1783-1803
Gloucestershire Archives D1180/1/2
Minutes from 14 October 1783 to 10 October 1803
of the Committee of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £988 9s 10d. £698 6s 6d for land sold. Balance £751 10s 4½d. Dividend of £3 15s declared.
Coal Committee to draw sum not exceeding £1000 over and above capital of £500.
House and office to be built near eastern boundary of wharf at Wallbridge for residence of Company Clerk.
The present stop gate at Framilode, having been repaired, is sufficient. Wall of basin to be completed.
Mr Clissold acceded to ideas of Committee recorded on 12 October.
Drain parallel to canal to remove injury to Mr Cook's land.
Mr Franklin to attend next Committee meeting to receive plan and estimates for house and office for Clerk.
2 foot culvert to be made to take superfluous water from Mr Hogg's pond.
Mr Franklin's estimate [for house at Wallbridge] not approved. Another to be produced at next meeting.
Culvert under canal would be more effective in taking off superfluous water at Mr Hogg’s, but cannot be made at this season. Present ditch to be deepened and small flood gate erected as an experiment.
Gates to be erected at wharf at Dudbridge to prevent depredations.
Plans and estimate for house at Wallbridge produced. Mr Franklin to complete masonry, plastering and tiling work on or before 30 June. Company's carpenters to prepare timber work.
Clay from basin at Framilode to be made into brick.
Special Meeting of Committee. Bill pending in House of Commons which may affect interests of Company on petition of Company of Proprietors of Thames & Severn Canal Navigation. Letter from Chairman to Mr White, one of Clerks of House of Commons, requesting to transmit to our Clerk a copy of the Heads of such Bill.
Special Meeting of Committee. Copy of Bill received. In present form Bill contains nothing material to interests of Company. Clauses might be introduced which affect interest. Josiah Isles Wathen to watch progress of Bill.
Cellar to be made under front part of house at Wallbridge. Sum added to Mr Franklin's estimate.
Mr Greening proposed to make bricks from clay at Framilode for 16s per thousand and to take those Company rejects at that price.
Towing paths to be stopped on 8 February.
William Beard to purchase oak timbers for use of Navigation.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £2041 3s 10½d. Balance £1573 8s 6d. Dividend of £7 declared.
Two wings to be added to house at Wallbridge.
Committee for next year: Rev William Ellis, Sam Wathen, Rowles Scudamore, John Allaway, Edward Harford, William Battersby, Josiah Harford, Richard Bigland, Benjamin Grazebrook, Joseph Grazebrook, Samuel Smith, Josiah Wathen, Nathaniel Wathen.
Thanks to Josiah Isles Wathen for his attention to interest of Company, attending Committee of House of Commons during time new Thames & Severn Bill was passing.
Mr Samuel Baylis to be suspended from his office. Committee empowered to reinstate him.
Mr Cooke's drain completed.
Orders continued; waste water at Mr Hogg's, pair of gates at Dudbridge Wharf, Mr Beard's purchasing of oak timbers.
Mr Baylis appointed as Second Clerk until 7 June on condition that he pays due attention to the interests of the company.
Inspection on Company Barge.
Mr Sam Baylis to continue as Second Clerk till July or following Committee Meeting. Repairs to be made: brick work under coping at Froomhall Bridge, at upper lock at Dudbridge and at Double lock; gates at Dudbridge Wharf to be made more secure; the bridge at Chippenham Platt; the lock below Dudbridge; Moor Street Bridge and such lock gates as want pitching.
Lower gates of lock at Framilode to be completely repaired.
Considerable waste of water from canal into Mr Hogg's pond. Letter requiring Mr Hogg to repair banks of his pond. In default of his doing it present trunk to be destroyed and culvert made to convey water under canal into river. Must make floodgate in his basin to take off water in time of flood.
Mr Sam Baylis to continue as Second Clerk.
Repairs ordered nearly completed.
Committee of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal attended. Intended deviation from planned line of their canal to intersect Stroudwater at point now in lowest level of canal. Proposal to continue our second level below Junction by an embankment and to erect a lock in lieu of Whitminster Lock. Provision needed that proposed embankment be continually kept in repair at expense of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal. Committee should be indemnified from all consequences from making such an embankment. Committee of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal agreed and stipulated that culvert should be made to drain adjacent lands.
Mr William Chance produced agreement dated 30 April 1778 stating price to be paid by Company to Daniel Chance for certain pieces of land to be purchased by Company. Mutual agreement that if Company relinquished any corners or bits of said lands Daniel Chance should take them at price Company was to give. Mr Chance claimed to be paid difference between price paid on purchase of land and increased price at which Company sold certain corners and bits of land. Committee against Mr Chance and referred him to General Meeting.
Mr Hogg has taken no steps taken to repair banks of canal. Company servants to repair banks. Clerk to call on Mr Hogg to erect flood gates.
Bow window to be erected in Camm's house at Wallbridge according to Mr Franklin's estimates.
Mr Hicks complained that Company's servants supplied canal with water from river more abundantly than required. Company's servants to make economical use of water.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £884 19s 4d. Balance £606 10s 11d. Dividend of £3 15s declared.
Mr Cummerline, of the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company, exhibited plan of intended deviation from original plan. Meeting's consent to proposed deviations, with stipulations entered into between committees. Proper clauses for protection of rights and interests of Company and provisions as stated in report of Committee to be inserted in new Bill depending in Parliament. Mr Bigland, Mr Wathen, Mr Grazebrook, Mr Joseph Grazebrook to attend Bill in its progress through Houses of Parliament.
Expedient to raise rate of tonnage on firewood and reduce rate on stone carried downwards on canal and shipped at any point below the boundary at Brimscombe specified in the Thames & Severn Canal Act. Firewood 2s a ton, stone 1s a ton.
Bow window in Cam's house at Wallbridge approved. Increase to rent on house.
Meeting of Land and Mill holders to be held at Newport Wednesday 21 December to consider proposed deviation of Gloucester & Berkeley Company from line laid down by Act. Mr Sam Wathen, Mr Grazebrook to attend.
Special Meeting of Committee. Josiah Isles Wathen to retain solicitor resident in London and instruct him to prepare for insertion of clauses in Bill on Petition of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company through Houses of Parliament.
Special Meeting of Committee. Letter from Messrs Jas and Geo Worthington, Clerks to Company of Proprietors of Manchester, Ashton under Lyne and Oldham Canal re proposed tax on inland navigation. Clerk to transmit answer, as copied into minutes. Committee concur in any measures intended meeting of Proprietors of Canals think proper to adopt for general interest. Tax would prove a restriction on commerce and be partial and oppressive. No capital stock in country produces more moderate interest. If tax be persisted in, clause should be introduced to enable Canal Companies to add tax to tonnages.
Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company to defray any expenses incurred by Company from proposed variation in line of Canal.
Banks at Mr Hogg's repaired. Mr Ellis and Mr Grazebrook to inspect them.
Mr Wathen and Mr Grazebrook attended meeting at Newport. Nothing arose repugnant to interests of Canal.
Draft of clauses to be inserted in proposed Bill of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company received from Messrs Scott and Smith, solicitors in London. Clerk to return them with observations of Committee.
Circular letter from Mr Hardy, clerk to meeting of delegates from canal companies at Manchester. Meeting adjourned to 7 February at Crown and Anchor Tavern in London. Mr J J Wathen to attend meeting to represent objections of Committee to proposed tax.
William Beard reported that John Simms had lowered bank of canal at Framilode. Clerk to require him to raise bank to former height.
Banks at Mr Hogg's repaired.
John Simms refused to raise bank of canal at Framilode to former level. If any damage incurred Canal Company to recover penalties allowed by Act of Parliament.
Mr J J Wathen's report on meetings of delegates of very large majority of canal companies in England, 25 January. Measures for effectual opposition to meditated tax on goods carried.
Mr Pashley and Samuel Baylis, second clerk, dismissed. Capable clerk to reside in house occupied by Mr Pashley at Framilode.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £1283 15s 8½d. Balance £691 8s 4½d. Dividend of £3 15s declared.
Committee for next year: Rev William Ellis, Sam Wathen, J J Wathen, Nathaniel Wathen, Rowles Scudamore, Ben Grazebrook, Joseph Grazebrook, Josiah Harford, William Battersby, Thomas Grazebrook, John Allaway, Sam Smith, Richard Bigland.
Mr Hicks and Mr Holbrow complained about supply of water to canal from Mr Clissold's pond at Ebley. Padlock to be placed on weir boards at Ebley Mill ponds. Boards to be raised only when necessary to supply canal with water. No more water than essential to be taken at different feeders into canal.
[First meeting held in Committee Room at Wallbridge.]
Weir between canal and Ebley Mill to be immediately repaired and weir boards completed, repaired and locked down. Thomas Lewis, lock keeper, instructed to raise them only when necessary for feeding canal and keep them locked down and kept in his possession.
Dwarf brick wall to be built across front of house to separate garden from wharf.
Meeting adjourned after reading minutes of previous meeting.
Weir at Ebley Mill pond repaired. Dwarf wall finished.
All repairs necessary to the canal to be immediately preceded with, our workmen not to deviate from them until they are completed.
Bill for £39 17s 2d for lawyers' expenses incurred in new Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Bill to be paid to Messrs Scott and Smith. £49 10s to Mr Grazebrook and Mr Wathen for expenses on journey to London. Clerk to send account to solicitor of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company to request payment for same.
William Smith of Newent to be under clerk at salary of £8 per quarter.
Benjamin Grazebrook Junior's bill for plumbing of the house, and John Pegler's, to be paid.
Edward Keene and William Franklin to be paid for building house at Wallbridge and for making bow window of house occupied by Richard Camm. Rent of Mr Camm increased to £2 10s per annum.
John Pashley to stay in house until Christmas without payment. Must accommodate William Smith and family with one room above stairs and joint use of kitchen.
John Pashley failed to comply with conditions to reside in Company's house. Clerk to take possession of house and remove John Pashley and his effects.
Only read minutes and approved bill to be drawn on treasurer.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £1920 5s 5½d. Balance £1336 13s 5½d. Dividend of £7 declared.
Rev Joseph Colborne member of Committee in place of Mr Bigland, no longer a Proprietor.
New lighter to be purchased.
Messrs Smith and Bird to be paid £100 on account for oak timber.
Company Clerk Mr Hains' business had increased since dismissal of Mr Sam Baylis and John Pashley and the taking in of William Smith, saving Company £28 per annum. Mr Hains should be permitted to occupy new house at Wallbridge free of rent and taxes.
Balance due to Messrs Smith & Bird for timber to be paid.
Mr Pegler's bill for painting and other works.
Lead on boat house to be taken off. Low flat roof covered with blue slate.
Shed to be made at east end of Thomas Lewis's house at the Double Lock, 8 feet wide.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £1587 19s 2½d. Balance £1016 4s 3d. £200 to be taken from balance and added to capital employed in coal trade. Dividend of £4 declared.
Clerk Edward Hains to reside in Company's house at Wallbridge free of rent.
Committee for next year: Rev William Ellis, Samuel Wathen, Rev Joseph Colborne, John Allaway, Benjamin Grazebrook, Joseph Grazebrook, Rowles Scudamore, Josiah Harford, William Battersby, J J Wathen, Nathaniel Wathen, Edward Wood, Nathaniel Jones.
Court Orchard and Bristol Road lock gates to be planked. All repairs necessary on other lock gates to be proceeded with.
As repairs to Court Orchard Lock will take a fortnight notice of closure to be printed in Gloucester Journal.
Court Orchard lock repaired.
Weir boards 5 inches deep to be placed at weir in Westfield Level during remainder of season of scarcity of water to prevent waste.
Balance due to Messrs Bird for lighter to be paid.
John Browne of Cam to recover sum of £6 19s 5d. 1cwt(?) 23lb of sugar and 8lb of tobacco stolen from Company's warehouse at Framilode about 12 October 1796.
Anthony Keck claimed share no.140, will of Anthony Keck, his father.
Company's ice boat and boat conveying material on canal to be graved.
Mr Clissold's proposal for new weir above culvert from his mill pond to canal. Also management of present feeding weirs should be entrusted to his servants. Referred to General Meeting. He should consult with mill holders below him.
Bills to be drawn on the Treasurer for £355 for the use of the Navigation.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £996 4s 8½d. Balance £656 18s 8½d. Dividend of £4 declared.
Considerable destruction of fish by trawling and unauthorised modes of fishing. Granting of fishing tickets to be rescinded.
New boat for conveyance of materials to be built by Company carpenters.
Mr Richard White complained of loss of 54 gallons of porter, stolen from 2 casks in Company warehouse at Framilode. 2 guineas to be paid to him.
Under clerk William Smith for some time indisposed and incapable of fulfilling his duties. Thomas Beard to receive tonnage on lower district of canal and perform duties of under clerk during William Smith's illness or until another order of Committee.
William Smith, under Clerk to Company, to be dismissed from office from 1 March.
William Pavey in place of William Smith on same terms, £32 per year, plus tenement and garden.
Vessels navigating downwards on canal in early part of Spring tides are being obstructed during any part of Sunday. Frequently neaped and lost tides. All vessels permitted to navigate canal downwards on certain Sundays till 10 o'clock in morning and after 4 o'clock in afternoon.
Two openings cut in bank of lower level of canal by Jas Tyler, Richard Tyley, Samuel Saunders, John White, Jas Richards, William Harper, Thomas Daniels, George Lawrance, Evan Jones, William Dunn, Jas Andrews, Joseph Sinderbury(?). Clerk to apply to magistrate for warranty. Rev Joseph Colborne, Mr Wathen, Mr Grazebrook Senr., Mr Joseph Grazebrook to attend next sessions at Cainscross.
Mr Wathen attended sessions at Frocester. Penitent behaviour of persons concerned in damage to bank of canal. Agreement to restore banks, never to commit offence in future. Magistrates request to the Committee not to persevere in prosecution complied with.
Present sluices not sufficient to draw off water from lower level in time of flood. Alterations to be made during summer.
Communication from Sir Edward Littleton of resolutions of meeting of delegates from canal navigations suggesting application to Parliament to regulate and ascertain mode of assessing canal tolls to relief of poor and other parochial burthens, and to make other general provisions relating to canals deemed expedient. Letter from Clerk to Sir Edward Littleton. Canal Company paid consideration in purchase of lands in lieu of taxes. Not necessary to send delegate to meeting in London.
George Minchin and wife Ann guilty of malpractice in weight of coals sold at Dudbridge Wharf. To be removed as coal sellers on 25 March. Robert Harper appointed with two persons bound for him in bond of £50 each. George Minchin and wife to give up house and premises by 8 April.
Bill to be drawn on the Treasurer for £252 for the use of the Navigation.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £1627 19s 6d. Balance £1232 13s 10½d. Dividend of £6 declared.
No charges at Framilode on low boats belonging to trading barges.
Thames & Severn Canal Company reduced tonnage on slates. 8d per ton on all slates carried to and beyond Brimscombe and 2s 3d to Wallbridge.
Tonnage of Bristol stone for making lime or mending roads 1s per ton to Wallbridge.
Committee for next year: Rev William Ellis, Rev Joseph Colborne, Sam Wathen, John Allaway, Benjamin Grazebrook, Joseph Grazebrook, Rowles Scudamore, Josiah Harford, William Battersby, J J Wathen, Nathaniel Wathen, Edward Wood, Nathaniel Jones.
Previous actions carried over.
Inspection on Company Barge.
Upper gates at Double Lock to be immediately repaired.
Mr Beard to purchase oak timber to the amount of£50-£100.
Letter from Christopher Chambers, John Chalis, Matthew Chalis, John Disney, (Thames & Severn Canal Company). Proposal to fence off towing path, from Framilode to Stroud and erect swing gates that vessels might be drawn by horses. Referred to next General Half Yearly Meeting.
Weir erected in Pool Field by Mr Purnell in bad state of repair. Considerable waste of water. Mr Purnell to repair it or weir filled up and destroyed.
Many persons angling in canal. Advertisement and hand bills to be printed stating that prosecutions will be taken against persons offending in future.
Previous actions carried over.
Previous actions carried over.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £1838 2s 5½d. Balance £1604 5s 11d. Dividend of £7 declared.
No consent to proposal to make horse towing path. No probability of repaying expense.
Mr J J Wathen of the Temple, London requested to compile an index of all proceedings of Company and Committee. Clerk to transmit necessary documents.
Shed at Thomas Lewis's house and boat for conveying materials on Navigation finished.
Charles Ballinger bequeathed his two shares in Stroud Navigation to the Committee to pay the dividends, one moiety to Church Warden of parishes of Chedworth and Bisley and the other to officiating minister at France Lynch Meeting House, providing he be a Protestant dissenting Minister and no Baptist or Methodist.
Daniel Baylis claimed share no.73, will of Thomas Baylis.
Warehouse to be erected on Bristol Road wharf, 16 feet x 12, side walls 8 feet high of single brick.
Dates set on which vessels may navigate canal going downwards on certain Sundays in 1800 till 10 in forenoon and after 4 o'clock in afternoon.
Samuel Browne unemployed, working vessel owned by John Gower, detected stealing coals from Wallbridge wharf and conveying it into the trow. Committed to Gloucester jail. Messrs Whitcombe and Griffiths to prosecute him at Gloucester assizes.
Mary Scudamore and Elizabeth Willis claimed shares nos.149,150, Sarah Freebury, sister, intestate.
Demand for tythe on land taken up by canal and towing path in parish of Frampton. 2s 8d for fourteen years due St Thomas Day 1798.
Application from Thames & Severn Canal for licence to stack Newport coals on parts of wharf at Framilode. Contract must await view of the wharf.
General Half Yearly Meeting. Tonnage £1916 12s 2d. Balance £1628 0s 7d. Dividend of £7 10s declared.
Thanks to Mr Wathen for index of proceedings. Payment of 10 guineas and 1 guinea to his clerk. He is to incorporate digest of entries in Company's books in future, as Committee member.
From 1st June next bye law that at least 3 able and efficient persons belonging to and attending every barge. Owner and owners of every barge for every offence against regulation, to pay £5. Bye law to be added to Table of Rules and Orders for Navigating on the Canal.
Committee for next year: Rev William Ellis, Rev Joseph Colborne, Samuel Wathen, John Allaway, Benjamin Grazebrook, Joseph Grazebrook, Rowles Scudamore, Josiah Harford, William Battersby, J J Wathen, Nathaniel Wathen, Edward Wood, Nathaniel Jones.
Thames & Severn to land Newport coals on wharf at Framilode between back of warehouse and Severn. Rent 20s per annum. From time to time Company to receive half quantity of coals on wharf, not exceeding 500 tons, at prime cost.
Thomas Cooke received instructions for rebuilding Blunder Lock.
Mr Newman, principal clerk to Thames & Severn Canal Company, applied to Committee to relinquish tonnage payable during repair of Blunder Lock. Thames & Severn intend to convey coals by land ½ mile from level below Blunder Lock to level above.
Committee to relinquish half demand for tonnage from Thames & Severn during rebuilding of Blunder Lock.
Anna Maria Theobald claimed shares nos.96,97, will of Peter Theobald.
Swivel bridge at Lodgemore dangerous. New swivel bridge to be erected with oak in a square direction over canal.
Committee urged Thomas Cooke, master mason, to use greater diligence in rebuilding Blunder Lock, threatening to enforce penalty in contract.
Rev Mr Colborne, J J Wathen, Mr Joseph Grazebrook inspected work at Blunder Lock.
