Thu 20 Mar 1777
Mrs Ball’s land sold to the company at £57 an acre.
Mr Lingard to draw a plan showing the line of the canal as it breaks into the churchyard at Stonehouse and find a piece of land in exchange.
Call on subscribers for 10% to be placed in next Gloucester Journal.
Mr Lingard told to tell barge masters not to throw clay into the canal nor leave it on the bank, but take it back to the River Severn.
Mr Lingard should order names of owners and steersmen to be placed on a conspicuous part of the vessel.
Samuel Simmons to be master of the company vessel – Stroud – on same terms as agreed with William Esthop.
Mr Ellis James invited to meet with the Company of Proprietors at dinner.
At a Meeting of the Committee held by Adjournment at the George Inn in Stroud on Thursday the 20^th Day of March 1777
Present: Joseph Wathen, Thomas White, William Knight, Robert Ellis, Freame Arundell. John Hollings, Durley Wintle.
Read the Minutes of the last Meeting.
M^r Lingard Reported that he has Bought Farmer Kerseys Horse at fifteen Guineas.
M^r Wathen Reported that he had attended with M^r Winchcombe and M^r B: Grazebrook at M^r Christopher Gardners, and have agree'd with him for M^rs Balls Land at £57 per Acre, and entered into an Article for that purpose, and that One Hundred pounds is paid in part of the purchase money, and a Receipt Sign'd by M^rs Ball for the same.
M^r Lingard is desired to Report at the next Meeting the damage to the Rick of Hay belonging to M^r J Wathen & Co: as nearly as he can ascertain.
Reported that the Timber, that Jos: Grazebrook wrote to George Oakes about, was Sold, but that he had a prospect of getting some other Timber, which he would bring down.
No account yet from M^r Keck about Timber. ~~ Ordered that our Clerk do call upon him, and inquire if he has purchased any.
Mess^rs Lane and Jepson's Bill not Paid. ~~ Ordered that our Clerk do pay it next Monday, upon M^r Lanes delivering all the papers relative to the Navigation.
An information being made that some seasoned Oak Timber lying at Newnham belonging to M^r Bowen, about the Quantity of two Hundred feet, was to be sold fit for our purpose at £15 per foot. Ordered that M^r Ew^d Keene do go in a day or two and agree for the same and pay for it.
M^r Deague attended, and promised to Supply us with two Hundred Tons of Hanham Stone per Month.
Ordered that M^r Lingard do draw a Plan and Section describing the Line of the Canal where it breaks in upon the Church Yard at Stonehouse, Specifying the Length and Breadth of what will be taken into the Canal, and describing where a piece of Land may be added to the Church Yard as an Equivalent.
Ordered that the General Meeting of the Proprietors be Advertised in the Glocester Journal to be held at the George Inn in Stroud on Thursday the 3^d Day of April next at Ten of the Clock in the forenoon.
Ordered that a Call of Ten per Cent be advertised in the next Glocester Journal.
Ordered that M^r Lingard do let Notice be given to the Barge Masters that they do not throw any Clay into the Canal nor leave it on the Banks, but that they do carry it back with them to the Severn.
Ordered that M^r Lingard do give Notice to have the Names of the Owners and the Steersman to be place on some Conspicuous part of the Vessell.
Ordered a Bill to be drawn on the Treasurer for the Sum of Four Hundred Pounds.
Samuel Simmons attended the Committee, and offered himself to be Master of our Vessell. ~~~ The Committee in consequence of the Character given him, do agree to employ him as Master of our Vessell named the Stroud upon the same terms we agreed with W^m Esthop, and do Order him to take the imediate Charge of her, upon her Arrival in the Canal, after her Cargo is discharged.
Ordered that M^r Simmons do take an Account of the Furniture and Utensills of the said Vessell.
Ordered that our Clerk do waite on M^r Ellis James and fix with him to meet some Gentelmen of the Committee at M^r Clutterbucks at Cainscross to Dinner on Monday next at two o Clock.
Ordered that Mess^rs Winchcombe, Wathen, Hollings, & White be desired to give M^r James the Meeting to treat with him for his Land.
Adjourned this Meeting to Monday the 31^st Instant at four of the Clock in the afternoon at the George Inn in Stroud.
