1803-1830
Gloucestershire Archives D1180/1/3
Minutes from 11 October 1803 to 15 December 1830
of the Committee of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation
Committee go down the canal for the purpose of inspection on Tuesday 5 July next.
Annual inspection on board a Barge.
Ann Sharpe claimed shares nos.37,38, Mary Sharpe claimed shares nos.40,47 and Charles Thomas Sharpe claimed share no.36, will of Mary Sharpe.
A stable about the size of twelve feet by ten feet to be erected at the Dudbridge wharf.
The walls of the Double Lock to be pointed.
The brickwork of the top lock of the five locks to be repaired and pointed.
The lower lock of the five locks be repaired viz: the North wall taken down and rebuilt and the south walls cased, and that there be put up one new pair of lower lock gates.
The rent of the cottage lately built at Chippenham Platt in the occupation of Browning be fixed at £8 per annum.
A letter from Mr Disney, Chairman of the Thames & Severn Canal Company, requesting the adoption of a horse towing path along the line of the Navigation to be acknowledged and referred to the next General Assembly.
The bridge above the Bristol Road be pointed and a new pair of lower lock gates put in at the Bristol Road Lock.
The bridge leading to Whitminster above Lockham Bridge to be pointed.
Paul Hawkins Fisher claimed share no.116, will of Benjamin Fisher.
The bill of Mr Croome, solicitor, in opposing the Bill for a Tram Road amounting to £1285 to be immediately discharged, and that he is to be presented with £50 over and above the bill.
Entry relating to special meeting deleted
Accounts examined.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £2856 4s 1d. Balance after wages, etc, £1983 14s. Dividend of £10 declared.
Tonnage on timber to be lowered to the sum of 2d per ton per mile.
A Horse Towing Path from Wallbridge to Framilode to be made as soon as the G&B Canal be completed.
Accounts examined.
Accounts examined.
A letter from C.O. Cambridge suggested the enlargement of the culvert (near the High Bridge) under the Stroudwater canal, for conveying the water from Pool Field in case the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company should be disposed to carry off the flood water that way. The Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company to be permitted, at their costs and expenses, to enlarge the said culvert, in a good and substantial manner, and be allowed to use therein the materials of the present culvert. A letter is to be written to Mr Cambridge to that effect.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3379 14s 6d. Balance after wages, etc, £2086 14s 3d. Dividend of £10 declared.
Committee for next year: Henry Eycott, Dr Darke, William Stanton, John Snowden, Thomas Holbrow, John Holbrow, John James, Grazebrook, Reverend Edward Mansfield, P.H. Fisher, George Wathen, Nathaniel Jones.
No business transacted, only four present.
Annual inspection on board a Barge,
The coping at Dudbridge lock to be repaired.
The bricks at the tail of the Double Lock be replaced and the Rack timbers repaired.
The Ryeford Swing Bridge to be repaired
Piles to be put in and banks repaired near the Blunder Lock.
The windows of Hanman's House be repaired and painted.
The brickwork of the lock at the Bristol Road to be pointed and repaired.
Mere stones to be put up to mark the boundaries of that part of the bed of the navigation, and other the land belonging to the Company which has been cut off by the diverted line at and near the Junction with the G&B Canal to preserve the Company’s right to the same.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £2122 4s 7d. Balance after wages, etc, £1066 4s 6d. Dividend of £5 declared. Clerk to tell proprietors 'That the smallness of the present dividend is occasioned by a diminution in the amount of tonnage, by an increase of expenditure on the works of the canal, and by the stoppage of the navigation for a considerable time for the purpose of making repairs since the last General Meeting'.
A letter received from the chairman of the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company proposing an exchange of land; a response to be written informing him that the proposition will be submitted to the consideration at the next half yearly meeting.
Thomas Bowles and Rev. Jeremiah Smith claimed share no.140, will of Rev Edward Mansfield.
£10 to be given as a subscription towards the fund for the relief of the distressed manufacturers.
The owners of land adjoining the canal may require fences to be made on the land to separate the towing path from the lands adjoining that the Company are bound to repair from time to time. If a horse towing path is made it will be necessary to purchase land along the line to widen the road. Even if Messrs Davies do not require such fences, the shortest length of such fences will be five miles.
Making and fencing a horse towing path, purchasing land, conveyances, etc, with a ragstone wall 4feet 6 inches high stopped up with road drift with the requisite gates and adapting bridgeways to the passage of horses will cost £3000. The question of making such a horse towing path is be submitted to the next General Meeting.
Accounts examined.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3406 14s 8d. Balance after wages, etc, £2804 1s 5d. Dividend of £14 declared.
Committee for next year: Dr Darke, Mr Holbrow, Mr Fisher, Mr Grazebrook, Mr Snowden, Mr P. Fisher, Mr Eycott, Mr G. Wathen, Mr Jones, Mr James, Mr John Holbrow, Mr Stanton, Reverend Peter Veel.
Agreed actions to be taken to create a horse towing path as a possibly temporary measure for one year.
Enacted byelaws for the use of the horse towing path.
Accounts examined.
A letter from Charles Owen Cambridge dated the 23 July about the horse towing path was read. Clerk to reply enclosing a copy or abstract from the minutes of the half yearly meeting.
Annual inspection on board a boat.
Surveyed the canal and found the horse towing path and gates completed.
Accounts examined.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £2537 2s 5d. Balance after wages, etc, £1831 5s. Dividend of £9 declared.
Accounts examined.
Ordered that the walls of the Wallbridge warehouse be raised to enlarge the upper room.
Ordered that the westward end of the house now occupied by Samuel Adams, of which now consists of a room on the ground floor only, to be raised so as to make another floor above.
Frances Edwards claimed share no.197, will of William Chapman.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3339 4s 7d. Balance after wages, etc, = £2621 10s 5d. Dividend of £13 declared.
Contribution of £25 to be paid towards the improvement of the road from Stroud leading to the wharf at Wallbridge.
A byelaw enacted for preventing damage to land adjoining the towing path of the canal, that if any person passing through any gate on the line of the towing path leaves the gate open they shall pay any sum not exceeding 40s.
Accounts examined.
Special Meeting. The Committee of the Thames & Severn and Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Companies are be invited to dine with the Committee at the George Inn, Stroud on Monday the 4th day of August next.
Annual inspection on board a boat.
The bridge next above the Bristol Road be repaired.
Coals to be sold at the following prices at Dudbridge Wharf:
..........................................……...Per ton..….Per cwt.
Bilston Coal...…………18s 0d...….11½d
Newport Coal..…….17s 6d...……11½d
Bullo Pill Nub........14s 6d......…...9½d
Special Meeting. Anne James claimed shares nos.41,50, will of Revd William James.
Accounts examined.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £2480 8s 4d. Balance after wages, etc, £1608 17s 11d. Dividend of £8 declared.
From, 1 November the rate of tonnage be raised upon all goods wares and merchandize (except coal) to 3s 6d a ton, and so proportionately for any less quantity or less distance, except on the following articles: corn flour, timber, bricks, sand and stone (except road stone and gravel) for which a rate of 2s 6d per ton to be charged.
The tonnage on road stone and gravel is to be 3d per ton at the Junction of the G&B Canal; 6d per ton at the Bristol Road Wharf and Eastington; 8d per ton at Ryeford and Stonehouse wharfs 10d per ton at Ebley and Dudbridge; and 1s per ton at Wallbridge Wharf.
From 24 October all coals and goods whatsoever landed upon any wharf which shall remain there more than twenty four hours will be charged at 3d per ton. Any coals and other goods remaining on any wharf for more than two months, shall pay an additional sum of 2d per ton for each and every month.
Charles Thomas Sharpe claimed shares nos.37,38, will of Ann Sharpe.
£5 to be paid to Daniel Harrison, mason, for the materials and labour for building the walls at the Ryeford Wharf which he erected for Mr Paul Beard in consideration of the loss sustained by him in considerable part of his charge for building the same.
The pavement of the kitchen of the Ship Inn at Wallbridge Wharf is to be repaired.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3556 12s 10d. Balance after wages, etc, £2950 11s 2d. Dividend of £14 declared.
Read a letter from Messrs Vizard and Buckaman (Mr Purnell's solicitors) calling attention to the hatches, culvert, etc at Whitminster Mills and Lock as diverting a large body of water from the old brook. The subject having been investigated, a letter is to be written in reply and the same be copied.
Ordered that the order of 20 February 1828 be confirmed and carried with effect forthwith; except that the south-east corner of the warehouse, which now projects into the turnpike road be taken off in line with the road.
Annual inspection on board a boat at Wallbridge.
Charles Thomas Sharpe claimed shares no.40,47, will of Mary Sharpe.
The swivel bridge near Stonehouse Church to be repaired.
The bank of the canal at Saul Bridge to be repaired.
Accounts examined.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £2561 17s 2d. Balance after wages, etc, £1668 9s 3d. Dividend of £8 declared.
Record of discussions regarding the request of the Committee of the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company to take water for their canal from Whitminster Mill's pond.
Elizabeth Cambridge claimed shares nos.106,107,108,109, 110, will of Mary Cambridge.
Accounts examined.
Anna Neel and Rev David Jones claimed share no,128, will of Rev Peter Neel.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3080 2s 7d. Balance after wages, etc, £2282 6s 10d. Dividend of £11 declared.
Tonnage on timber carried to be raised from 1 June to 3s6d a ton.
Accounts examined
Special Meeting. The culvert or aqueduct near Ebley Mill is in a state of disrepair and water is flowing from the canal to the brook. A dam to be built across the stream or brook at or near the entrance to the culvert to prevent water from the canal overflowing into the brook but not to prevent the water from the brook flowing into the canal.
Annual inspection on a barge.
Thomas Harman to be dismissed from the Company for breach of trust in lending timber without permission.
Richard Hawker claimed shares no.46,186, will of Mr Hawker.
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £3043 12s 11d. Balance after wages, etc, £2205 16s 6d. Dividend of £11 declared.
Mr Grazebrook to resign as Treasurer, thanks given for his services. Messrs Joseph Watts, Henry Wyatt, Edmund Gilling Hallewell and James Wason, Bankers of Stroud, appointed as treasurers.
New byelaw enacted to ensure correct use of the locks by boats and vessels, penalties to be put in place for non-compliance.
Accounts examined
