Bedford Level: Drainage. Act 1757
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1757 c. 18 |
| Year | 1757 |
(31 Geo. 2) C A P. XVIII.
'WHEREAS certain Fen Lands and Low Grounds lying and being in the several Parishes of Soham,Isleham and Wicken , in the Count of Cambridge , and in the Parish of Stretham cum Thetford , and Township of Ely , in the Isle of Ely and County aforesaid, containing in the Whole seventeen thousand Acres, or thereabouts, and which are bounded as follows; (that is to say) From the Hard Lands of Wicken , along the East Bank of the River Cam , otherwise Grant , and the East Bank of the River Ouze , to the South Bank of the Mildenhall River; and then along the said Bank of the Mildenhall River (including all the said Banks) to the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Isleham ; and along the Shirts of the Hard Lands of Isleham , to the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Fordham ; and along the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Fordham , to the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Soham ; and along the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Soham , by Soham Coates , to the Counter Bank of Soham Meer ; and along the West Side of the said Bank to the Hard Lands of Wicken ; and then along the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Wicken , to the East Bank of the River Cam , otherwise Grant aforesaid; have, for divers Years last past been, and still are, frequently overflowed and annoyed with Waters, through the Defect of their Outfalls to Sea, and thereby rendered of very little Value, to the great Loss and Impoverishment of the Owners of such Lands, and of the Inhabitants of the several Parishes and Places where the same do lie: And whereas the said Fen Lands and Low Grounds cannot be drained and preserved, without the Aid of Parliament:' May it therefore please your Majesty, that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament sembled, and by the Authority of the same, That the Lord Bishop of Ely , the Lord or Lords, Ladyor Ladies, of the several and respective Manor ofSoham and Fordham , Parcel of the Duchy of Lancaster, Ner therhall, Wigorn, Great Isleham , with Barnets Beck , otherwise Beckball in Isleham, Newhall and Uphall in Isleham, Wicken, Thetford in the Isle , and Stuntney , for the time being, or in his, her or their Absence respectively, his, her or their respective Agents or Deputies appointed by Writing under his, her or their respective Hands; an Agent appointed by the Dean and Chapter of Ely ; an Agent appointed by the Master and Fellows of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge , for each of their Manors of Soham Rectory and Barway under their respective Common Seals; every Person who shall be bona fide seized or possessed, in his or her own Right, of two hundred Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, not being Tenant at Rack rent, or, in the Absence of any such Person, his or her Agent, to be appointed under his or her Hand as aforesaid; and also seven Persons so seized or possessed as aforesaid of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, lying in the Township of Ely ; nine Persons so seized or possessed of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, lying in the said Parish of Soham ; six Persons so seized or possessed of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, lying in the said Parish, ofIsleham , hereby nominated, and to be chosen as herein after is directed, together with the Agents of such Persons as are herein after mentioned, shall be Commissioners for putting this Act, and all the Powers and Authorities herein after contained, in Execution.
II An Agent to be appointed for every 200 Acres any Commissioner shall be possessed of, more than is required for his own Qualification.
II. And also be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Person who shall bebona fide seized or possessed as aforesaid of two hundred Acres, or more, of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, over and above such two hundred Acres as is before mentioned, may, and every such Person is hereby authorized to appoint, by Writing under his or her Hand, one Agent for every two hundred Acres of such Land that such Person shall be so seized or possessed of over and above the first mentioned two hundred Acres, as aforesaid, to be a Commissioner or Commissioners; and also, that all and every the Lord or Lords, Lady or Ladies, of the said several and respective Manors for the time being, who shall be bona fide seized or possessed as aforesaid of two hundred Acres, or more, of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, may, and every such Owner is hereby authorized to appoint, by Writing under his or her Hand, an Agent for every two hundred Acres of such Land that such Lord or Lady shall be so seized or possessed of, as aforesaid, to be a Commissioner or Commissioners; and that all and every Person and Persons, so appointed, shall, during the Pleasure of the said respective Owners, and the Time that such Owners shall be so seized or possessed, as aforesaid, likewise be, and he is hereby appointed a Commissioner, together with the Persons before mentioned, for putting this Act, and all and every the Powers and Authorities herein contained, in Execution.
III The First Commissioners for the several Places.
III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, ThatWilliam Cole Esquire, the Reverend Thomas Jones Clerk, Rector of Downham; Henry Morley junior, Gentleman; William Groom, John Lamb, Thomas Gotobed and William Jugg , being severally seized or possessed as aforesaid of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, lying in the said Township of Ely , shall be the first Commissioners in respect of Lands lying in that Township; and that Richard Pechey, William Mayer, Thomas Wilkin , Gentlemen; John Fletcher, Luke Staples, James Palmer, Zachary Goldsbrow, Cornelius Harvey and John Taylor , being severally seized or possessed as aforesaid of thirty Acres of such Land, lying in the said Parish of Soham , shall be the first Commissioners in respect of Lands lying in that Parish; and that Hugh Hare Esquire, Edward Gunston, Robert Knight, John Rumbelow, George Gunston and William Sharpe , being severally seized or possessed as aforesaid of thirty Acres of such Land, lying in the said Parish of Isleham , shall be the first Commissioners in respect of Lands lying in that Parish; and that the said Persons shall continue Commissioners in respect of Landslying in the said Township and Parishes respectively, until the firstThursday in March one thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine: Andthat all such Persons who shall bebona fide seized or possessed as aforesaid of fifteen Acres of Land, taxed by virtue of this Act, lying within the said Township of Ely , shall and may meet at the Shire House in Ely ; and all such Persons who shall be bona fide seized or possessed as aforesaid of fifteen Acres of such Lands, lying within the several Parishes of Soham and Isleham , shall and may meet in the Churches of their respective Parishes, upon the first Thursday in March one thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine, and upon the first Thursday in March in every succeeding Year; and shall and may chuse, as they, or the major Part of them so met, and there present, can agree, the same Number of Owners as are herein before mentioned, so severally seized or possessed as aforesaid of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, and lying in the Township or Parishes, in respect whereof they shall be so chosen to be Commissioners, together with the aforesaid Agents, and other Persons, above described, for putting this Act in Execution: And in case Neglect or Default shall be made in the chusing, as aforesaid, such Owners qualified as above mentioned to be Commissioners in respect of the said Township, or any of the said Parishes; that then the Persons who were Commissioners in respect of the said Township, or Parish or Parishes, where such Neglect or Default shall happen in the preceding Year, shall continue Commissioners in respect of the same, until other Commissioners shall be chosen as aforesaid, in respect thereof, upon the first Thursday in March in the next or some succeeding Year; and in case only Part of such Number of Owners as is above directed to be chosen in respect of the said Township, or any of the said Parishes, shall be so chosen, then it shall be lawful for the Owners who were Commissioners in the preceding Year, in respect of that Township or Parish where only Part shall be chosen as aforesaid, or the major Part of them, to determine by Lot which of the Commissioners in the preceding Year shall act in the then next Year with the new Commissioners chosen as aforesaid; and if they shall not determine the same within one Month next after such Choice of Part of such Number, then it shall be lawful for all the rest of the Commissioners appointed to put this Act in Execution, at their then next Meeting to be held as hereafter mentioned, or the major Part of them there present, to make such Determination by Lot, as aforesaid; and in case any Personor Persons chosen to be Commissioner or Commissioners by any of the Ways or Means aforesaid, shall die or be disqualified during the Time of his or their being a Commissioner or Commissioners as aforesaid, then it shall and may be lawful to and for such...
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