Tue 21 May 1861
Emma Bowles Tripp claimed shares nos.54,55, will of James Tripp.
Mr Taunton stated that the coal trade to Cirencester was seriously reduced. The Committee of The Thames & Severn Canal Co would reduce tonnage on all coals carried by canal to Cirencester by 3d a ton. This Company should reduce by 3d as well. Reference to minutes of 23 March 1853 and 17 December 1856 indicated a reduction of about one half in trade. Resolved on reduction of 3d on coals carried to Cirencester alone. To avoid possibility of fraud, voucher to be handed to clerk of their Company before reduced rate is allowed.
Mr Samuel Stephens of Ebley to be allowed to carry a pipe through the canal to convey water for his house from opposite side.
At a Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Wallbridge on Tuesday May 21^St 1861
Present: M^r Tho^s Marling, M^r G H A Beard Chairman, J H Warman, Capt^n C H Fisher, H Harris, C Hawker.
M^r Henry Harris of Cainscross near Stroud Solicitor attended on behalf of Emma Bowles Tripp of Sion Row Clifton in the City of Bristol Widow and made out her Claim as Administratrix of the Estate and Effects of James Tripp late of the Mall in the Parish of Clifton aforesaid Bachelor of Medicine deceased to two shares numbered respectively 54 and 55 of the Undertaking of the Stroudwater Navigation lately belonging to and now standing in the name of the said James Tripp deceased in the books of the Company of Proprietors of the said Navigation by producing the letters of Administration to the said James Tripp granted by the Bristol District Registry of her Majesty's Court of Probate on the 16^th day of April 1861 and also producing the Tickets or Titles to the said Shares and the Claim was admitted accordingly and new Tickets were ordered to be made out.
M^r Partridge reported that M^r Taunton had called upon him and stated that the Coal Trade to Cirencester by the Canal was so seriously reduced that unless some immediate further reduction of Tonnage took place the trade would be entirely lost and that in consequence the Committee of the Thames and Severn Canal C^o would reduce their Tonnage on all Coals carried by the Cnal by 3^d a Ton but that he considered a reduction of less than 6^d per Ton would not be effectual to restore the trade and he therefore proposed that this Company should reduce 3^d per Ton as well. The Minutes of this Committee of the 23^rd March 1853 and 17^th December 1856 on the question of a reduction of Tonnage on Coals to Cirencester were referred to and fully considered as well as the Abstracts showing the present state of the Trade at Cirencester the result of which appeared to be that the trade had been reduced by about one half since the date of the last resolution above referred to.
Resolved that under all circumstances it is advisable to reduce the rate of Tonnage on Coals carried through this Canal to Cirencester _alone_ to 3^d per Ton and that the same be reduced accordingly and that to avoid the possibility of fraud a Voucher in every case of coal carried to Cirencester _alone_ be handed to the Clerk of this Company before the reduced rate is allowed or in default that the present rate of 6^d per Ton be charged and that the reduction do take place simultaneously with the reduction above referred to by the Thames & Severn Canal Company.
Ordered that M^r Samuel Stephens of Ebley be allowed to carry a pipe through the Cana at his residence there for the purpose of conveying water to his house from the opposite side but that such permission is subject to any future order by the Committee in the event of its being found any obstruction to the Navigation.
Ordered that the following Bills be paid:
Mess^rs J & D Wheeler & C^o Wine: 7^£..14^s..0^d
Gas Lights at Dudbridge: 5..0..0
