1909-1914
Gloucestershire Archives D1180/9/12
Letters written by William James Snape between March 1909 and February 1914
The Committee reviewed your letter and I am instructed to forward 22s 6d towards Mr Bassett's bill for medical expenses.
Re Effluent drain The Committee has considered your letter and I will meet Mr Milne at Dudbridge as suggested.
I will place your letter before the Committee at their meeting on 16 July.
Re Workman's Insurance. I enclose a completed form listing wages paid by this Company during the past twelve months viz Clerical staff £176; Firemen and workmen directly employed £377:4:4; Total £553:4:4. I note you are holding the Company covered until 17th July, that being the day after the next meeting of my Committee.
I have received the tenancy agreement between the company and Mr W. Mourbey. Thanks.
Re: Workmen's Compensation. For the information of my Committee, please explain why the premium in respect of a new policy has been increased.
Please forward payment of wayleave.
Enclosing PO 30s.
Cleaning of the culverts between Junction and Shallow Lock Bridge is the responsibility of the G&B Canal Co.
Your letter about taking motor lorry over the canal bridges will be discussed at committee meeting on 16th Aug.
Regarding the sewers, letters handed to the Sharpness Docks Co.
Employers Liability Policy for one year, cheque value £5:5:3 enclosed
Agreeing to your terms provided the term of the lease to you is not less than five years
Cleaning the banks of the river from near the junction to Saul. What have you been asked to do?
Regret that you are unable to use the wooden bridges as requested due to the being unsuitable for the type of traffic.
Captain W Kibble broke one of the bottom paddle racks and left off bottom gate open at Dudbridge lock. Cost of paddle rack is 5s and penalty for bottom gate open is £5. If you give Kibble a severe talking to and pay the 5s, I will not push the matter.
I agree that the work on the banks can be delayed.
Enclosing Cheque for £39:1:8
Your man Kibble has mislead you. Please send 5s as requested. Men on the stone boats are working this canal in a very careless manner. If no improvement offenders will be prosecuted.
No meeting to be held next month.
No meeting to be held next month.
No meeting to be held next month.
No meeting to be held next month.
Enclosure was opened in error, delivered to wrong address. Address of correct place given.
Late Rev A H Stanton was owner of share No 175, claimed before last dividend payable 1 April. Provide names of executors of will.
Presume it will take a couple of days to clear bank, Will your man do the work? Will meet on spot to arrange.
Please send a copy of the notice issued by the Severn Fisheries Board when applying for their Severn Fisheries Provisional Order (1910) Confirmation Act 1911 and please state if copies of the same have been posted in this district and where. I understand that anglers who have taken out Stroudwater tickets are to be summoned for refusing to pay the 6d charged by your Board - cannot this charge stand in abeyance pending the conclusion of arrangement of lease with this Company now in the hands of our Solicitors.
re: Wayleaves to 31 Dec 1912 Please pay the outstanding Wayleave rents to 31 Dec 1912: the amount as rendered to the Gloucester Office is £8:19:9. I have been informed by Cardiff and Gloucester that the amount has been forwarded by them for payment.
Our lock-keeper reports that Mr D Taylor of Whitminster has been summoned by a bailiff of your Board for angling in the canal without having first obtained your Board's licence. He has the Company's licence. Referring to my previous letter, could not such prosecutions be held in abeyance until after the proposed lease has been signed Does your board's jurisdiction extend to the T&S Canal from Stroud and if so, how far? as our anglers at present are ignorant of your requirement.
Thanks for your letter re River Frome. I will write further in a few days.
I regret I have been unable to attend to the clearing of the river bank as per notice received from the Drainage Commission and will not have my men there by 1 September as they are now on general weeding and mowing of the banks, but the matter will be attended to as soon as possible. Most likely the canal pound and the river bank will be taken together. Can you offer an extension of time which will help us very much.
I have received the Probate of the will of Rev A H Stanton. Formalities are required by Act of Parliament in relation to shares in the Company. I suggest you contact Messrs Little & Whittingham, the Company's solicitors to assist you. I will do my best to obtain a purchaser for the share. The next meeting of the Committee is 17 September: will you require the probate before that date?
I am tired of the tales and complaints of yourself and Mrs Bassett, and you had better conduct yourself with more propriety than you have done hitherto and keep your children in check and stop them interfering with the Company's property. If you will do this it will be better for both parties and it will put an end to all this trouble and annoyance. If you cannot do this I think the best thing for you to do is to give notice to leave and then there will be an end to it. It has been going on for a long time and things have been very unpleasant and it is time it was finished.
Re: Rev A H Stanton, deceased. Our solicitors Messrs Little & Whittingham are writing to you today. On receiving the registration fee of 5s I will enter the death of Rev A H Winter in respect of the holding in your joint ownership and then return the probate. There are three shares, not one in the joint holding, Nos 8, 17 and 136.
I have passed your letter of today's date to our solicitors. My fee for the registration of death for shares 8, 17 and 136 will be 7s 6d and not 5s as mentioned in error. With regard to share 7 which you wish to sell, when sold the matter will pass through this office.
Re Water pipe to canal. Please let me have further particulars viz size of proposed pipe, quantity and for what purpose the water will be used. I will need the information in writing for my Committee. I will arrange for someone to call to see you.
I enclose the probate of the will of Rev A H Stanton. The date of his death has been entered in the share book.
Your letter will be attended to.
Rev A H Stanton, deceased. Thank you for your letter. Respecting shares No. 8, 137 and 186, I have registered the death of Rev A H Stanton and the shares now stand in your name only. Please send the share certificates and I will endorse them accordingly and return them to you. I enclose a form for future dividends to be filled in. Thank you for postal order value 5s.
Mr F Wood, owner and captain of the barge Finis reports that on 14 August he had great difficulty in navigating the canal between 'Walk Bridge' and the 'Shallow Lock' and states that there was only about 3ft 6in of water in the pound at noon on that day and that it took 8 hours to navigate his barge between the points named. He had a load of stone for Dudbridge Wharf and to enable him to get on he was obliged to discharge about 20 tons of his cargo. He was drawing 4ft 7in'. His ropes were damaged. This stone was for Stroud Urban District Council and we obtained the contract for water carried stone in competition with Tytherington stone. You will agree this trade should be encouraged. Unfortunately the Stroud Gas Company barge Reliance was also detained for three hours in the same place on the same day. The ropes of this barge were also damaged. This is a serious matter as Mr Fredericks will explain. The Chairman of the Gas Company informed me that the Committee threatened that if these delays occur they will take their trade off the Canal - we are doing all we can to help them.
I enclose the certificates re shares No. 8, 137 and 186 with the death of Rev A H Stanton notified on them. I attach a receipt for fees received.
Thank you for your letter.
Mr Wood's letter to you respecting the detention of his barge near the Walk Bridge, Whitminster, has been read to me by Mr E P Little. I am sorry that Mr Wood has been inconvenienced. This portion of the Canal is maintained by the Sharpness Docks Co to whom I communicated Mr Wood's complaint - their engineer, Mr Cullis, replied that the water was exceptionally low that day - the 14th - due to a combination of circumstances which he thinks are not likely to recur. I hear this morning that he has commenced dredging at the place complained about. Respecting the other parts of the canal, Mr Wood has no complaint.
Your letter to Mr Haynes has been read to me by W E Little - a member of the Council - re difficulties in navigating the canal between Walk Bridge and the Shallow Lock. I have communicated your complaint to Mr Cullis of Sharpness Dock Co who is responsible for the maintenance of this section. He has replied that they are pumping day and night to deal with the shortage of water which was exceptionally low on the day mentioned - the 14th - due to circumstances which he thinks are not likely to recur. I understand that he has started dredging this morning. I shall be pleased to help you in any way I can.
Thank you for your letter re sale of shares. Up to now I have not heard of a likely purchaser. I will bring your letter before the Committee at their next meeting on 17 September.
[Whole letter is crossed through] The warrant re share No. 176 has been sent to St Albans, Brook St, Holborn, Middlesex.
I have received your letter of 27 August. The dividends were forwarded to the late Rev A H Stanton direct to St Albans, Brook St, Holborn, Middlesex.
I will place your letter before the Committee.
My son will be at Saul Bridge on Monday 8 September at or about 12.30 and would like to meet you there to inspect the river bank from the weir to the withy bed at the Junction to settle what needs to be done.
My son is leaving Stroud by the 10 o'clock train. Please meet him to drive him to Framilode Lock.
Post Office Telephones. Please forward payment of wayleaves due to this Company December last as I have to report the matter to my Committee which will be held next week.
I return the assessment in respect of 'Director's Fees' which is not correct. The total amount paid to members of the Committee was £17:17:6 made up as follows, eleven meetings @ 32s 6d each meeting, divided among those present, see balance sheet herewith.
I have received the probate of the will of Rev A H Stanton. As regards the lost certificate, I think if you will give the Company an indemnity, the Committee no doubt will accept that as sufficient. Please forward the balance of fee 2s 6d - see my letter of 21 August.
Please fill in the enclosed form as to the payment of dividends on shares No. 8, 137 & 186 now standing in your name.
Where can I obtain copies of the notices posted and application for the Provisional Order. I am sorry the Board has thought it necessary to bring prosecutions. I would like them to stand over until the settlement of the proposed lease - they have caused great annoyance. Please look up the Thames & Severn Anglers - no licences are issued by that canal authority between Stroud and Daneway.
Re: River Frome Junction to Saul Bridge. Thank you for cross sections re above.
Re The form of indemnity, Messrs Little & Whittingham have the matter in hand and I have communicated with them. Thanks for the P.O. for 2s 6d and the completed form of request for future dividends re shares 8, 137 & 186.
Re Telephone wayleaves. My Committee meets next week. Please forward payment for telephone wayleave rents so that I can close the books for the half yearly meeting of the Company. Please give the matter attention as soon as possible.
I enclose a cheque for £3: towards the cost of maintenance of lights in the River Severn as per your letter of 16th. Please send a receipt.
Please take notice that you are as soon as you can [to] leave the cottage lately occupied by your father Alfred Bassett who is not now a servant of this Company and his tenancy of the same ceased on Saturday last on which day he was paid off. Get out at once as I am wanting to put another man in his place as soon as I possibly can. You must not receive any monies or do anything on behalf of this company.
Please reply to my letters of 2 and 6 August. I am disappointed I could not lay them before my Committee last Wednesday. Could I get a copy of the notice if I applied to Worcester County Council?
I enclose the probate of the will of the Rev A H Stanton which has been registered in the share books of the Company. I also enclose Dividend Warrant for the half year ended March last and also a form of indemnity for signature - yourself and Rev T. Swire. New share certificate will follow in due course.
Thanks for postcard re change of address. I presume the dividend has to be paid to your account at the National Provincial Bank South Kensington as formerly.
Newtown Wharf. This wharf was repaired at the request of the late Mr Ratcliffe who was told that the only material we had were brick ends and ashes. He promised to run the roller over but owing to his illness this was not done. My men are now at work in the River Frome carrying out some work required by the Commissioners of Sewers. After this is complete I will see what can be done and will contact you again.
Your application to take water from the Canal to the gardens at Beard's Mill has been considered by the Committee and accepted. The charge will be £2:2:0 per annum, subject to the terms of an agreement to be prepared by our Solicitors at your expense viz, £1:1:0 and stamp duty. Please reply.
Your application to take water from the Canal to the gardens at Bridgend has been considered by the Committee and accepted. The charge will be £2:2:0 per annum, subject to the terms of an agreement to be prepared by our Solicitors at your expense viz, £1:1:0 and stamp duty. Please reply.
I Stanton Esq. Deceased. Thank you for your letters containing the early resolution passed by the Committee at their last meeting and also a letter from Miss Stanton acknowledging receipt of it which shall be dealt with as directed by you.
I have your letter of the 29 September. As to the subject matter of the first two paragraphs, this Canal Company, has no responsibility. Re The lower Frome - we have got to the original bottom of the river and done all that we consider requisite. PS When inspecting the canal the other day, I noticed the footboards of the top gates at Shallow Lock were in a dangerous condition. Please have new boards fixed
I have received your letter re sale of two shares. Up to now I have not obtained a purchaser.
Please find rent receipt for £3.15.0 for water taken to Mills 1/4 year to 29 Sep 1913: the following rents have not been paid for quarters ending Jun 1910, Jun 1911, Jun 1912 & Jun 1913 @ £3.15.0 each, £15 in total. They seem to have been passed over and credit given to September. Please send a cheque in settlement.
Ditch near Shallow Lock. The ditch in question appears to be outside the works of this Canal and this Company has no responsibility in the matter.
I enclose P O s to the value of 30s. Please enter them to the credit of this Company's account and return the pass book in due course.
River Frome, Saul. Mr Bullock reports that he hopes to complete by tomorrow. Please have a look at what he has done and let me know what you think of it.
I have no means of testing our weighbridges at Dudbridge and Wallbridge. Please bring your weights when you are next in the neighbourhood and if you will have them tested and find anything wrong I will have it attended to and the machines put in order.
Thanks for your letter re clearing of the banks of the River Frome. I am glad the work has been done to your satisfaction. Our men should start piling in a week or so and are getting things ready at Eastington.
re Pipe under Company's property at Dudbridge. The Committee have accepted you offer of 10s compensation for the placing of this pipe but considered the Stroud Urban District Council should keep the ground over it in repair continuously and not only for the twelve months they proposed.
I agree to your having the withy as mentioned in yesterday's letter, providing you will remit the purchase money within a reasonable time after cutting. Please reply re this.
In reply to your message: Alfred Bassett worked under my control for several years. All I know of him was confined to his working hours - he was an attentive and good worker.
What was the date of your last delivery of stone for Stroud Rural District Council?
Alfred Bassett worked as a blacksmith's mate on the Thames & Severn Canal for 9 years and then for this Company. He was a good workman.
An agreement about water from the canal is being prepared and will be ready in a few days
I am insured for £200 per annum with the Guardian Assurance OffIce by Glos CC. Stroudwater Navigation Co. now wish to insure me. Can a similar policy be taken out without the need to provide further information?
Repeat of letter on page 453
We talked of an allowance of 1p per ton on stone delivered at Dudbridge for the Rural District Council. What would you charge for 10 tons of stone delivered to Eastington?
I am unable to answer all the questions in your Fidelity proposal. I have been Clerk and Surveyor for this company for 42 years, was previously on the engineering staff of the Trent and Mersey canal. I own property in Rodborough and Gloucester.
I enclose a draft agreement between you and the Company regarding water from the canal at Stonehouse
I enclose Employers Statement signed by Mr Evans and a completed proposal form.
Your letter will be placed before the committee
Complaints have been made about your hedge at Ebley. Please have it cut back from overhanging the towpath
Extract from committee minutes: Committee agreed to surrender to Mr Snape his share certificate deposited with the Company in 1878 as security
The certificates are ready for your signature.
Certificate for share 175 enclosed. Dividend on share 96 cannot be paid until the share is claimed.
Details of legal charges for agreement about water from the canal at Stonehouse
Payment of 10s enclosed relating to Guardian Assurance policy
Pipe under canal at Dudbridge: committee agree to compensation of 10s provided Council keep the road in repair
Acknowledging receipt of letter and PO.
Enclosing signed and sealed agreement between you and the Company.
Acknowledging receipt of agreement between the Company and Miss Heath,
You did not attend the meeting this morning. Mr Hopson was here to meet you.
Re telephone wayleaves: Committee would like arrears to end of 1912 settled
You can get on with the work at Gas House Bridge. I enclose time sheets.
I enclose copy of particulars referred to in letter of 29 Nov, as agreed by authorities in Gloucester for payment
Disputing demand for payment for telephone use. Instrument is only used for local calls
We will charge £2 2s per annum for intake of water from canal through a 2 inch pipe.
Stroud UDC requires large quantity of stone for their sewage works. Please write to Mr Milnes with a quote.
Stroud UDC requires large quantity of stone for their sewage works. Please write to Mr Milnes with a quote.
Stroud UDC requires large quantity of stone for their sewage works. Please write to Mr Milnes with a quote.
Stroud UDC requires large quantity of stone for their sewage works. Please write to Mr Milnes with a quote.
Stroud UDC requires large quantity of stone for their sewage works. Please write to Mr Milnes with a quote.
A foreman reports that one of our men sustained an injury yesterday. No details reported yet.
Copy of page from an account book for 1913 showing wages of John Frederick White
Report of injury to John Frederick White
Enclosed are particulars of wages paid to John Frederick White
Please return the list of arrears of telephone charges altered to the present rates as arranged
Complaints received about leaks in the canal bank between the High Bridge and Ham Road. Are these the leaks you reported as stopped in October?
Enclosed are details of amount paid to John Frederick White and doctor's certificate about his ability to return to work. Compensation of £1 3s paid
Do you intend to send your stone by rail to Stonehouse and then boat, or by boat from your quarries?
Information about probable competition in supplying stone to County Council from Standard Granite Quarries who have requested details of tolls.
I have written to the stone merchants mentioned in your letter
Standard Granite Quarries will quote for delivering stone to County Council, by boat from Stonehouse sidings. Let your people know that a quote will soon be required by the County Council.
The matter of leakage from the canal at Ryeford will be on the agenda at the next meeting
Acknowledging receipt of the Fishery lease
Copy of costs relating to repairs of Gas House swing bridge
The people who can provide a quote are Mr Field of Saul, Mr Herbert of Saul, Mr Russell of Quedgeley, Mr Price of Gloucester
Acknowledging receipt of letter
Details of tolls from Stonehouse wharf. Mr Russell of Quedgeley, Mr Smart of Chalford, Mr Price of Gloucester, Mr Pready of Gloucester will give you quotes for freight.
Mr Milnes, town surveyor, wants an estimate for delivery of broken stone from Stonehouse wharf to the Gas House.
Anglers are asking where they can obtain licences. Please ask the water bailiff to call on me. Do you intend to take any action on the Thames & Severn where fishing is currently free?
Acknowledging receipt of probate of the will of W J Stanton and share certificate 96 in his name.
