Tue 12 Apr 1803
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £2036 18s 7½d. Balance £1826 4s 8d. Dividend of £7 declared.
Coals from northern districts enormously dear and scarcity such as to endanger future supply. Advisable to obtain regular supply of Newport coals. Purchase, build or hire a schooner and make such contracts for coal as are expedient.
The Company and its servants having need of a road from swivel bridge at Lodgemore over land belonging to Mr Cook's garden to boat house belonging to Company and flood gate near boat house, Mr Henry Cook and heirs to be paid annually 6d as long as Company shall use said road.
Committee to sell small piece of land to erect turnpike house at Chippenham Platt to Commissioners of Turnpike Road from Cainscross to Alkerton.
Application by Mr Thomas Grazebrook to purchase land 50 feet long and 7 feet wide at back of his warehouse at Dudbridge on which 2 small sheds are erected was accepted.
Mr Edward Hill, having built cottage on company land on lower side of bridge at Stonehouse, desiring to erect warehouse on upper side. Committee may grant him a lease of ground on both sides for 99 years at yearly rent of 5 guineas.
Tonnage on bricks and lime on canal reduced to 2s a ton to Wallbridge.
Committee for next year: Rev William Ellis, Rev Joseph Colborne, Samuel Wathen, John Allaway, Benjamin Grazebrook, Joseph Grazebrook, Rowles Scudamore, William Battersby, Nathaniel Wathen, Nathaniel Jones, Henry Burgh, Rev Josiah Jones, William Sevill.
At a General Half Yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the George Inn in Stroud on Tuesday the 12^th of April 1803
Samuel Wathen Esq^r in the Chair.
The Minutes of the last General Meeting were Read and Confirmed.
The several Books and Accounts were produced respecting the Affairs of the Company as directed by the Act of Parliament and Examined and Confirmed.
It appears by the Accounts that the Sum of 2036^£..18^s..7½^d has been received for Tonnage, etc, from the 12^th of October last to this day, a part of which has been applied towards the payment of Wages, Disburstments, etc, there remains in the Treasurers hand after paying the last Dividend the Sum of £1826..4^s..8^d.
The Coals which have been usualy drawn from the northern districts having become enormously dear and the scarcity of them being such as to endanger the future supply of this Country, it appears highly advisable to this Meeting to obtain a regular supply of Newport Coal, and as that cannot effectually be done without employing a proper Vessel, it is Resolved to purchase, build, or hire, a Schooner for that purpose, and the Committee are hereby directed so to do, and to make such Contracts for Coal as they may judge expedient.
Ordered that a Dividend of 7^£ be made on each Share to be paid by the Treasurer on the 2^nd day of May next and that our Clerk do transmit Circular Letters to all the Proprietors to inform them they may draw upon the Treasurer or apply to him for payment of the same.
The Company and their Servants having occasion for a Road from the Swivell Bridge at Lodgemore over a piece of Land adjoining to M^r Cooks Garden to the Boat House belonging to the Company, and the Flood Gates near the Boat House, Ordered that M^r Henry Cook, and his Heirs be paid Annually the Sum of six pence so long as the Company shall use the said Road.
The Commissioners of the Turnpike Road leading from Cainscross to Alkerton having applied to purchase a small piece of Land upon which it is intended to erect a Turnpike House near the Bridge at Chippenhams Platt, Ordered that the Committee be, and they are hereby empower'd to treat with the Commissioners for the Sale of the same and at such price as may be agreed upon.
M^r Tho^s Grazebrook having applied to purchase a small bit of Land 50 feet ling & 7 feet wide at the back part of the Wharehouse at Dudbridge whereon two small Sheds are erected, Ordered that the Committee be, and they are hereby empowered, to treat with him for the purchase of the same, at such price as may be agreed upon.
M^r Ew^d Hill having built a cottage on the Companys Land on the lower side of the bridge at Stonehouse and being desirous of erecting a Warehouse on the upper side, the Committee are impowered to grant him a lease of the Ground on both sides of the bridge for 99 Years, at the Yearly rent of Five Guineas.
It being advisable to encourage the carriage of Brick and Lime on the Canal it is hereby Resolved to reduced the Tonnage on these articles to 2^s per Ton to Walbridge.
The following Gentlemen are appointed a Committee for the ensuing Year, Viz:
Rev^d Will^m Ellis, Will^m Battersby, Rev^d Jos^h Colborne, Nath^l Wathen, Sam^l Wathen, Nath^l Jones, John Allaway, Henry Burgh, Benj^n Grazebrooke, Rev^d Jos^h Jones, Jos^h Grazebrooke, Will^m Sevill, Rowles Scudamore.
