that coal owners in the Forest of Dean will deliver coals intended to be delivered to that point at Bullo Pill or Lydney at 8/-, that Stroud Canal will continue to charge 8d a ton and Carriers charge for freight 6/- a ton.
Toll on all timber carried below Eynsham Bridge to be reduced to 3/6 per ton.
Mr Willson to apply to Stroud Canal Company to reduce tonnage from 1/- to 18d.
Whilmore Way Upper Lock lower gates to be renewed, pond adjoining to be mudded, wall be lowered.
Mr Willson to go to Staffordshire to examine new locks and puddling on Birmingham Canal,
to Hungerford on the Kennett & Avon Canal to examine the weighing machine for boats and to Oxford to make enquiries about the coal and timber trade.
Mr Flux of Cirencester permitted to make a door through the wall of the wharf to communicate with his own buildings. Acknowledgement of 2/6 per annum as proof of this permission being on sufferance upon further condition of paying the same wharfage on all goods carried through that door, as if they remained on the wharf. He may have a door locked up, except when conveying his goods to or from the wharf. Key to be kept by the Company’s Wharfinger.
Stove put up by Mr Warburton at Thames head Wharf to be paid for by the Company’s Wharfinger and be considered a fixture.
The Capstan at Thames Head Engine House to be thoroughly repaired.
Inspection of alteration made in furnace of the boiler of the main engine, to consume smoke and to save fuel. Approval given. Comparison to be made of consumption of old and new boiler during winter. If guarantee to save £10 per cent fulfilled, Mr Willson to pay for same.
Mr Willson and Mr Jones dissatisfied with conduct of Hall, the Engine Man. Hall to be dismissed. Fit person required to take care of engine, so that no damage is done.
Daneway Bason Lock lower gates to be renewed.
Road at Valley Bridge to be raised on northern side, as proposed.
Old offices by the kitchen door at Brimscombe House to be repaired and fitted up for the reception of old papers belonging to the Company. Mr Willson to remove them from the warehouse.
Relaying of wharf inspected and to be completed.
Ham Mill Pound to be mudded.
Wall on the north side of Wallbridge Wharf to be built up against the bank to complete the enclosure.
Wall against Pearce’s garden to be built with as much economy as is consistent with security.
Half the expense, not exceeding £3.6.6, of supplying Pearce’s house with water to be borne by Company. Mr Willson to obtain a permanent supply.
Mr Barnard’s demand for compensation for mud deposited on his land to be settled.
Demand of Mr Curtis and Mr Whiting to be settled. £10.2.6.
Lusty’s claim for £12.19.6 rejected.
New repairing boat for Summit level repairs to be constructed. Double purpose of repair boat and ice boat.
Mr Willson to write to Mr Lawrence, solicitor to railroad, to complain of state of Swivel Bridge near Smirrel. Difficult to open. Committee nearly met with bad accident.
Occupation bridges on Canal. Parties for whose use bridges were intended responsible for damage.
Siddington Carpentry: Whole of lock gates from Siddington to Inglesham repaired. Lower gates guarded with strong Ryanised plank. New iron hand rails to most of them. Gates to be blacked and new planking to lower gates of Siddington 2nd lock. Timber supplied from Brimscombe for the Summit level side piling prepared for use, repairs to wheelbarrows, field and other gate mending, swivel bridge repaired etc.
Siddington Masonry & Brick Work: Rebuilding towpath wall at Cerney deep cutting slip, repairing and raising more adjoining to the extent of about 800 yards lineal repair to South Cerney lower lock, to masonry near Coates end of Tunnel, to same under Tarlton Bridge to Tewekesbury stop, the Engine Shaft and Capstan, masonry opposite house at Siddington rebuilt to stop leakage from Canal – repair in the warehouse at Cirencester Wharf, new pillars for carrying gates (iron) at Thames Head and Cirencester Wharfs. The basin wall at Cirencester extended along the front of new wharfage, containing about 100 cubic yards of masonry. Two brick locks at Cerney and one at Siddington repaired and the whole of the brick work about the boilers of the Engine from their base or seating, upwards taken out for the boilers to be repaired (partly new bottomed) and afterwards reinstated with other alterations.
Siddington Labourers Work: Boating away to Summit quarries the spoil from Cerney slip and returning with stone for repairing the towing path wall there, many freights. Raising and turfing the portions of the Summit level secured from leakage by pile planking etc in two former years. Pile planking another length, about 400 yards, from the Coates end of Tunnel to a short distance past Tarlton Bridge. Excavating for the new basin wall at Cirencester and removing the same with quantity of mud to the quarries near the Gas Works and forming the new wharfage – the usual casual leak stopping and towing path repaired when and where found necessary, cleansing large portions of the Canal of weeds etc.
Brimscombe Carpentry: Summit Lock bottom gates repaired, iron hand rails added, paddle winders altered etc. Daneway basin lock bottom gate repaired. Sickeridge upper lock paddle repaired. Puck Mill upper lock gates repaired, paddles fitted. PucK Mill lower lock paddles fitted and gate repaired. Bakers Mill upper and lower lock facing frames repaired. Valley Lock, Red Lion Lock, Bell Lock lower lock facing frames repaired. Stroud lower lock bottom gates new-planked, base repaired, new bumpers, step boards, iron handles affixed. Stroud upper lock paddles and paddle frames repaired. Bowbridge Lock new facing planks and balance pole repaired, new clipping post, guard iron hand rails affixed. Sickeridge upper lock bottom gates planking, head and heel repaired. Whitehall lower lock paddles fitted. Repairing flooring boards etc for Cirencester warehouse and using same. Repairing premises at Wallbridge, build a shed, washhouse etc etc. Cleeve Lock paddle repaired, hand rails affixed.
Making towing path gate for Brimscombe wharf near swing bridge. Repairing canal bank by pile planking etc near Stroudwater Canal office. Pair new bottom gates for Puck Mill and Sickeridge Mill upper locks made and erected. Materials for mudding repaired. Sickeridge middle lock gates repaired. Hope Mill Lock gates thoroughly repaired, putting on a balance pole etc.
Brimscombe Masons: Rebuilding wall against brook and Mr George’s. Putting in new stone trunk at Mr Meacham’s Puck Mill. Repairing culvert over brook at Henry Meachams Daneway. Repairing culvert at Bell Lock. New washhouse etc erected at Walbridge for use of tenant of house late E Darke. Repairing wing walls and side walls of Puck Mill Lock. Dressing hollow quoins and setting back coping at Bowbridge Lock. Putting down paving in Brewhouse and back court at Agent’s house Brimscombe. Repairing garden and wharf wall. Putting in new trunk at Sickeridge middle lock. Easter stoppage at Puck Mill Lock cutting out hollow quoins and fitting jamb posts. Casing Puck mill Lock on the north side with bricks and on the south side with stone (as in Siddington Accounts). Whitsuntide stoppage – the same as at Sickeridge Lock. Dressing and preparing stone for any repairs that might arise.
Brimscombe Labourers: Attending to and keeping path in repair with other things necessary to be attended to, clipping hedges, assisting carpenters etc. Cleansing mud and rubbish out of Whitehall pound and 1000 yards.
