The 6th Henry VIII. c. 17. is an act to make the river of Canterbury navigable, by deepening and embank ing. By 27th Henry VIII. c. 18. the conservation of the Thames is granted to the mayor and corporation of London. In 1539, 31st Henry VIII. c. 4. power to make a distant cut is given to the mayor and corporation of Exeter. The object of this act was to restore to the city of Exeter the navigation which had been destroyed by Hugh Courtney, Earl of Devon. This new cut was not provided with sluices until 1581 ; and it was not un til a century afterwards, viz. in 1675 and 1697, that the corporation were enabled, by the introduction of locks, to complete a navigation to the city for vessels of 100 tons. In the 13th of Elizabeth, an act passed to make the Welland navigable. The works then executed still exist, and are of the rudest sort. In 1571, an act was passed for an artificial canal, to bring the river Lea to the north side of the city of London; but it was not act ed on. The new river aqueduct was a specific act ob tained under James I.
The reigns of the Stuart family, therefore, must be assumed as the era of the actual commencement of arti ficial inland navigation. James I. sent engineers to view the Fens, and suggest means for their relief; and agreed that the crown lands should contribute towards the ex pense. In the 21st James I. c. 42. an act was passed for the navigation between London and Oxford, Which may be said to be the parent of the river acts. In 1610 the river Lea bill was acted on, and brought to Lime house.
In 1655, an act was passed to make the river Wye navigable; and in the same year for the Ouse, from the Humber to York. • It is evident from their repeated failures in the Fens, that the artists then in England were deficient in expe rience and skill. James, therefore sent for engineers from Holland, which cottntry was then busy with various works of drainage and navigation, and at that time sup plied all Europe with hydraulic engineers. (See La LANDE, pp. 175, 195, 197.) So early as the reign of Henry VIII. Cornelius Vanderdelp embanked and drain ed the marshes of \Yapping, and had one half the land for his trouble, confirmed by repeated acts of parliament. On the same pi inciple Cornelius Vermuydcn undertook, in the reign of James I. to embank Dagenham levels on the Thames; and a patt of the lands WAS confirmed to him by patent in 1621.
Vermuyden and other Dutch artists were sent to drain the eastern and northern fens ; and in 1626, under Charles I. they made proposals for recovering the great level, and that of Hatfield Chase,at the mouth of the Trent. This last was effected in five years, at an expence of 53,825. They also huilt Misterton Sas, in the river Idle ; probably the first lock with a chamber which was built in England. It was rebuilt by.John Smeaton. Although these Dutch
men were frustrated as to the great level, and also the Aire and Calder livers, their example communicated in telligence and skill to Englishmen, and promoted similar improvements. But, unless when connected with drain age, navigation does not seem to have been made an eb ject of attention. If we may rely upon the representa tions of the town of Lynn, it was very materially obstruct ed. Indeed, until the act of 1661 for the Bedford canal, no provision was made respecting the navigation.
In 1628 a bill was brought in to improve the river Medway. It was not then passed, but the improvemeht was subsequently undertaken by Michael Cole, under a royal patent. Havi»g, however, been petitioned against under the commonwealth, it vvas set aside as a monopoly. During the troubles and civil wars no progress W3S made in these sort of works; indeed, many of those previously constructed were injured and destroyed.
After the Restoration, inland navigation was taken up with zeal. Charles II. and many of his courtiers, dur ing their exile in the Low Countries, had opportunities of witnessing the benefits of inland navigation; and it is worthy of notice, that all the bills originated with the lotds. In 1661 and 1662, unsuccessful attempts were made to obtain a general law for making all rivers navi gable which were capable of it. Private bills were however passed.
Acts were passed for the rivers Stour and Salwerp, the counties of Worcester and Stafford, Wye and Lugg, in Hereford, AIonmouth, Ecc. This last act was subse quently amended by a public act, 7th William III. which gives authority to assess the county of Hereford for the expense.
Acts were also passed for the river Avon, from Christ church to New Sarum ; also the river Medway, 8c.c.; the Mole and Arun, from London to Dorking, Grimstead, Arundel and Petersfield ; likewise by the Wey to Farn ham, and the Itching from Southampton to Winchester ; and soon after for the rivers Branden and Waveney, the Witham, Scc. from Boston to the Trent; and an act for the conservation of the Fale, near Falmouth. In the 6th and 7th William III. the Justices were authorized to settle the rates for the locks and weirs upon the river Thames. In the 9th and 10th William III. the corpo ration of Colchester was authorized to make their river navigable to Wivenhoe. In the following session, 10th and 1 1th William III. the Aire and Calder act passed. This may be considered as the parent of the Yorkshire navigations, and is now, perhaps,the wealthiest in England. III the same year was passed the Tone. from Bridge water to Taunton, and for the Trent in the counties of Leicester, Derby, and Stafford. Next year, for the Lai ke or Bame, near Bury St. Edmond ; for the Avon and Fronme, above Bristol ; and for the river Dec.