1884-1885
Gloucestershire Archives D1180/9/7
Letters written by WIlliam James Snape between February 1884 and October 1885
You washed some sheep in the Canal on Friday without permission; Mr Vicks pays 5s per annum. I enclose our bill for 5s for this.
Enclosing an order for stone for the top of two piers for a footbridge. Send them to Lydney Basin as soon as possible and a bargeman will collect them.
Order for two grey Forest stones not less than 4 feet long, 2 feet 6 inches wide and 1 foot 1 inch thick.
Enclosing my understanding of the amounts of timber. Tell me for how much you would let me have the other oak.
These are the rates per ton for soda - rates quoted
Mr Lambert wants to know your charge on coke delivered to Wallbridge Wharf. The toll on coke is 1s per ton. Give him your price for delivering it and he will pay the tonnage as he has an account with us.
Enclosing cheque for £18-3-5 for oak timber supplied.
Enclosing cheque for £8 for bricks.
Enclosing cheque for £19-10-0 for 1/4 year's salary.
Enclosing cheque for £10-8-0 for 1/4 year's salary.
Enclosing order for two stones at 1s 6d per cubic foot as before, delivered at Lydney Basin as soon as possible for a bridge we are building.
Enclosing the Probate of the Will of the late Miss Salt. It must be produced at the Committee Meeting on 21st July. Our solicitors will send you the form for the executor's signature. Please return the Probate and No 56 Share Certificate no later than 18th July.
We shall be selling the Ryeford property including the land by the Lock House at the Double Locks so our boundary should be defined. Put in a stone near the Clapgate and another near the gate at the back door showing the line of the path by the side of the house.
I hear that some Gloucester fishermen make a practice of 'angling' on Sundays and other days without a ticket in the Canal between the Junction and Whitminster Lock. Please get the names and addresses of anyone offending in this way.
You allowed Mr Parker to wash his sheep with yours in the Canal. If this happens again your permission will be withdrawn.
Enter and sign the enclosed ticket 6000 and pass it through the books as a spoiled ticket. Keep the 1s from your cash. Mr Fallows will not be able to come down for a few days.
The charge for pleasure boats on this Canal is 10s. Mr Waddy, Canal Office, Gloucester will give you the G&B Canal charge. This Canal joins the T&S Canal at Stroud. Mr Taunton at Brimscombe can give you their charge.
Enclosing two postal orders for £2 for stone. They were not first class or the size ordered and this is the first time I have had to pay carriage to Lydney Basin.
You still put fishing lines in the Canal despite your recent caution. I am told you keep taking fish from the Canal. If this continues you will receive a summons.
Give Mr Fallows the weight of the gravel taken on our Stonehouse Wharf. The wharfage charge will be 6d per ton.
Continue to remove the stone put in at Stonehouse Wharf by the Midland Railway and put it on their land. Try to get the name of the man who put it in as we may have to summons them for trespass. Let me know if you receive a summons from them. I have written to Mr Savage to say you call for the weight of the gravel.
I cannot give permission to bathe in the Canal and enclose a printed notice forbidding it.
Acknowledging receipt of notice re Boundary Posts, Stonehouse Wharf, which I have handed to our solicitor.
You constantly put fishing lines in the Canal over your garden wall. Several times you have been spoken to and Friday before last I saw you put in a line and told you to take out a ticket. As I continue to see lines I enclose a notice stating if you angle or put lines in the Canal a summons will be taken against you.
As the Canal Company are not carriers I cannot give you rates for goods to Leicester. James Smart of Chalford who trades in Staffordshire and other places will call on you.
What is your rate on 'soda' from Haywood Junction to Stourport?
Enclosing cheque for £3-3-0 for one year's subscription to the Canal Association.
Mr Beard complains of the state of the Ocean Swing Bridge having seen three men trying to open it with difficulty. I asked for it to be replanked before so send John to see what might be done. Also tell Mr Sibly that three young men were bathing at his bathing place at 3.30pm on the 9th, one with drawers and two without, although the agreement is for bathing between 9 and 12am.
Your rate on soda will do very well. The North Staffs Railway quote 2s 3d from Preston Brook, a high rate which may lose us the market. We are trying to get a trade in soda from Runcorn to Stroud as large quantities are used in the mills.
Please give me the carriage and toll rates on soda from Runcorn to Preston Brook.
As we are to introduce a new trade in soda from Runcorn to Stroud we need as low a rate as possible to compete with the Railway. The 2s 3d rate is heavy for the 55 miles from Preston Brook to Haywood Junction. The Stafford & Worcester quote 1s from there to Stourport, 46 1/2 miles. Can you get a special rate for this trade?
Thank you for sending Perry to Eastington. Can he stop for as long as we need him?
In a few days the Midland Railway's work on the bridge over the Stroud Upper Wharves and Canal will be sufficiently advanced for your inspection to see whether the work is done according to the Act.
The Dudbridge lock keeper says that at 4pm last Sunday two of your sons undressed at Lodgemore, walked down the towing path to Dudbridge Top Lock and swam back. They were also in the Canal last night. Tell them not to do it again, by order of my Committee.
Can someone meet me in the morning at Hilly Orchard Bridge to mark out the boundary of your land as I am ready to put up the piers for the new bridge.
My lock keeper at Dudbridge still says that your sons swam in the Canal. I cannot give permission to bathe in the Canal but I can submit your letter to the Committee at their next meeting.
We are trying to introduce a trade in soda from Runcorn as large quantities are used in our local Cloth Mills. However your toll from Preston Brook to Haywood Junction is 2s 3d per ton for the 55 miles. Could you not fix a lower rate as the Staffs & Worcs Canal charge 1s for the 46 1/2 miles from there to Stourport?
I my opinion the Midland Railway's new bridge works over the Canal, etc have been done according to the Act.
Mr Phillips fixes a 1s toll from Preston Brook to Haywood. I am unsure of what the soda trade will be as it is new but we are keen to bring it by water if possible.
Thank you. The 1s toll will do very well.
Enclosing particulars of Thames & Severn Canal Co property to be sold at Lechlade tomorrow for the attention of your Committee.
Can you tell me the name of the young man who used to drive the trap to Stroud for you about seven months ago?
Please remove the larch poles lying under and near the crane at Wallbridge Wharf as we are cramped for room. If they are not gone by September you will be charged 2s 6d per day.
Thank you for the credit agreement form stating that any person trading in soda from Runcorn will pay cash when passing over your Canal.
I regret you cannot let me have Perry after Saturday. I cannot get another carpenter so have only the one to put up the Bridge which must be done quickly. Can you not reconsider and let me have him another fortnight?
On 3rd August you broke off the lock and forced open the doors of the Wharf at Wallbridge after breaking the lock of the stable door at the Ship Inn. Unless you send me at once 3s for Company's lock and 6d for the landlord of the Ship Inn you will hear from our solicitors.
The auction for the sale of the Canal wharf at Lechlade will not take place.
I asked you for the toll on soda for James Smart and have sent him your credit form.
Enclosing a credit form for tolls to be completed and forwarded to W D Phillips, North Staffs Railway Co if appropriate.
Mr Davies told the Committee that it took three men to open and close the Swing Bridge leading to his Upper Mill at Stonehouse. Assess what it needs to repair it. I want to look at it tomorrow when we meet at Hilly Orchard.
If you do not remove at once the 9 inch drain from your outhouses to the Canal the matter will be referred to our solicitors.
It would be better, if possible, to pay tolls on boats coming down that have previously passed up. No boats have been stopped for tolls so you have been wrongly informed.
I cannot give permission for your two boys to fish in the Canal. The Company has charged 2s 6d per annum since June 1881 and I have strict orders not to allow anyone to fish without a ticket.
I am offered £80 for the sale of one Stroudwater Canal share to include the next dividend.
Mr Little of Stroud as purchaser wishes to prepare the transfer so please give particulars of the seller and send the old certificate. I shall need a Power of Attorney to sign the Transfer Book on behalf of the seller.
The purchaser will prepare and pay for the transfer and stamp. The Transfer Book must be signed by the parties or their representatives hence the Power of Attorney. This would cost £1, including 10s stamp, which you pay.
For sale of share 56 shall I prepare the Power of Attorney or will you?
Enclosing rent receipt and 1/4 year salary cheque. The Midland's assistant engineer will be at Stonehouse Wharf next Friday pm so please be there.
Enclosing cheque for £16-8-0 for timber.
Enclosing transfer and Power of Attorney for transfer of share 56. Please return it signed and I shall send a cheque.
The Ocean Swing Bridge will be closed on Monday for a week or until repairs are completed.
Enclosing cheque for £78-19-0 for purchase of share 56 by Mr E C Little from the executors of the late Miss Salt.
