Hundred Foot River and Ouse: Bedford Level. Act 1756
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1756 c. 22 |
(29 Geo. 2) C A P. XXII.
'W H E R E A S certain Fen Lands and low Grounds lying and being in the several Parishes ofMepall, Wicham, Coveney, Wentworth, Wichford, Downham and Littleport , and in the Township of Ely in the Isle of Ely and County of Cambridge ; and also in the Parish of Welney in the said Isle and County of Norfolk ; and also in the Parishes of Southery, Helgay and Denver in the said County of Norfolk ; containing in the Whole eighteen thousand Acres or thereabouts, and which are bounded as follows; that is to say, From the South Bank of New Bedford River , commonly called The Hundred Feet Bank , at the Bottom of Mepall Green along the Edge of the said Green and Skirts of the high Lands, to a certain Place called Wicham Hive or Hithe ; and from thence along the Skirts of the high Lands to the Bottom of Wolbey Hill ; and from thence round the Edge of the high Lands to Grunty Fen Drain near Wichford Town's End; and crossing the said Drain, along the Side of the high Lands to Beale Farm at the Bottom of Ely Field ; and from thence round the Skirts of the high Lands of Ely and Downham to a certain Place called Downham Hive or Hithe ; and from thence along the Side of the high Lands to Westmoor Bridge , and so along Grunty Fen Drain to a certain Place called Witches, Corner ; and from thence by the Skirts of the high Lands of Downham and Chettisham to the Bottom of Chettisham Wood Closes , now called Woodhouse Farm ; and along the Bottom of the said Farm to a certain House called Wood's End House ; and from the said House along the Skirts of the high Lands to Littleport Causeway ; and along the said Causeway to the hard Lands at the Bottom of Littleport Field ; and then round the Bottom of the said Field and hard Lands of Littleport to a certain Place called Littleport Knoll , and so round the Edge of the said Knoll; and along the Skirts of the high Lands to an ancient Sewer, called The Croft River ; and then along the North Bank of the said Sewer to the West Bank of the River Ouse , at a Place called Littleport Chair ; and from thence along the said West Bank of the River Ouse to Denver Sluice ; and from the said Sluice along the South Bank of New Bedford River to the Bottom of Mepall Green aforesaid, except the imbanked Grounds formerly of Edmund Skipwith Esquire (now belonging to Viner Small Esquire) lying on the North Side of the River Ouse , are frequently very much annoyed with Waters, through the Defect of their Outfalls to Sea, to the great Damage 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 assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That the Lord BishopofEly for the time being the Lord or Lards, Lady or Ladies of the several and respective Manors of Coveney, Littleport, Upwell, Southery and Denver for the time being, or in their Absence, their several and respective Stewards or Agents appointed under their Hands; an Agent appointed by the Dean and Chapter of Ely under their Common Seal; every Person who for the time being shall be bona fide seised or possessed in his or her own Right of two hundred Acres of Land, subject to be taxed by virtue of this Act, lying within the Limits above described; or in the Absence of such Person or Persons, his, her or their Agent or Agents appointed under their Hands, together with five Persons, being Owners of Lands lying within the Township of Ely ; two Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Wicham ; seven Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Coveney ; two Persons being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Wichford , twenty-two Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Downham ; twenty Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Littleport ; six Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Welney ; seven Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Southery ; nineteen Persons, being Owners of Lands lying in the Parish of Helgay ; and one Person, being an Owner of Lands lying in the Parish of Denver ; to be respectively chosen as herein after is directed, shall be Commissioners to put this present Act, and all the Powers and Authorities herein after-mentioned in Execution.
II The first Commissioners for the several Places.
II. And be it further enacted, ThatWilliam Cole Esquire, Charles Nalson Cole Esquire, John Morley, Jonashan Page , and John Drage , Gentlemen, shall be the first Commissioners for the said Township of Ely; Anthony Gregory and William Saberton , Gentlemen, shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Wicham ; the Reverend Master Thomas Neale, George Clay, William Clay, Robert Morling William Sanxter, William Musgrave and Abraham Biggs , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Coveney; George Peacock and John Cave , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Wichford; Francis Topham and Dingley Askham Esquires, the Reverend Master Thomas Jones, John Leaford, John Tingey, Francis Tingey, Robert Aspland, John Leaford junior, William Cole the elder, Anthony South, Joseph Denston, Richard Hopkin, Edward Martin, Robert Rayner, Richard Grimditch senior, Philip Cawthorne, Micah Cole, William Langman senior, John Ellington, Francis Moxon, Philip Hopkin and Robert Clarke , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Downham; John Pateriche Esquire, Painter Meader, Henry Morley junior, Ashley, John Barber, John Love , Gentlemen, the Reverend Master Richard Oswin, John Barratt Reyner, Robert Crabb senior, Robert Crabb junior, John Cutlack, James Clarke, William Dillamore, Robert Sutton, William Crabb, John Crabb, Henry Wadelow, Thomas Prior, Thomas Gotobed and John Lough , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Littleport; William Greaves, Hart , Esquires, Gabriel Scott, Robinson, John Scott and Edward Smart , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Welney ; Sir RobertBurdet Baronet, Aunger Peacock Esquire, John Waddington, Henry Robinson, Abraham Murphet, Gregory Porter and William Piggot , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Southery ; Sir Cecil Wray Baronet, Sir Thomas Drury Baronet, Matthew Robinson Morris, Henry Morley, Matthew Wildbore, Thomas Waddington and Edward Pratt , Esquires George Harland, William Galloway, Isaac Cockram, Thomas Weasenham, Eaton Christopher Galloway, Henry Mayer, Robert Feast, Henry Tansley, King Whitred, Nix and George South , shall be the first Commissioners for the said Parish of Helgay ; and the Reverend Samuel Sedman , D. D. shall be the first Commissioner for the said Parish of Denver: And that the said Persons shall continue Commissioners for the said Towns and Parishes respectively, until the Friday after the second Sunday in the Month of April one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven; and that all such Persons as are bona fide seised or possessed in their own Right, of ten Acres of Land, subject to be taxed by virtue of this Act, lying within the said Township of Ely , shall meet at the Shirehouse in ;and all such Persons as arebona fide seised or possessed in their own Right, of ten Acres of like taxable Lands, lying in the several Parishes of Mepall, Wicham Coveney, Wentworth, Wichford, Downham, Littleport, Welney, Southery, Helgay and Denver , respectively, shall meet in their respective Parish Churches, upon the Friday next after the second Sunday in the Month of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven, and upon the Friday next after the second Sunday in April in every succeeding Year; and shall choose so many Persons to be Commissioners for the said Towns and Parishes respectively, as are herein before appointed to be Commissioners for the said Towns and Parishes respectively: And in case the Persons who are to choose Commissioners for the Township of Ely , or for any of the Parishes aforesaid, shall neglect to meet in any Year at the Time appointed for such Elections or shall not choose Commissioners accordingly, then the Persons who were Commissioners for the said Township or Parish in the preceding Year, shall continue Commissioners for the same, until other Commissioners shall be chosen as aforesaid, upon the Friday after the second Sunday in April in the next or some succeeding Year.
III Their Qualification.
III. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That no Person shall be enabled to act, sit or meet as a Commissioner for any of the Purposes of this Act, unless he shall be the real Owner of twenty Acres of like taxable Lands, within the said Fens and low Grounds, bounded and described as aforesaid; except the said LordBishop ofEly , and the Lord or Lords, Lady or Ladies of the several and respective Manors of Coveney, Littleport, Upwell and Southery , for the time being, or his her or their respective Stewards or Agents, the Agent of the Dean and Chapter of Ely , and the several and respective Agents of such Persons as shall be possessed of two...
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