Tue 12 Apr 1785
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage since October 1784, £652 14s 7½d, to be used to pay debts.
Mr Ben Grazebrook's barges on canal to pay tonnage of £25 till next half yearly meeting.
Piece of meadowland on N E side of canal at Wallbridge, as noted 12 October 1794, to be reserved but other pieces advertised and sold.
Request from Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal Company to have seals of Stroudwater Company affixed to their petition. Committee to enquire into petition and Bills.
Mr Chamber's clause considered injurious to Stroudwater Company. Committee to write to Mr White, House of Commons, to know if such a clause can be inserted without consent. Two of Proprietors to attend Parliament to try to prevent it.
Canal at wharf at Dudbridge to be widened.
Proposal by some of the Proprietors of Stroudwater Navigation to purchase stock of coals to prevent future loss for Navigation. Company to insure return for 5 per cent.
Wall and gates to fence wharf at Wallbridge.
Committee for year: Sir George Paul Bart., Joseph Wathen, John Hollings, James Dallaway, Nathaniel Winchcombe, Fream Arundell, Thomas Baylis, William Battersby, Richard Bigland, Thomas White, John Allaway, Nathaniel Jones, Benjamin Grazebrook.
At a General half yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held this Twelfth Day of April 1785 at the Swan Inn at Stroud
Edward Harford Esq^r in the Chair.
The Minutes of the General Meeting of the 12^th of October last and also those of the 3^d of February last were Read and Confirmed.
The several Books and accounts were produced respecting the affairs of the Compan, and examined and Confirmed.
Ordered that the money Rece'd for Tonnage from the 12^th of October last to this Day amounting to the Sum of Six hundred & Fifty two pounds fourteen Shillings & Seven pence halfpenny be paid into the Treasurers hands and applied towards payment of the respective Debts.
Ordered that M^r Ben: Grazebrooks Barges to and from Glocester and Bristol do pass and repass the Canal till the next half yearly Meeting in consideration of his paying the Sum of Twenty five pounds for Tonnage & Wharfage during that time.
The Committee are not prepared to make any Report respecting the method of weighing the Barges.
Ordered that a piece of Meadow Land on the North East side of the Canal at Walbridge (directed at the General Meeting the 12^th of October last to be sold) be now reserved, and the other pieces then mentioned be advertised to be sold.
Read a Petition received from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Company with a request to have the Seal of the Stroudwater Company affixed thereto; But this Meeting not being furnished with a Copy of the Petition to the House of Commons from the Proprietors of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, nor informed of the particulars of the intended Bill does not approve of affixing the Companys Seal thereto. Resolved that the Committee be desired to enquire into the particulars of the Petition & Bill, and if they shall Judge it to be expedient this Meeting Doth authorise them to Affix the Seal to the said Petition. And that our Clerk do transmit a Copy of this Resolution to M^r Lane from whom the said Petition was Received.
The Committee Reported that a Petition has been transmitted to them by M^r Chambers requesting to have the Companys Seal affixed to the same in support of the Abingdon Canal and desiring to have a Clause inserted for the free passing of materials on the Stroudwater Navigation for making the said Canal. Resolved that it is the Opinion of this Meeting that such Clause will be injurious to the Stroudwater Company, and that no Petition be presented in support of such Canal till we have satisfactory assurances of no Clause that may prejudice our Interest being inserted and in such case that the Seal be used. And that the Committee be desired to write to M^r White (House of Commons) to know if any Clause of that sort can be inserted without our consent, and to request his answer. And in case it shall appear that they have a power to do it, that two of the Proprietors do attend Parliament to endeavour if possible to prevent it.
Ordered that the Canal at the Wharf at Dudbridge be widened in such manner as to make a free passage for Vessells when others are discharging at the Wharf.
It having been proposed by a Sett of Gentlemen who are Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation to purchase a Stock of Coals for the benefit of the Country and to prevent the great loss in future to the Navigation, Resolved that this Company do insure them five per Cent for the money employed therein provided the Proffits shall not be sufficient for that purpose.
Ordered that a Wall and Gates be made to fence the Wharf at Walbridge, in such manner as the Committee shall direct for the security of Coals landed thereon.
The following Gentlemen are appointed a Committee for the year ensuing, Viz:
Sir George Paul Bar^t, James Dallaway, Joseph Wathen, Nathaniel Winchcombe, John Hollings, Fream Arundell, Thomas Baylis, John Allaway, William Battersby, Nathaniel Jones, Richard Bigland, Ben^n Grazebrook, Thomas White.
