Thames Watermen Act 1698
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1698 c. 21 |
(11 Will. 3) C A P. XXI.
'W H E R E A S, notwithstanding the Laws that have been heretofore made for good Order, Rule, and Government amongst the Watermen and Wherrymen, using and rowing on the said River ofThames , it hath oftentimes happened, that divers People passing by Water upon the said River, have been put in Danger of their Lives and Goods, and many Times have perished and been drowned, and this occasioned by the Unskilfulness and Want of Experience in Wherrymen and Watermen, and Persons out of the Rule of any Master or Governor; and for that in and by the said Acts, the Rulers, and Overseers of the Company or Society of Watermen are not sufficiently impowered to make Rules, Orders and Constitutions, for the Order, Rule, and Government of the Watermen and Wherrymen rowing on the said River, with Pains and Penalties to enforce their due Obedience to such Orders, Rules, and Constitions, and easy Recovery of the said Penalties: And whereas the Lightermen, rowing on the said River of Thames , are grown very numerous, and are at present without Rule and Government amongst them, by whose Rudeness and Unskilfulness in working of Lighters and other large Craft, Ships and Vessels are hindred in the Delivery of Coals, and thereby frequently stopped in the Proceed of their Voyages, and the Goods and Lives of divers of his Majesty's Subjects are likewise frequently endangered and lost, and notorious Disorders are occasioned:' For Remedy whereof, 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 all and every Law and Statute now in Force, touching or concerning Watermen and Wherrymen, and every Article and Thing in them contained, and not herein or hereby altered or repealed, shall be duly put in Execution by all Persons therein concerned, according to the Tenor of the said Laws, and under the Penalties therein contained; and that all and every Personbeing a Lighterman or Owner of any Lighter or Lighters, or having and keeping any Lighter or other large Craft, or working in the same betweenGravesend and Windsor , shall be, and be deemed and taken to be of one and the same Society or Company with the said Wherrymen and Watermen; and the said Wherrymen, Watermen, and Lightermen, are declared to be, and are hereby made and constituted, one Society and Company, and as such shall be hereafter deemed and taken.
II Lightermen to be registred at Watermans Hall.
II. And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every Person and Persons, who now keep, or shall hereafter keep or work, or shall be employed in rowing or any ways navigating any Lighter or Lighters, or other great Craft, on the River ofThames (Trinity Men, Fishermen, Ballast Men, Western Barges, and Mill Boats, Chalk Hoys, Faggot and Wood Lighters, and other Craft carrying the same excepted) shall be duly and truly registred in a Book or Books for that Purpose to be kept bythe Company of Watermen and Lightermen, and shall likewise be liable to such Orders, Rules and Constitutions, made or to be made, for the better Rule and Government of the said Society or Companyof Watermen and Lightermen, and the Pains and Penalties to enforce due Obedience thereunto.
III Rulers, &c. to be elected yearly.
III. And be it also enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That there shall be yearly appointed, elected and chosen, by the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City ofLondon for the Time being, the Number of eight Persons, of the most wise, discreet, and best Sort of Watermen, and the Number of three Persons, out of twelve Persons to be yearly nominated by the Lightermen, of the most wise, discreet, and best Sort of Lightermen, being Housholders, having two Lighters or Flat Boats upon the said River, between Gravesend and Windsor , which Elections shall be yearly at the first Court of Aldermen to be holden within the said City, next after the first Day of June ; and the said eleven Persons so elected shall be named and called The Overseers and Rulers of all the Wherrymen, Watermen, and Lightermen, that from and after the said first Day of June shall use, occupy, or exercise any Rowing upon the said River of Thames betwixt Gravesend and Windsor aforesaid; which said Overseers and Rulers shall keep and maintain good Orders and Obedience amongst the said Watermen and Lightermen, according to the true Meaning of this present and former Acts; and the said eleven Overseers and Rulers, or the greater Part of them, are hereby authorized from Time to Time to convene and call before them, at the Hallof the said Company, within the City ofLondon and Liberties thereof, all and every such Person or Persons, which from and after the nine and twentieth Day of June one thousand seven hundred, shall keep or use in rowing or any ways navigating any Lighter or other great Craft (except as before excepted) betwixt Gravesend and Windsor aforesaid, and shall enter and register the Name and Names of them and every of them for Lightermen to row on the said River, in a Book to be kept for the same Intent and Purpose; and from Time to Time to take such Order and Direction therein, with every of the said Parties, by Authority of this present Act, as it shall seem meet and necessary by the Discretion of the said Overseers and Rulers for the Time being, or the greater Part of them, for the common Benefit of his Majesty's Subjects.
IV Rulers yearly to appoint Assistants,
'IV. And in regard the Numbers of Wherrymen, Watermen and Lightermen, are more numerous and disorderly than heretofore;' Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That for the better Order and Government of the said Society and Company, the said Rulers and Assistants for the Time being shall and are hereby required, on the first Court Day after the first Day ofJune next, and so yearly and every Year, by their Order, to appoint the Watermen of the principal Towns, Stairs and Places of plying, or the major Part of them respectively, between Gravesend and Windsor ; and such Watermen shall and are hereby required to choose one free Waterman, being an Housholder, to be of their Assistants, so as they exceed not sixty, nor be less than the Number of forty Watermen; and on the first DayofJune next, the Lightermen which shall meet at the Hall of the said Company, between the Hours of Eight and Twelve in the Morning, or the major Part of them then present, and so yearly and every Year, shall choose nine Lightermen, who, together with the said Watermen, shall be and be called of the said Society and Company, to advise and assist the Rulers...
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