Wed 8 Mar 1837
Special Meeting. Charles Hobbs, owner and master of vessel, Worcester, called the ‘Patience’, on 7 March came to clerk to clear vessel for going down Navigation with converted timber. Ticket from T&S Canal of 6 March, freight 12 tons. Actual weight when weighed at Dudbridge, 22 tons 13cwt. Penalty of 40s for every ton of goods. Order that £20 be laid on owner of the ‘Patience’ and goods detained until sum is paid. Thanks to person in Thames & Severn Canal Co for the communication which brought circumstances to light.
Clerk to make enquiry on other frauds on tonnage of converted timber.
Enclosure on Wallbridge Wharf for securing coals for W H Hyatt.
At a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Walbridge on Wednesday the 8^th day of March 1837
Present: D^r Darke, George Wathen, M^r Cosham, M^r P H Fisher, M^r Sam^l Fisher, M^r Wood.
It appearing to this meeting that Charles Hobbs Owner & Master of the Vessel (Worster) called The Patience, came into our Clerk on the 7^th inst^t to clear out his Vessell for going down the Navigation with converted Timber; producing the Ticket from the Thames & Severn Canal of the 4^th instant (N^o 1646) for the passing of the said Vessell down _that_ Canal wherein the freight was stated to be 12 tons 1 cwt (Board, etc) - and the said Charles Hobbs declared that such was the _weight_ of the Timber;- whereby he obtained of our Clerk a Ticked for passing down _our_ Navigation having paid him for the tonnage on the said Vessel on the said weight.
That such was a false representation; as has been since ascertained by the actual weighing of the whole of the Cargo of the said Vessel at Dudbridge Wharf yesterday, whereon it appeared that the actual weight thereof is, at the least, 22 tons & 13 Cwt.
That by the false representation aforesaid, and by not having presented to our Clerk a just account of the Cargo, in writing made his hand, as required by the Acto of Parliament (pp105-106) the said Charles Hobbs has incurred of this Company the penalty of Forty shillings for every Ton of the said Goods.
That it having being usual to make a deduction of one fifth from the actual, or supposed actual gross, weight of converted Timber - and from other considerations which have appeared to this meeting - This meeting do hereby Order that the Sum of Twenty pound be levied on the Owner of the said Vessell; and that the said Vessel called The Patience and the Goods which have been so weighed thereout, be detained until the same be paid.
That our Clerk do write to the Clerk of the Thames & Severn Canal Company and inform him of the above circumstances for His Government: and that the thanks of the Committee be presented, through our Clerk, to the person from whom the communication proceeded, by means of which the foregoing circumstances have been brought to light.
That, it having been represented to this Committee, that other cases of defraud in respect to Tonnage on converted Timber have occurred:
Ordered that our Clerk do make the necessary inquiries & take the necessary steps to ascertain the particulars of such Frauds, and bring them before the Committee without delay.
Ordered that an Inclosure be made on Walbridge Wharf for securing Coals for W H Hyatt Esq.
Ordered that the following Bills be paid, viz:
John Dimock, Timber Merchant: 19^£.8^s.1^d
R^d Bushell, Smith: 9^s.3^d
