Fri 26 Apr 1844
Half Yearly General Meeting.
Daniel Watts claimed shares nos.99,100, wills of Richard Watts and Nathaniel Watts.
Thomas Clutterbuck claimed shares nos.118,119, will of Betty Clutterbuck.
Motion by Mr Gurney and Mr Wood that clerk to erase with red ink part of resolution regarding Mr Gurney’s proxies from last meetings minutes. Amendment proposed by M P H Fisher seconded by Mr Beard that it remain part of proceedings defeated by 16 votes to 12 because of proxy votes.
£50 per mile for last six months on repairs, especially during winter months. Need to reduce expenditure by contracting with parties for keeping whole or separate part of works in proper repair.
Mr Mason to take up residence in house at Chippenham Platt now occupied by Organ, at salary of £120. Sum not exceeding £50 for repairs, but not by company servants.
Dividend of £15 6s 11d, but 6s 11d to be deducted for Income Tax.
Mr Hawker to give security for faithful discharge of duties.
Committee for next year: Mr P H Fisher, Mr Henry Beard, Mr John Stanton, Mr Henry Wyatt, Mr Frederick Eycott, Mr Richard Hughes, Mr John Holbrow, Mr William Wood, Mr William Fryer, Mr John Gurney, Mr Dan Watts.
Lithographed statement of income and expenditure to be sent to proprietors after half yearly meeting.
Mr Mason’s bond to be accepted in place of note for £250.
At a General Half Yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Commitee Room at Wallbridge on friday the 26th day of April 1844
Jn^o Holbrow in the Chair.
Daniel Watts of Dudbridge in the County of Gloucester Dyer attended and made out his claim to two Shares N^o 99 & 100 in the Undertaking of the Stroudwater Navigation standing in the name of Richard Watts and Nathaniel Watts as being the administrator of the said Richard Watts by producing the certificated of the burial of the said Nathaniel Watts in the parish of Stroud in the County of Gloucester on the 25th day of February 1786 and also letters of administration to the Estate and effects of the said Richard Watts granted out of and under the Seal of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury the 7th day of March 1836 to the said Daniel Watts, by which it appears that the said Richard Watts departed his life on the 10th day of November 1808 having survived the said Nathaniel Watts and it appearing to this Meeting that the said Daniel Watts had applied to the Meeting of the Committee held the 26h day of March last and 19th day of April last, and had produced the above Documents and had been ready to make out his claim in the manner aforesaid, order'd that such claim be admitted, and that our Clerk do forthwith before entering into any other business, register such claim in the proper manner.
Under similar circumstance Thomas Clutterbuck Hardenhuish in the County of Wilts Esquire attended personally and claimed two Shares N^os 118 & 119 in the Stroudwater Navigation Company and standing in the name of Betty Clutterbuck as being the Sole Executor of the said Betty Clutterbuck by producing the probate of the Will of the said Betty Clutterbuck bearing date the 30th day of November 1842 granted out of and under the Seal the prerogative Court of Canterbury, ordered that such claim be admitted and registered as in the last instance.
The Minutes of the last half year were read.
M^r Gurney moned and M^r W^M Wood seconded that our Clerk do fortwith erase with a red ink pen part of the resolution regarding M^r Gurney's Proxies entered in the Minutes of teh Committee 15h Dec 1843 as beginning with the words "But and ending with the word Company, such part never having been entered into at such Meeting but agreed to at a subsequent Meeting by a portion of the Committee and order'd by them to be added to the resolution as originally agreed on by the Committee of the 15th Dec^r 1843.
Amendment proposed by M^r P H Fisher and seconded by M^r Beard that it remain part of the proceedings of that day.
Present: M^r H Beard - 1
Jn^o Stanton - 1
H Wyatt - 1
Jos Fisher - 1
Warman - 1
Croome - 2
P H Fisher - 2
Sam Fisher - 1
Cosham - 1
Total: 12
For M^r Gurney's Resolution:
Present: M^r Rich^d Hawker - 5
Drew - 1
Gurney - 1
Wood - 1
Watts - 1
Sub-total: 9
Proxies M^r Coney - 2
Tho^s Jones - 3
W H Harford - 2
Total: 16
Read the Abstract and General Statement of Accounts.
M^r Wood proposed seconded by M^r Fryer that this Meeting regrets the continued outlay of Money for Repairs especially during the Winter Months of the year amounting as it appears by the Abstract to the sum of fifty pounds per Mile for the last six months. That the Committee for the ensuing year be directed to use every reasonable means to reduce such expenditure either by contracting the parties to keep the whole or separate parts of the Works in proper repair under the superintendence of their Clerk for the time being or by such other meand as the Committee may deem expedient with a view to insuring a more economical outlay.
Proposed by M^r Fryer and seconded by M^r Gurney that wiht a view to the better Superintendence of the Canal our Clerk M^r Mason be directed to take up his residence on or before the first day of July next ensuing at the Company's house at Chippenham's Plat now occupied by Organ at the stipulated Salary of £120 per an^m and that a sum not exceeding £50 be laid out in such house in such manner as shall be thought fit by the Committee. All repairs and alterations to the said house to be done by other person or persons than the ordinary Servants of the Company.
Proposed by M^r Cosham and seconded by M^r Wood that a Dividend of 15..6..11 per Share be delcared and that the Treasurer deduct from each Share the sum of 6/11 suchsum being the proportion of Income tax paid each half year in respect to each Share.
Proposed by M^r Gurney seconded by M^r Wood that our Clerk M^r Hawker do forthwith give such security to the Company for the faithful discharge of his duties as the Committee shall deem fit.
The following gentlemen are appointed the Committee for the ensuing year viz:
M^r Geo Wathen, John Holbrow, P H Fisher, Will^m Wood, Will^m Fryer, H Beard, Jn^o Gurney, John Stanton, Dan Watts
M^r Wyatt, Fred Eycott, R^d Martin, Rob Hughes.
Proposed by M^r Rich^d Hawker and seconded by M^r Daniel Watts
That a printed or lithographed statement of the net Income and expenditure of the Canal be sent to each Proprietor as soon as convenient after this and every ensuing half Yearly Meeting
Ordered that the Bond now produced by M^r Mason be accepted as a Security to the Company instead of the Note deposited with the Treasurer for £250 and that the Treasurer do restore to M^r Mason such Note accordingly.
