Wed 17 Dec 1856
Henry Sidney Wasbrough and George Hall claimed share no.12, will of John James.
Charge for weighbridge at Dudbridge to be 1p per ton on coals and goods carried up and down canal: 3p per ton on coals and goods weighed and do not pass on canal
Rates to be charged on coals from Stonehouse Station on the Midland Railway by Wethered, Cosham & Co to be 3d per ton on all coals landed at Stonehouse Wharf or at Messrs. Davis mills; 6d per ton not carried beyond mills, not passing into double locks; 9d per ton into double locks and landed westward of lock at Dudbridge; 1s per ton on coals carried into lock at Dudbridge and landed between there and culvert at Lodgemore.
Mr Taunton explained necessity for reduction of tonnages on coals carried into T&S Canal and landed between bridge at Brimscombe and Brimscombe Wharf. Object to secure reduction to meet railway competition. Also requested further reduction on coals sent on to Cirencester. Committee expected Thames & Severn Canal Co to bear whole of deduction.
At a Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Wallbridge on Wednesday the 17^th day of December 1856
Present: M^r F Eycott, M^r R^d Martin Chairman, J H Warman, H^y Harris, C Hawker, W^m Fryer, N S Marling, G H A Beard, T C Croome.
Thomas Clutterbuck Croome of Cainscross N^r Stroud in the County of Gloucester Gentleman attended on behalf of Henry Sidney Wasborough of Bristol in the County of Gloucester Esq^r and George Hall of ... in the Isle of Man Esq^r as Trustees of the Will of John James Esq^r deceased & made out the Claim of the said H S Wasborough & G Hall to one Shae N^o 12 of the Undertaking of the Stroudwater Navigation lately belonging to John James of Newnham Esq^r and Charles James of Clifton Esq^r Executors of John James Esq^r deceased in the Books of the Company of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation by producing the Ticket of Title of the said Share a Certificated of the burial of the said Charles James during the lifetime of the said John James of Newnham the probate of the Will of the said John James of Newnham bearing date the 28^th July 1854 whereby he appointed the said H S Wasbrough and Charles Edward Dighton therein named Executors and proved with two Codicils in the Prerogative Court of the Arch Bishop of Canterbury on the 15^th day of May 1855 by the said H S Wasbrough and C E Dighton also an original order of the High Court of Chancery made on the 27^th day of July 1855 by Vice Chancellor Hurst whereby it was ordered that the said George Hall should be appointed a new Trustee of the said Will of the said John James the elder in substitution for the said C E Dighton and in addition to the said H S Wasbrough and that the lands subject to the trusts of the said Will should vest in the said George Hall and H S Wasbrough for the Estate therein devised and that the right to sue for and recover any chose in Action subject to the trusts of the said Will on any interest in respect thereof should vest in the said G Hall and H S Wasbrough as trustees of the Will of the said John James the eldere and also a memorandum signed by the said H S Wasbrough & C E Dighton requesting that the said share might be transferred into the names of the said H S Wasbrough & G Hall and the Claim of the said H S Wasbrough & G Hall was admitted accordingly and a new ticket ordered to be made out to them.
Applications were considered relative to the use of the Weighing Machine at Dudbridge and he charge for the same and it was Ordered that without disturbing the arrangements with Mess^rs Nurse a charge of one penny per Ton be made in respect of Coals and Goods carried up or down the Canal and three pence per Ton on Coals and Goods which are weighed and do not pass on the Canal.
Mess^rs Wethered Cosham & C^o (having written to M^r Partridge respecting the carriage of a large quantity of Coals form the Midland Railway at Stonehouse) attended and explained that their object was to establish a considerable trade in Coals for manufacturing purposes which they were selling at a very reduced price and it was Resolved that the Tonnage charge on Coals carried up the Canal from Stonehouse Station should be after the following Rates:
Viz 3^d per Ton on all Coals landed at Stonehouse Wharf or at Mess^rs Davies' Mill
6^d per Ton on all coals carried beyond Mess^rs Davies' Mill and not passing into the double locks
9^d per Ton on all coals into the double locks and landed Westward of the lock at Dudbridge
1^s/- per Ton on all Coals carried into the locks at Dudbridge and landed between that point and the Culvert at Lodgemore.
Resolved also that this Committee will consider any further arrangement in respect of Coals passing into the Thames and Severn Canal which Mess^rs Wethered Cosham & C^o may propose in connection with the Thames & Severn Canal Company.
M^r Taunton attended and spoke of the charges made by this Company on coals carried into the Thames & Severn Canal and landed between the Bridge at Brimscombe and Brimscombe Wharf which appears have always been charged by mistake at six pence per Ton as though they had been carried to Brimscombe Wharf his object being to secure a reduction to that rate in order to meet the Railway competition and thereupon the Committee did not think it necessary to make any order or direct any alteration to the existing charge.
M^r Taunton also entered into a lengthened explanation of the necessity of a reduction of Tonnages to the amount of 6^d per Ton on coals carried to Cirencester and of suggestions that a considerable traffic might be secured if this Company would bear a portion of the reduction thereupon the Question was discussed and the Committee referred M^r Taunton to the resolutions passed on the 23^rd day of March 1853 as subsequently amended at the request of the Thames & Severn Canal Committee and he was told that this Committee would expect (pursuant to those resolutions and the understanding between the Companies) that the Thames & Severn Canal Company would make and bear the whole of the reduction which he suggested.
Ordered that the following Bills & Accounts be paid £ s d
N A Partiridge ¼ Salary due 25^th Ins't: 25..0..0
N Driver ¼ Salary due 21 Ins't: 20..0..0
J Burbidge 2 Months Salary due 20 Nov^r: 10..0..0
H^y Davis Repairing BoatL 8..15..0
E^d Shipway Smith's Work: 5..17..9
P Widmore Hams: 5..7..3
B Brewer Smith's Work: 4..0..11
H^y Howell Smith's Work: 4..1..0
T G Matthews & C^o Oil: 2..16..7
W^m Harrison Masonry: 4..9..1
J Andrews Jr Smith's Work: 0..18..0
J Andrews Sen^r Smith's Work: 0..4..0
