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Locks, Wears and Mills. | 39 |
Locks, Wears and Mills.
"
ges inserted in prejudice of the Admiral Jurisdiction, and in support of any
other
Pretence against the same, to be left out; or else to prohibit the Publishing
and Sale of
the said Book. And for so doing, this Signification of his Majesty's Pleasure
may be
your sufficient Warrant. So I rest
Garlicke Hith, 21.
Dec. 1633 Your assured Friend to serve you,
JOHN COKE."
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Further Execution of the Letter abovementioned could not be made, for that it
came
after the Impression was finished and published.
HENRY MARTEN.
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To the Master and Wardens of the Company of
STATIONERS.
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"YOU may understand by the Contents of the Letter
abovementioned, directed unto me, what is required at my Hands to perform. I am
therefore to require you upon your Receipt hereof, forthwith to cause the Book
to be
brought unto you, and to take Order that all the Words, together with the Copy
of the
Letter, and my Answer thereunto, as above made for this Impression, to be
imprinted
Page 939. Col. prima, verbatim in all the said Books, as well sold, as hereafter
to be
sold, before any further Sale of the said Books be made; and this shall be your
Warrant
in this behalf."
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Doctors Commons 24. Dec. 1633
HENRY MARTEN | |
CHAP. IX.
A more particular Account of the Locks, the
Wears, and Mills on the Thames .
Publick Orders for the Preservation of it, and
the Fish .
THE Wealth and Health of London is owing chiefly to this
Noble River, in respect of the plentiful Supplies it affords of Water, the
Maintenance of
a great and rich Traffick, by the Conveyance of Goods and Commodities outward
and
inward, and the preserving of the City sweet and clean, by the carrying away of
all the
Filth and Soil that must needs be produced by reason of such a Number of
Families and
Employments.
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The Benefit of the River Thames.
J. S.
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And therefore great Care was always taken for the preserving of this River. In
Process
of Time, many Wears, and Locks, and Mills were made on it. Whereby the free
Passage of the Water was hindred. Insomuch that about the Year 1578. or 1579.
there
were Three and twenty Locks, Sixteen Mills, Sixteen Floud-gates, Seven Wears on
this
River, between Maidenhead and Oxford. Whereof one John Bishop made a Complaint
to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh. To whom he shewed, how by these Stoppages of
the
Water, several Persons, to the Number of 15 or 16, in four Years only, had been
drowned, and their Goods lost; having been Persons belonging to Barges and
Vessels
using the River.
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Locks and Wears on it.
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But notwithstanding these Complaints, about the Year 1584 or 1585. there were
above
Seventy Locks and Wears (that is, Thirty more at least than there was but Six
Years
before.) And whereas before there were not above Ten or Twelve Barges employed
to
and fro, now the Number was encreased to Fourscore; and were of much greater
Bulk
and Bigness than before was used. Some of these Locks were extraordinary
dangerous
in passing. The going up the Locks were so steep, that every Year Cables had
been
broken that cost 400l. and Bargemen and Goods drowned. And in coming down, the
Waters fell so high, that it sunk the Vessels, and destroyed Corn and Malt
wherewith
they were laden; and especially one Lock, called Marlow Lock, of which there had
been
great Complaints. It was held by one Farmour. The Streams there were so
strong, and
the Water had such a dismal Fall, that four Men within a short time were lost;
three
whereof drowned, and a fourth had his Brains dasht out. And all the Recompence
the
poor Widow had, was, that Farmour gave her five Shillings. But beside the
Danger, it
was very expen-
sive to the poor Bargemen, the Millers selling the Water in the Stream for above
300l. a
Year. Two of these Locks, which were most complained of, were viewed by four
Aldermen of the City, and other Citizens, who well perceived the Danger thereof.
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The Danger of them.
The Encrease of Barges Westward.
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The forementioned John Bishop made Complaint again hereof to the Lord Treasurer;
and in Octob. 1585. made his Petition to the Queen, in the Name of the Widows
and
Fatherless Children (whose Parents and Husbands were by these Means slain)
against
the great Mischief done to her Loving Subjects, by the great Number of dangerous
Locks, Wears, Mills and Floud-gates, unlawfully erected and made in and upon
many
Places of the River, contrary to the Statutes against the same necessarily
provided. He
prayed her Majesty to give Commandment, that his Complaint, and a Proof thereof
contained in Writing thereunto annexed, might be diligently heard and examined;
and
thereupon Order taken as the Necessity of the Cause required. He spake of
Eleven
Kings that made good Laws against these Stoppages of the Water in the Thames,
viz.
Henry III. Edward III. Richard II. Henry IV. Henry V. Henry VI. Edward IV.
Henry VII. Henry VIII. Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth.
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Complained of to the Queen.
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Those concerned in these Locks, Wears, and Mills, the very Day after this
Complaint,
Octob. 14. gave in a Note by way of Petition to the said Treasurer, of Reasons
for the
Maintenance of them upon the River; with the Causes of the Danger thereof, and
some
Account of the Persons lately drowned there.
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The Case of these Mills and Locks defended.
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First, Touching and in behalf of these Mills and Locks upon the Thamyse; That
they
were of as great Antiquity as the Towns and Villages whereunto they adjoyn; and
as
ancient Evidence to be shewed for them, as any Man hath for any Land he held
within
the Realm of England. That they were of such Necessity, as that without them
the great
Multitude and Number of the Queen's People, Inhabitants between Maidenhead
Bridge
and the City of Oxford, should not well know where to have their Corn ground;
besides
Mealing to the City of London, and other Places. That they were also of great
Necessity for the Passage of Barges, and especially at Low Waters.
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