1848-1874
Gloucestershire Archives TS165b
Minutes of Committee from 1848 to 1874
Letter from Mr Protheroe re Wharf at Lechlade.
River Churn water payments listed.
Application from Mr Easton of Cirencester re alterations in front of his house through which one of canal feeders runs, which he wishes to convert into a stream. Granted without injury to supply of water. Small annual payment.
Application to Parliament for Act to make a railway from Andover to join Midland railway near Cirencester.
Mudding of ponds at Wallbridge, Chapel Bridge Chalford and Grist Mill.
Accident to one of Mr George’s boats by Company ice boat. Mr Jones exonerated of blame. £3.10s offered in lieu of all claims for damages.
Mr Willson and Mr Ferrabee had examined steam engine at Thames Head. Favourable report but requires new boiler and pumps and feed pipes ordered by Mr Willson without Chairman’s permission.
Repairs at Lechlade undone by late tenant authorised. £20.
Law business £27.1.2.
Falling off of receipts as charges for wharfage had been abandoned as the Railway Company making no charge for landing goods.
Letter from Mr Bravender of Cirencester, Agent to Lord St German. Planned improvements in a farm house and premises at Eisey. Bridge over canal would be serious impediment to plans. Swing bridge proposed. Reply that Public would have cause of complaint. Interference with navigation of canal. Request refused.
Coal trade at Thames Head and near Tetbury considerably reduced. Tonnage of 2s more than trade can support. Drawback of 9d on coal for supply of Tetbury, Malmesbury and neighbourhood.
Complaint about wharfinger of Kempsford for his inattention and neglect of duties. Mr Willson to find a more efficient person.
Half-yearly accounts to 4 April 1848.
Letter from Mr Willson to Chairman re his liabilities, tendering his resignation. Confidential person to be sent to Brimscombe.
Mr Calvert reported on Mr Willson’s accounts. Resolutions re Mr Willson’s affairs.
Survey of Navigation Lechlade to Brimscombe.
Report on work of Carpenters, Masons and Labourers.
Mr Marling applied for permission to allow his tenant to use towpath for his horse to get to piece of land near the Cleaves. Granted. One shilling a year
Letter from Messrs Ridler & Son re their work on new weighing machine. £20 allowed, of which £10 paid to Mr Tuffley the quarryman for hauling stone.
Mr Bennett made statement on Mr Willson’s liabilities. Repayments to Company, Mr Ogden, Mr Marling. Mr Willson is to sell lease of land, dead stock and disposable property except furniture.
Mr Smith of Brimscombe proposed to carry coal to Brimscombe for forwarding by rail to stations between Minety, Wootton Bassett and Reading. Agreed to ask general meeting to reduce tonnage and wharfage to 9d per ton.
Mr Willson had not sold his outdoor stock.
Mr George of Gloucester made enquiry re letting of premises he formerly occupied at Brimscombe. Person connected as a trader preferred.
Charles Dix, clerk in office at Brimscombe, retired through ill health and old age.
Mr Willson’s stock sold. Time allowed to sell rest.
Half-yearly accounts to 2 October 1848
Letter from Messrs Brewin and Mr Joseph Smith, coal traders at Cirencester, re reduction of tonnage to meet competition of Coalpitheath and Forest coal brought by railway. No reduction at present.
Infirmities of Mr Dicks, clerk at Brimscombe. Annuity of £40 per annum.
Letters from Mr Willson and his surety Mr Bennett.
River Churn water payments listed.
Mr Goold of Montserrat near Stroud proposed to take house at Brimscombe previously occupied by Mr George. Estimate of repairs £82.2. Offer of lease for 7 years, rent clear of all taxes without repairs.
Mr Goold had taken house at Brimscombe. Repairs being attended to.
Mr Willson’s financial dealings continued.
Half-yearly accounts to 2 April 1849.
Mr Willson’s financial dealings continued.
Mr Warburton’s 7 years term at Thames Head Wharf had expired with money owing. Mr Willson to proceed by distress for the rent.
Chairman Mr Richards, Mr Maitland and Mr Evans surveyed Canal, Lechlade to Brimscombe. In general good order. A few lock gates in need of repair.
Report of work of Carpenters, Masons and Labourers.
Joseph Adams permitted to erect weighing machine at Lechlade.
Keylock, miller at Latton pound, applied for a laybye. Mr Willson to supply materials.
Wooden trunk used for irrigation of Lord Bathurst’s land decayed and useless. Mr Willson to see Mr Anderson, Lord Bathurst’s agent.
Mr Restall applied to take small bit of Company land at Ballinger’s Lock at Chalford to build a low wall. In return to stop up a drain Company was obliged to keep open to supply Ballinger’s Mill. Agreed if arrangement made between Mr Restall and Mr Ballinger.
Satisfactory conduct of two watchmen on Summit level. 10s to each.
House occupied by Mr Hodgson at Brimscombe to be repaired.
Warburton’s request to extend tenure to 1 August granted. Further request refused. Application to Judge of County Court to evict him.
New form of rental suggested.
Small traders complained of hardship. Required to carry at least 1000 tons of coal. Allowed to carry unlimited quantity of coal from Brimscombe Port by railway at or beyond Minety, Toll reduced to 9d a ton.
Several boats and barges occupying waterway of canal not employed for considerable time. Some sunken and half sunken. Plunder of coals etc. Enforcement of law against owners.
Half-yearly accounts to 1 October 1849.
Mr Biddle of Stroudwater requested donation in aid of erecting a school for poor children. Committee not authorised to make a donation.
Mr Willson unable to pay £50. Committee expected regular payments to be made.
River Churn water payments listed.
Decayed and worn out state of engine at Thames Head. Estimates from Mr Ferrabee for repairs. To be forwarded to Mr Richards.
Mr Willson to advertise for second hand engine. Offers received from two parties and from a third to act as agent to purchase one. Chairman’s instructions to Mr Willson re information to Mr James Knowles re his offer. No other reply received.
New steam engine at Thames Head. Proposal from Mr Wilson of Leeds. Cost £1240 or £930.
Mr Willson to write to Messrs Sharp Bros of Manchester for tenders and to call on Mr Massey re his patent reciprocating action pumps.
Mr Adams to pay £10 rent for weighing machine at Lechlade.
Mr Anderson, Lord Bathurst’s agent, to explain his plan for an encroachment on canal feeder at Barton Mill.
Clerk to attend to part of Great Western Railway Act re charge of tonnage .
Mr Willson allowed to reduce by drawback expense of coals at Cirencester carried by rail from Brimscombe Station.
Half-yearly accounts to 2 April 1850.
Letters from Messrs Hick & Son and C B Wilson & Co re steam engine at Thames Head. Decision to have high pressure engine complete with all new improvements.
South Wales Railway Co had arranged to carry coal in their wagons via Stonehouse into the district supplied by the Canal. Saving of 9d per ton would probably destroy coal trade along navigation.
No steps to order new steam engine till report on probable effects of this measure.
Lord Bathurst’s request re alterations at Barton Mill. Path for Company to be provided. No interruption to course of feeder.
Survey of canal Lechlade to Cirencester.
At Eisey Bridge Mr Bravender, for Lord St Germans, asked leave to take down present bridge across canal and erect swing bridge, to erect cottage, keep person there to open, shut and attend to it and indemnify Company from claims made by public. Agreed.
At Thames Head, Mr Kearsey and Mr Hayward of Kemble met Committee on subject of rating Engine House Cottage and lands taken into Canal and banks alongside in Parish of Kemble. Rate to be paid.
Mr Robert Gordon, representative of Mr Charles Westley Cox, to repay rate. Also Vicar of Kemble. Notice to be sent to Mr Robert Gordon and Mr Thomas Salt.
Steam engine boilers to be repaired, also to have new wooden beam. Expense not to exceed £200.
Salt room to be built at west end of present building at Thames Head Wharf. To enable present tenant, Mr Knight, to stow away about 30 tons.
Discussion of tolls between Framilode and Cirencester. Reduction of 9d per ton proposed for traders.
Mr Baker, who had deprived Company of water on Sundays at Puck Mill Whitehall Lower Lock, admitted right of Company. Ownership of land between feeder and Brook to be decided by some competent person. Mr Baker to cut weeds and sedges in Company’s Reservoir.
Action against Mr Willson by Walkley for stone delivered to Thomas Ridler & Son which he pretends was delivered to Thames & Severn Canal Co. Mr Willson was authorised to defend the action.
Report on work of Carpenters, Masons, Labourers etc.
No Business.
Repair of engine boilers. Mr Cowmeadow’s estimate accepted.
Weighing machine at Lechlade completed by Messrs Pooley & Son. Cost £52.10.
River Churn water payments listed.
£50 due from Mr Willson paid in travelling expenses. Chairman to decide claim.
Credit to Mr Willson for travelling expenses, £59 0 2.
Tonnage of 6d on all stone taken from Summit Level.
Rate on foreign timber and deals 1d per ton.
Letter containing proposition of Stroudwater Canal Committee re Tonnage.
Reply to letter from Mr Beard, Chairman of Stroudwater Navigation re reduction of tolls to resist efforts of Railway Company to take trade. Uniform tonnage of 6d necessary.
Reply to Mr Croome, Chairman of the Stroud Navigation Committee.
Committee to meet at Lechlade on 4 August to proceed along the Navigation.
Mr Richards, Mr Bayley and Mr John Salt met at Lechlade 5 August. After examining weighing machine they proceeded to Thames Head.
Petition from Thomas Morse and John Wells, traders at Radcot.
Weighing machine erected at Lechlade, cost £79. Let to Joseph Adams, £10 per annum.
New roof on shed at Lechlade.
Trunk across canal at Plummers field to irrigate Lord Bathurst’s land completed.
Mr Willson’s report on state of engine.
Committee to build stable at Thames Head Wharf. Mr Knight to pay 7½ per cent on outlay. Free if he sells more than 1500 tons of coal in a year.
Old barges and boats impeding navigation of Canal. Penalties if not removed by 1 September.
Solicitors to procure duplicate copies of all Acts relating to Great Western Railway. South Western Railway, Cheltenham and Great Western Railway.
Letter from Mr Eycott. Stroudwater Navigation adhere to first proposition. Negotiations at an end.
Report of work of Carpenters, Masons, Labourers etc.
No business.
Springs exhausted, Churn dry. Ice forming in locks, trade greatly inconvenienced.
Railway not yet carrying coal because the South Wales & GW companies have not agreed tolls.
Death of Mr Lane, Clerk of Company.
Post offered to Newton John Lane. Salary £20 per annum.
Special meeting re alterations in tonnage of coal to Cirencester.
Reduction of 3d per ton on coals sent to Cirencester.
River Churn water payments.
Mr Newton J Lane declined office of Clerk of the Company.
Mr Walter Prideaux, of Goldsmiths’ Hall, appointed Clerk of Company. Salary £20 per annum.
Chairman declined to take initiative on discussion on tolls with Stroudwater Canal Company.
Mr Willson’s claim of £67.9.4 for extra expenses. £55.10.0 allowed.
Ring of cylinder of engine broken. To be repaired as soon as possible.
Half-yearly accounts from 2nd April 1950 to 5 April 1852.
Resolutions on accounts and tolls.
Mr Charles Iles to pay into the bank the balance of £823.9.11 in the weekly cash account.
New rates of tonnage to be explained.
Meeting at Brimscombe Port. Unsatisfactory state of Mr Willson’s accounts. Detailed statement of account. Mr Willson dismissed from service of Company.
Mr Charles Iles to be responsible for management of Summit level and Eastern portion of Canal.
Mr John Hooke Taunton, appointed Company’s Manager at Brimscombe. Salary £250 per annum. Mr Taunton’s sureties to be Mr G Taunton, 26 Austin Friars, Stockbroker and Mr J J Saunders of Brooks Wharf, Upper Thames Street.
Contract for repair of waggon shaped boiler at Thames Head.
Park End Wharf at Lechlade let to Mr Thomas Hawker of Filkins. Rent £40 per annum. Wharf and warehouse not included. Free to public on payment of Houseage and Wharfeage.
Weighbridge to be kept in good repair.
Mr Hawker to be Company Local Agent at Lechlade Wharf. Salary £20 per annum.
Mr Hawker to be allowed drawback of 3d per ton on coals landed by him over 1500 tons.
Mr James Webb of Chalford surety for Mr Hawker
Traders at Burford to propose terms for carriage of coal on Canal.
Mr Smith had paid Company £23 11. Mr Smith’s debt to Company only £13 10 2.
Mr Taunton to ascertain fair charge for tonnage of Mr Barnes’ boats carrying grain on Canal.
Half-yearly accounts to 4 October 1852.
