Canal Cuttings (18)

This is just one of a series of around fifty old newspaper articles that I have been reading. I have been researching from old newspapers and magazines the last 200 years or so of the inland waterways. With particular interest in the issues of the day that were effecting the canals. The most active periods for evaluation and change, has always been just prior, during and shortly after the two world wars. It should be remembered that between the wars the ownership of some of the canals changed hands as the railway companies bought up the waterways to get reduce competition. What is not clear is the effect this early form of asset stripping had on the viability of the inland waterways. Its good to take a look back at what people were saying and doing in the past. Most surprising of all are some of the problems that beset the canals back then - are still prevalent today. Reading old newspapers can throw up some rather interesting stories. Here is what we would call today a public interest story.

Caveat: Some of the articles are difficult to read and even using modern electronic  scanning and text conversion methods. The odd punctuation, word or character may have been transcribed in error. 

Leeds Intelligencer
1st March 1800

GRAND JUNCTION CANAL.

WANTED immediately, from 250 to 300 PAIR of HANDS, on the Contract of Mess. Roland and Salt, at Stony Stratford, in Buckinghamshire. Good Wages will be given, and constant Employment for the Space of Two Years or upwards.

Apply to Roland and Salt, Stony Stratford, Bucks.

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Leeds Intelligencer: 27th September 1803

SOUTHAMPTON AND SALISBURY CANAL.

WHEREAS it appears to us whose Names are hereunto set and subscribed, being nine of the Proprietors, possessing amongst ourselves forty Shares, that a special Meeting of Proprietors is necessary to be held: NOTICE is hereby given, that a special Meeting of Proprietors will be held at the Audit-House in Southampton, (by leave or the Mayor), on Thursday the 13th day of October next, at twelve o'clock at noon, for and by reason of a written Notice to the Company of Proprietors of the Southampton and Salisbury Canal, having been served on the Clerk of the said Company, purporting to be a Notice from "Charles Morris, of the town and county of Southampton, Esq. being the former Owner and Proprietor of certain Lands, part of the Town Ditches, lying without the walls of the town of Southampton, and on the West side of the Canal, called the Southampton and Salisbury Canal, and extending from the said Town Wall to the slope of the said Canal, and of the whole length of the said Ditches from land of Peter Watts, Builder, on the North, to God's House Tower on the South." The intention of which Meeting is to take the said Notice into consideration, and to enter into such Resolutions thereon as the said Meeting of Proprietors shall deem proper and expedient. Given under our hands this 27th day of September, 1803. 

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18th October 2003

COAL BOATS FOR SALE.

TO be SOLD by AUCTION, on Tuesday the 18th day of October instant, precisely at three o'clock in the afternoon, at the White Hart Inn, in Calne, (in Lots), Three capital COAL BOATS, built about two years since of good seasoned oak plank, will each carry upwards of 25 tons burthen, and may be seen at Calne Wharf, the day preceding and morning of the sale.

Also the MATERIALS of a COAL YARD, standing at Dantsey Park, adjoining the Wilts and Berks Canal, and near the turnpike road leading from Wootton Bassett to Chippenham.

N.B.- The above sale will be well worth the attention of persons wishing to become Traders or Carriers on the Kennett and Avon, and Wilts and Berks Canals.

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 30th September 1803

CALUMNY.

WHEREAS I GILES FORD, of Mere, in the county of Wilts, have wantonly propagated a most scandalous report, hurtful and injurious to the character of Mr. THOMAS BREWER, of the Swan Inn, in Mere aforesaid, and very detrimental to the custom and credit of his house, for which an action has been threatened to be commenced against me for the same; but in consideration of my making this public apology, expressing myself truly sensible of my misconduct, announcing that the report was without any foundation, and agreeing to ask Mr. Brewer's pardon in this public manner, which I hereby do, and return him thanks for not carrying his intention of prosecuting me into execution, he has consented to relinquish all thoughts of the same, on my paying the expense of this advertisement, fully complying with some other proposals this day made by Mr. Brewer, and promising never to be guilty of the like again.- Witness my hand this 30th day of Sept. 1803.

The Mark X of GILES FORD.
Signed in the presence of me, EDWARD NORRIS.