Wed 24 Apr 1822
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3557 14s 2d. Balance after wages, etc, £2713 4s 11d. Dividend of £13 10s declared.
From 1 June slate, pantile, stone, bricks and corn, malt grain or meal of any sort shall be charged at 3s 6d a ton for the whole length of the navigation; and in proportion for any greater or lesser weight or distance.
Opinion of counsel to be sought on the clause in the Act of Parliament relating to the proportional rate of tonnage at certain points of the canal.
Byelaw enacted that any vessel entering or leaving the Stroudwater Canal at the G&B canal should have previously given an account in writing to the Collector at Framilode. Fine of £5 ‘to be levied by distress and sale of the offenders goods and chattels.’
Byelaw enacted that all persons appointed to look after the wharfs belonging to the Company shall be agents to the Company and shall have the care and control and management of the wharf.
Every boat that lands or loads goods from any wharf to give a written account of the amount of cargo. Wharfingers to direct where cargo was deposited. Any master of any vessel not complying to be fined £5 for every offence,
Byelaw if 1784 by which proprietors not attending meetings could be fined 5s to be repealed.
Portrait of George Hawker to be paid for from the funds of the said company and be kept in the Committee Room.
Clerk to see Robert Davies about the gateway made in his fence leading to the towpath.
At a General half Yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the George Inn Stroud On Wednesday the 24^th day of April 1822
W^m Stanton Esq^r in the Chair.
The minutes of the last General Meeting were read & confirmed.
The several Books & accounts were produced respecting the affairs of the Company (as directed by Act of Parliament) and were examined & confirmed.
It appears by the accounts that the sum of _£3557..14..2_ has been received for Tonnage, etc, from the 13^th day of October last to the 13^th Instant a part of which has been applied towards the payment of wages disbursements, etc, & that there remains in the Treasurer's hands after paying the last Dividend the sum of _£2713..4..11_.
Ordered that a Dividend of £13..10 be paid on each Share by the Treasurer on the 1^st day of May next; & that our Clerk do transmit circular Letters to all the Proprietors to inform them that they may draw upon the Treasurer or apply to him for Payment of the same.
The following Gentlemen are appointed a Committee for the ensuing Year (viz):
William Stanton, John Snowden, W W. Darke, Joseph Grazebrook, P.H. Fisher, Alexander Townsend, Thomas Holbrow, George Wathen, Nathaniel Jones, M^r S Wilson, John Morgan, Rev^d W^m James, Dr Samuel Snowden.
Ordered that from and after the first day of June next there be charged and paid for every Ton weight of Slate, Pantile, stone, bricks and corn malt, grain, or meal of any sort that shall be carried or conveyed in any boat, barge or vessel upon the said Navigation, the sum of three shillings and sixpence, for the whole length of the said Navigation up or down; and so in proportion for any greater or lesser weight of for a less distance of place.
Ordered that the Opinion of Counsel be taken on the Clause in the Act of Parliament relating to the proportional rate of Tonnage for navigating certain parts of the Canal.
Ordered and enacted as a Bye Law for the good and orderly using of the said Navigation That the Masters Owners and Manages of every Boat, keel and other vessel which shall enter the Stroudwater Navigation from Gloucester and Berkeley Canal shall _previously_ give a just account in writing signed by the master owner or person having the rule or command of every such boat keel or other vessel, to the Collector appointed by the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation to secure the Rates or Duties for navigating the same, at Framilode, of what Quantities of Goods shall be in or belong to every such boat keel or vessel. And in case they neglect or refuse to give an account, or shall give a false account before such entering into the Stroudwater Navigation from the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal, or before passing from the Stroudwater Navigation into the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal, every such master, owner or manager shall for every such offence forfeit and pay to the said Company of Proprietors the Sum of Five Pounds to be levied by distress and sale of the Offender's good and chattels, returning the overplus, if any be, after deducting the charges of such distress & sale, to the owner or owners of such Goods and Chattels.
Ordered and enacted as a Byelaw for the good and orderly using of the said Navigation that all persons appointed by the Committee of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation to look after the respective wharfs belonging to the said Company of Proprietors shall be Agents of the said Company of Proprietors and wharfingers of the said wharfs, and shall have the care control and arrangement of the same, nevertheless under the care, control, management and direction of the Chief Clerk of the said Company of Proprietors and of the Committee for the time being.
And that the Masters Owners and Managers of every Boat Keel or other vessels who shall land upon any of the Wharfs of he said Company of Proprietors, any goods, coal, corn, bricks, Stone, Sand, Slate, Pantile, or any other merchandize; or who shall load or take into any boat, keel, or other vessel, any goods, timber, stone, hay or other merchandize from any of the said Wharfs, shall give to the Wharfinger of the Wharfs where on the same shall be landed or from whence the same shall be loaded or taken away, a just account in writing signed by the Maser owner or other person having the Rule or command of every such boat, keel or other vessel, of what quantities of such Goods Coal timber stone hay or other merchandize shall be so landed or discharged from or taken into such boats keels or other vessel. And in case any master owner or manager of any such boat keel or vessel shall neglect or refuse to give such account, or shall give a false account, every such master owner or manager shall forfeit and pay to the said Company of Proprietors the Sum of Five pounds, to be levied by distress and sale of the offending goods and chattels, returning the surplus, if any be, after deducting the charges of such distress & sale, to the Owner or Owners of such Goods and Chattels.
Ordered and enacted as a Byelaw for the good and orderly using of the said Navigation That the Agents and Wharfingers at the respective wharfs belonging to the said Company of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation shall and may previously to the landing of any goods, coals, timber, bricks, corn, sand, slate,. pantile, stone and merchandize of every description, direct and point out to the Masters owners and managers of every boat, keel and other vessel, and to every other person or persons who shall bring any goods stone timber or other merchandize into or upon the said Wharfs of the said Company of Proprietors, where and upon what part of such Wharfs the same shall be landed and placed. And in case any such Master Owner or manager of any boat keel or vessel, or any such other person or persons whatsoever, shall refuse or neglect to obey the direction of such agents and wharfingers in that respect, or shall place and lay the same in any other place on the said wharfs than as so directed or pointed out by such agents and wharfingers., every such master owner or manager, or such other person or persons as aforesaid, so refusing or neglecting, or otherwise offending as aforesaid, shall for every such offence forfeit and pay to the said Company of Proprietors the Sum of Five pounds to be levied by distress and sale of the offenders goods and chattels, returning the Overplus, if any, after deducting the charges of such distress and sale, to the Owner or Owners of such Goods and Chattels.
Ordered that the aforesaid enactments be put into writing under the Common Seal of the said Company of Proprietors and henceforth be Bye Laws thereof.
Ordered and Enacted that the Byelaw of the thirteenth day of April One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty four, imposing a penalty of five shillings on each proprietor who shall be absent from a General Meeting of the Proprietors, be now repealed and annulled, and that this enactment be put in writing under the Common Seal of the said Company of Proprietors and be a Byelaw.
Ordered that the portrait of M^r George Hawker, the Chief Clerk of the Company of Proprietors be paid for, from the funds of he said Company, and be kept in the Committee room in testimony of the approval by this Company of his services.
Ordered that our Clerk do wait on M^r Robert Davies respecting the gateway made in his fence leading to the towing path & the Canal.
