Fri 22 Dec 1843
Special meeting. Widow of Thomas Critchley of Whitminster to remain tenant of house, but not warehouse, at £8 per annum.
Mr George declined occupancy of half wharf at Dudbridge. Would dispose of weighing machine and wooden fence round wharf for £55. £37 to be offered for engine.
Ice boat to be covered with iron, price not exceeding £15.
3 months notice to William Organ, carpenter, to leave Company’s service and house due to his incompetence.
Various frauds by making false entries of goods carried down canal by Chas Bosley, John Sims & Co., and Geo Nurse. Prosecution for offences if proved.
Frauds by Henry Field and George Williams. False reports of quantity of cargoes to clerk at Framilode. Prosecution required.
Mr Hawker wrote to Mr Latimer, agent to Messrs J & R Morrell, for information relative to weight of cargoes brought up canal by William Dangerfield. Mr Latimer’s request for indemnity against liability in respect of tonnages granted.
Copy of letter sent by Mr Hooper in respect of handing proxies to Clerk at last Half Yearly General Meeting, and consent of Mr Gurney thereto, entered in Minutes.
At a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held (in pursuance of the Resolution of the Meeting of Dec^r 15th) at the Committee Room at Wallbridge on friday the 22nd day of Dec^r 1843
Present: [In time 3/ & 2/6] M^r Sam^l FIsher, Jos^h Fisher, H^y Beard, Croome, Wathen Chairman, M^r Wyatt officiated for him, Wyatt, Hughes, Martin, P H Fisher, Jn^o Stanton.
M^r Martin having reported that Tho^s Crithcley of Whitminster Wharf was dead and that his Widow Critchley was desirous of continuing the occupation of the house on the same terms as her late husband but not to become tenant of the Warehouse,
Order'd that she be accepted as tenant of the House from the 29th of September at £8 per an^m payable Quarterly.
M^r Mason reported that he had met M^r Jn^o George in conformity with the resolution pass'd at the last Meeting of the Committee; and that M^r George declined accepting the offer made to him for his occupation of half the Wharf at Dudbridge; but that he was desirous of dsiposing of the Weighing Machine and the Wooden fence round the Wharf his property, at the price of £55.
Resolved, that without reference to the fence, M^r Mason be impowered to offer M^r George £37 for the Engine in its present state.
M^r Mason having suggested the propriety of covering the Ice Boat with Iron, (in order to render it available for its intended object), the expense of which he says will not exceed £15:-
Order'd that the same be done accordingly.
M^r Mason having reported the incompetency of W^m Organ to preform his work as a Carpenter satisfactorily;_
Order'd that 3 months notice be given him to leave the Company's service and the house he lives him.
It having been reported by M^r Mason that various frauds have been committed by making false entries of Goods carried down the Canal, by Cha^s Bosley, Jn^o Sims ^& C^o, and Geo: Nurse,
Order'd that they be prosecuted for such of the said offences as can be proved against them.
M^r Hawker reported that he had discovered various frauds committed by Henry Field and George Williams in making false reports of quantity of Cargoes to our Clerk at Framilode and thereby paying less tonnage than was due:-
Order'd that the above mentioned persons be prosecuted for those Offences.
M^r Hawker reported that he wrote to M^r Latimer, agent to Mess^r S & R Morrell relative to the weight of certain Cargoes of Coals brought up our Canal by W^m Dangerfield; and a letter from M^r Latimer having been read in reply, wherein he offers to give information on being indemnified against any supposed liability on the part of Mess^r S & R Merrell in respect of the Tonnage of their Cargoes:
Order'd that the required Indemnity be granted.
Resolved that a copy of the letter sent by M^r Hooper dated 20th Inst addressed to the Chairman of this meeting in respect to the handing the proxies to the clerk at the last General Half Yearly Meeting and the consent of M^r Gurney thereto, be entered in the Minutes of this meeting; and the original preserved with the papers of the company.
Copy of M^r C Hooper's letter to the Chairman of the Committee, Stroud Canal Office, Wallbridge
Eastington Dec 20th 1843
Sir
Having been requested to write you my understanding of the facts connected with the deposit of the proxies with the Clerk at the last General Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroud Navigation as far as my memory will serve me it is as follows, that some Shareholder whose name I do not recollect proposed that the proxies should be deposited in the Office of the Clerk, that his proposition was approved by Mess^rs Gurney and Croome as also by M^r Richard Hawker, but that after most of the parties present had left the room, M^r Gurney expressed his decided dissent to their retention at the Office and signified his intention to claim their removal.
I remain, Sir
Yours respectively
signed Charles Hooper
