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1797. (Chairman to Mr. Aldridge.) The only suggestion you have
to offer to the Commissioners is that, supposing the toll gates are removed,
each parish should pay for the repair of its own roads ?—We
have borne the whole expense of paving and repairing what were turnpike
roads in Clerkenwell for the last twenty-nine years, receiving
nothing from tolls. "We are willing to hear our burthen, provided all
the other parishes are put on the same footing. We can scarcely step
six yards out of Clerkenwell before we have to pay a toll in Islington.
"We cannot get into either Islington or far into St. Pancras without
paying a toll.
1797. (Mr. Wrightson.) Do you apprehend that the parish of
Clerkenwell suffers at all from the existence of tolls in other parishes
round the neighbourhood ?—I consider that they are great barriers to
trade. Wherever there is a toll gate, house property is always worse
on the other side of the gate. Builders always choose situations so as to
avoid toll gates; and with regard to Islington, many persons would
take the toll-gates into consideration, and would not go there.
1798. Do you consider that parish affected in any way as regards
the price of coals by the operation of toll gates that intervene between
you and the supply ?—I should not say that it is.
1799. Do you apprehend that the parish is injured by a want of
free access to the country ?—I think it is.
(Mr. Foley.) There would be no toll on coals which are delivered
from the Great Northern railway. They come direct to us at Clerkenwell.
We do not suffer with regard to the delivery of coals, but certainly,
with regard to the delivery of goods, every tradesman in
Clerkenwell suffers.
1800. (Mr. Wrightson.) Do you apprehend that you suffer with
respect to the price of vegetables, or does it affect butcher's meat in any
sort of way ?—The markets are within the tolls ; and with regard to
vegetables, I think market gardeners are not liable for tolls. We are a
large manufacturing population in Clerkenwell, and we deliver our
goods round the suburbs, and so every tradesman suffers in the delivery
of his goods round the suburbs of London.
1801. Would it not be worth while for the parish of Clerkenwell to
submit to some small burthen for the sake of attaining those objects,
provided that it was not too heavy ?—It would be manifestly unjust for
Clerkenwell to submit to a burthen to support other roads, as I have
said. In some respects we do suffer, but a tax would press more
upon the parish of Clerkenwell now than the present tolls do.
1802. (Col. Pennant.) You would rather have the gates left as
they are, than pay any additional tax ? Yes; more especially a horse
tax, which would be more objectionable than a country rate, inasmuch
as those persons who lived without the radius would have the use of all
the roads without paying anything towards the repair of them.