Fri 10 Jun 1842
Application to Messrs Osborne Ward, solicitors to Bristol & Gloucester Railway Co to let Stroudwater Navigation Co know whether they are about to proceed to make bridge over Stroudwater Navigation at Stonehouse under powers of Act of Parliament. Unless official communication given on Monday morning next all proceedings on spot to be prevented. No consent to drain under Stroudwater Canal.
Contract with George Basham for keeping towing path in repair not renewed. Labourers under direction of our clerk to be used instead.
Letter from Messrs T & S S Marling stating they were unable to suggest any plan as they were unacquainted with wishes of Committee. Reply that Company are dissatisfied with present mode of feeding water near Ebley Mills. Counsel advice is to restore old dimensions and course of stream to pass under Navigation in its former channel. Works might be suggested by Messrs Marling to secure sufficient supply of water.
At a Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Walbridge on Friday the 10^th Day of June 1842
Present: M^r Cosham, M^r Wyatt, M^r P H Fisher, M^r Croome, M^r Jos^h Fisher, M^r Holbrow, M^r John Staunton, M^r Wathen, M^R Henry Beard.
Ordered that application be made to Mess^rs Osborne Ward & C^o of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway Company to let the Stroudwater Navigation Company know officially whether they are about to proceed to make the Bridge over this Navigation at Stonehouse and whether the Proceedings already commenced there are with that tion and, is so, whether those proceedings and the Building of the Bridge be from their order under the Powers of the Act of Parliament as the Navigation Compan have already sustained Inconveniences and are apprehensive of further Inconvenience by the works there, on which account they are desirous that the requisite official Communication from them thereon. And that unless such official Communication be given this company on Monday morning next, all further proceedings at the spot be prevented. - And further that Mess^rs Osborn Ward and C^o be informed (in reference to their recent mention of the intention of the Railway Company to put a Drain under the Stroudwater Canal) that the said Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation do not perceive any authority in the Railway Act for making such Drain and cannot consent to its being done.
Resolved that it is not expedient for this Company to renew the former contract with George Basham for keeping the Towing Paths on the side of the Canal (with other things) in repair but in future to employ Laborers under the direction of our Clerk M^r Mason to do all such work as was to be done under that Contract.
A Letter from Mess^Rs Thomas and Samuel Stephens Marling was read in which they state that they are unable to suggest any Plan of meeting the wishes of the Committee because they are unacquainted with such wished.
Resolved that in answer to such Letter a communication be made to Mess^rs Marling that the Company are dissatisfied with the present mode of feeding at or near Ebley Mills owing to various Causes and amongst other, to the alteration in the course of the Stream and other works and the destruction of Ebley Mills and that the Navigation Company are advised by Counsel that they can legally restore the old dimensions and course of the Stream so as to pass under the Navigation in its former Channel. The Committee are aware that this Plan might be attended with Inconvenience to Mess^rs Marling and think that works might be suggested which under the Control of the Company wou'd always secure to this Company a sufficient supply of water and obviate this Inconvenience, and they therefore will give Mess^rs Marlings a further opportunity of offering a Suggestion which should make it unnecessary and that this Company desire the immediate attention of Mess^rs Marling to this matter.
