Fri 15 Dec 1843
Mr Mason; several Worcesters gauged, gauging stick gave fullest amount of weight of cargo. Excess of only 7cwt above certified quantity. Ticket of the ‘Sampson’, cargo gauged on by Thames & Severn Canal Co at 3ton 5cwt above actual quantity.
Mr Mason reported that piling and planking at Dudbridge required 105 yards timber at a cost of £20, or stone costing £60. Timber to be used.
Drawback allowed to Mr Trotter on 91 tons of coals.
Mr Wilson, Clerk to Thames & Severn Canal Co, mentioned machine for weighing vessels for tonnage to be erected at Brimscombe Port. He thought Company ought to subscribe one third of cost, total £1100. Committee does not think it desirable.
Mr Wilson requested explanation as to our rating of weight of bricks.
Mr John George’s tenancy of part of wharf at Dudbridge expires at Christmas. Division of wharf with Frederick Nurse, while making weighing machine property of Company, to be discussed by Mr Mason.
Mr David Edwin Hughes, agent for George Hennett of Bridgwater, and Mr James Smith attended. Erection of certain bridges and viaducts near Stroud for Railway Company required timber and other materials to be conveyed on Navigation by Mr Smith. Request to extend previous drawback to timber and materials brought to railway bridge at Stonehouse to Dudbridge and Wallbridge or intermediate places to make cost 1s 6d per ton. Agreed.
Mr Gurney’s proxies to be returned to him.
At a Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Wallbridge on Friday the 15th day of December 1843
Present: [In time 3/ & 2/6] M^r Jos^H Fisher, Sam^l Fisher, Jn^o Holbrow. R^d Martin, T C Croome, Jn^o Stanton, H^y Wyatt, P H Fisher Chairman, H Beard, Geo Wathen.
M^r Mason attended and reported that in regard to several Worcesters which have been guaged since the last Committee Meetin, it had been found that our guaging stick gave the fullest amount of the weight of the Cargoes if not an excess. That with respect to one of the largest sized Vessels, the weight of whose Cargo has bee ascertained in the manner directed by the minutes of the last meeting, it had been found that there was an excess of only 7 Cwt above the certified quantity, & that it appear'd by the thicked of a Vessel call'd the Samson which had pass'd on the Thames and Severn Canal that the Cargo had been gauged by that Company at 3 Ton 5 Cwt _above_ the actual quantity carried by her and that the excess had been agreed to be allow'd by them accordingly.
M^r Mason reported that the state of the Piling and Planking at Dudbridge Wharf referr'd to in the minutes of the last meeting, being of the length of 105 yards or thereabouts, and that the same might be renewed in Timber at the Cost of about £20 -- or in Stone at the cost of about £60 -- and it appearing to this meeting that it is necessary to be renewed without delay and that Timber should be sufficiently durable on a plan suggested by M^r Mason, Ordered, that M^r Mason do forthwith renew the Piling and Planking with Timber.
A letter being read from M^r Trotter on the subject of the drawback for the 91 Tons of Coals delivered at and exported from the Junction as mention'd in the minutes of the last meeting, and the same having been taken into consideration,
Ordered that the Drawback be allow'd on the 91 Tons of Coals and that M^r Trotter be informed of the same.
M^r WIlson, the Clerk of the Thames and Severn Canal Company attended and mentioned that a Machine for weighing Vessels to ascertain their tonnage was order'd to be erected at Brimscombe Port, which Machine might be mutually beneficial to this company as well as to theirs, and he suggested (that if sound) our company ought to subscribe one third of the cost (the total being about £1100). The same was taken into consideration and order'd to be further considered hereafter; though this meeting does not (at present) think it would be desirable to conform to the suggestion.
M^r Wilson also mentioned that he wanted some explanation as to the mode of our rating the weight of Bricks, when he was requested to state the matter in writing to the Clerk that it might be taken into consideration.
M^r John George attended respecting his future tenancy of part of the Wharf, etc, at Dudbridge which will expire at Christmas, in conformity with our notice to him and,
It appearing desirable to retain him as as Tenant if the Wharf could be made to accommodate both him and Fred^k Nurse, but that the Weighing Machine should be made the property of this Company (instead of belonging to M^r George) to prevent suspicion of incorrect weights.
Order'd that M^r Mason do meet M^r George at the Wharf on Monday next and endeavour to accomodate between the parties, if a division of the Wharf be practicable and M^r George agreed to part with the Machine at a Valuation.
M^r David Edwin Hughes attended as Agent for M^r George Hennett of Bridgewater and M^r James Smith of Brimscombe also attended on his own part, when M^r Hughes stated that his Principal had engaged to erect certain Bridges and Viaducts for the Railway Company in the neighbourhood of Stroud for which he shoud have to bring up a quantity of Timber and other Materials which were to be convey'd on the Navigation by M^r James Smith, and requested the Company to extend the Drawback allow'd to M^r Smith by former Minutes of the Committee (July 29th 1842 and Aug^t 3rd 1843) to the Timber and Materials to be brought for the above purpose to the Railway Bridge at Stonehouse and also to allow such Drawback for such of the Timber and Materials which shall be carried to Dudbridge and Wallbridge or any intermediate places above the Railway Bridge at Stonehouse as would reduce the tonnage thereon to either of such places to one shilling and sixpence per Ton whenever the same shoud be landed at any such place above the Railway Bridge at Stonehouse.
Ordered that the above proposition be acceded to and that the Drawback be allow'd to M^r Smith accordingly.
M^r Gurney having attended and required the Power of Attorney or Proxies mentioned in his letters read at the last Committee Meeting to be restored to him,
Order'd that the said Proxies or Powers of attorney be restored to him by the Clerk and the same were handed to him accordingly.
Order'd that the following Bills be paid:
Rich^d Bushell, Blacksmith: 30..10..0
Will^m Montague: 4..4..0
Rich^d Cox: 2..16..6.
Various important matter having been mentioned by the Clerks which require consideration:-
Order'd, that a Special Meeting of the Committee be called for friday the 22nd Ins^t at 2 O'Clock for that purpose.
