Aire and Calder Navigation Act 1698

1Reasons for passing this Act.

Persons herein named, empowered, at their own Costs, to make navigable the Rivers Aire and Calder, as herein mentioned; and to make Cuts through Grounds, whether belonging to the Crown or to other Persons, and to do all other Acts as herein mentioned, for the Purposes aforesaid; Liberty of Way for carrying Materials, &c; and to alter Bridges, turn Highways, set out Towing Paths, &c.; giving Satisfaction to Owners of Premises, as Commissioners shall appoint; in case the said Undertakers have not beforehand agreed.

Whereas the makeing and keeping of the Rivers of Aire and Calder in the County of Yorke navigable and passable with Barges Boats Lighters and other Vessells from a Place called Weeland scituate upon the River Aire up to the Towns of Leeds and Wakefeild in the West-Riding of the said County of Yorke will not only be a great Advancement of the Clothing Trade of the said County but likewise for a publick Good by advanceing the Trade and Commerce of Market Townes and all other Places scituate neare the said Rivers and the Increase of Watermen and the extraordinary Preservation of the High Waies Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That Caleb Askwith present Mayor of Leeds William Rooke Joshuah Ibbetson Thomas Kitchingman Henry Iveson John Dodgson William Milner John Rontree Thomas Lazenby Gent[um] Aldermen of the Corporation of Leeds Sir Lyonell Pilkington Baronet John Goodrick Robert Benson Richard Witton Esquires Theophilus Shelton Joseph Watkinson John Smith Abraham Beavers and Richard Ellis Gentlemen in and nigh the said Towne of Wakefeild their Heires and Assignes or such as they shall nominate and appoint under their Hands and Seales or under the Hands and Seales of Nine or more of them by themselves their Deputies Agents Officers Workmen and Servants shall be and are hereby impowered and authorized at their owne proper Costs and Charges to make navigable portable and passable with Barges Boats Lighters and other Vessells the said Rivers of Aire and Calder from Weeland aforesaid up to the said Townes of Leeds and Wakefeild and for that Purpose to cleanse scoure open enlarge or streighten the said Rivers of Aire and Calder or either of them and to digg or cutt the Banks of the same and likewise to cleanse scoure open or cutt and digg the Banks of any other Streame Brooke Ditch or Watercourse that shall to them seeme convenient for the better making the said Rivers or either of them navigable portable or passable for Boats Barges Lighters and other Vessells and to make new or larger Cuts Trenches or Passages for Water in upon or through the Lands or Grounds adjoyning or lying contiguous to the said Rivers or either of them as they shall thinke fit or necessary for the better carrying on and effecting the said Undertaking as alsoe for the bringing in any other Streame Brooke or Watercourse into the said Rivers or either of them being the Ground or Soyle of the Kings most Excellent Majesty His Heires and Successors or of any other Person or Persons Bodies Politick or Corporate their Heires or Successors and to remove and take away all Trees Roots Gravell Bedds or any other Impediments whatsoever which may any waies hinder Navigation either in saileing or haling of Boats Barges or Lighters with Men Horses or otherwise and to build erect set up and make upon the Lands adjoyning to the said Rivers or either of them Locks Weares Turnpikes Pens for Water Cranes. Wharfs and Warehouses where they the said Undertakers their Heires or Assignes shall think fitt and to alter repaire and amend the same as often as they shall think convenient and to make any Waies Passages or other Conveniences for the carrying or conveying of Commodities or other things from the said navigable Passage or Streames with free Liberty of Waies for carrying and conveying of all manner of Materialls for erecting the said Sluces Dams Locks and Turnpikes and at all times for the necessary Repaires of the same and to doe all other necessary Matters and Things for the better Improvement and [X1 Convenience] of the said navigable Passage or Streames and Premisses or any part thereof either in pulling downe or demolishing all or any the Corne Mills Weares Fulling Mills or other Mills whatsoever or amending or altering any Bridges whatsoever or turning or altering any High-waies now in and upon the said Rivers or either of them as may any waies hinder the said Passage and Navigation as alsoe to make set out and appoint Towing-paths and Waies convenient for towing and drawing of Boats Barges and Lighters passing in through and upon the said Rivers or either of them the said Undertakers their Heires and Assignes first giveing Satisfaction to the Owners and Proprietors of the said Weares Corne Mills Fulling Mills and other Mills Lands and Hereditaments respectively for any Damage that may happen to such Mills Weares Corne Mills Fulling Mills and other Mills and Lands as the Commissioners herein after mentioned for that Purpose shall appoint and such Satisfaction shall be likewise given for the said Towing Paths as the said Commissioners shall in like Manner appoint (in case the said Undertakers their Heires or Assignes shall not before Hand have agreed with the Proprietors of such Weares Corne Mills Fulling Mills and other Mills Lands and Hereditaments respectively concerning the same

Editorial Information

X1 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: Conveniency O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]