Tue 13 Apr 1784
General Half Yearly Meeting.
Messrs Grazebrook & Co barges have not carried much more than the sum paid for tonnage. They have declined to continue the business. Mr Grazebrook to build a vessel of different construction. As an encouragement, his vessels from Bristol and Gloucester to be allowed to pass tonnage and wharfage free till next half yearly meeting.
Tonnage since 1 October 1783, £941 15s 4d, to be used to pay debts.
Every absent Proprietor who does not attend General Meetings in future, in person or by proxy, shall forfeit and pay 5 shillings, to be deducted out of next dividend on their shares. Money to be applied to General Stock of Company. This resolution to be considered as a Bye Law under power of Act of Parliament and receive seal of Company. Notice to be sent to every Proprietor.
Mr Whitworth taking survey for a canal from Gloucester to join some part of Stroud Canal. Select Committee of Sir George Paul, Mr Battersby, Mr Joseph Harford, Mr Hollinger, Mr Winchcombe, Mr Wathen, Mr Bigland, Mr Thomas E Bull, Mr Grazebrook or any five of them to guard rights of Proprietors of Stroudwater Navigation from any infringement attempted by undertaking of such canal. Expenses not to exceed two thousand pounds. Another person to be chosen in place of any of aforesaid gentlemen who becomes a Proprietor of Thames & Severn Canal and is therefore disqualified from acting in the business.
Committee for year to be Sir George Paul, Joseph Wathen, John Hollings, James Dallaway, Nathaniel Winchcombe, Fream Arundell, Thomas Baylis, William Battersby, Richard Bigland, Thomas White, John Allaway, Nathaniel Jones, Benjamin Grazebrook.
Inconveniences in importation of salt as dealer does not have conveyances to take whole barge loading at one time. Part of salt cargo permitted to be taken out, paying usual tonnage, provided the tonnage amounts to 20s or upwards, and the rest allowed to return down the canal.
2s 3d per ton for tonnage of all Tenby coals imported to Wallbridge and in proportion for less distance. Bounty no longer continued, except for stock now lying on wharf.
Survey made and estimate of expense of canal from Severn to collieries in Forest. Distance 3½ miles, rise about 90 feet, expense £14,000.
At a General half yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held this 13^th Day of April 1794 at the George Inn at Stroud
Joseph Wathen Esq^r in the Chair.
The Minutes of the General half yearly Meeting the 14^th of October last, and of the Special General Meeting of 8^th January, were Read and Confirmed.
The Committee Reported that particulars of the Tonnage of Mess^rs Grazebrook & Co Barges which amounted to very little more than the sum paid, and upon the whole it appears that the Business has not answered, in consequence of which the Proprietors of the said Barge has declined it. ~~ M^r Ben: Grazebrook having proposed taking it up himself upon a new plan of having a Vessell on a different construction, provided encouragement is given him. Ordered (as an encouragement to such undertaking) that his Vessells to and from Briston and Glocester be permitted to pass free of Tonnage and Wharfage till the next half yearly Meeting.
Ordered that the money rece'd for Tonnage from the 14^th of October last to this Day amounting to the Sum of Nine hundred & forth one Pounds fifteen Shillings and fourpence be paid into the Treasurers hands and applied toward payment of the respective Debts.
Resloved that every absent Proprietor who do not attend the General Meetings in future either in Person or by Proxy shall forfeit and pay the Sum of five Shillings, to be deducted out of the next dividend that is made on their Shares after such neglect, the money arising from such forfeitures to be applied to the General Stock of the Company. And We do hereby Order and direct that this Resolution be fairly drawn out and considered as a Bye Law under the Power of the Act of Parliament and receive the Seal of the Company accordingly; And that Notice of such Bye Law be sent to every Proprietor with the notice of the next General Meeting, at least Ten days before the said Meeting.
It having been Reported that a Survey is actually taking by M^r Whitworth for a Canal from Gloucester to Join some part of the Stroud Canal, Resolbed that Sir George Paul, M^r Battersby, M^r Joseph Harford, M^r Hollings, M^r Winchcomber, M^r Wathen, M^r Bigland, M^r Thomas E Bull and M^R B. Grazebrook or any five of them be appointed a select Committee to guard the rights of the Proprietors of the Stroud Navigation from any infringment that may be attempted by the Undertakers of such Canal, And the said Committee are hereby Authorised to employ Agents and expend any sum of money not exceeding Two Thousand Pounds as they at their discretion shall see fit. And in case any of the aforesaid Gentlemen shall become a Proprietor of the Thames & Severn Canal, he shall on that account be disqualified from acting in the said Business, and another Person chosen in his stead.
The following Gentlemen are appointed a Committee for the ensuing Year, Viz;
Sir George Paul Bar^t, William Battersby, Joseph Wathen, Richard Bigland, John Hollings, Thomas White, James Dallaway, John Allaway, Nathaniel Winchcombe, Nathaniel Jones, Fream Arundell, Ben^n Grazebrook, Thomas Baylis.
It having been Reported that there are inconveniencys in the importation of Salt, owing to the Dealers in that Article not having conveniencys to take a whole Barge Loading at one time, Ordered that Vessels loaden with Salt be permitted to put out part of their Cargo as occasion shall require (paying the usual Tonnage for the same) and return down the Canal with the remainder provided the Tonnage of the quantity put out shall amount to Twenty Shillings or upwards.
Ordered that two Shillings & threepence per Ton be taken for the Tonnage of all Tenby Coals imported to Walbridge and so in proportion for any less distance; and that the Bounty on that sort of Coals be no longer continued except for the Stock now lying on the Wharf.
Reported that a Survey has been taken and an Estimate made of the Expence of a Canal from the Severn to the Colliery's in the Forrest, by which it appear that the distance is about three Miles & a half, the rise about 90 feet & the expence about £14,000
