View report page

144
supply from these springs appears to have been restored.
Public attention had meanwhile been called to the demand
for improvement. A petition dated 17th January, 1637-8
was presented to the King (Charles I) reciting that "many
towns in England require a good water supply to keep them
free from smells, infection and fire," and praying his
Majesty to grant licence to erect water works throughout
England and Wales upon payment to the King of £50 per
annum from Lady Day, 1640, when the proposed works
were expected to be finished. A grant was made the following
year to Archbishop Laud and other Commissioners
of his Majesty relative to a new aqueduct undertaken by
Sir Edward Stradling and others to be constructed of brick
or stone, for the bringing of water from Hoddesden to Westminster.
With the foregoing grant is preserved at the
Public Record Office an indenture between the King and
Sir Edward Stradling, Carew Ralegh and others reciting
that £7,000 towards the aqueduct had been raised by
lottery, that £5,000 more were ready when required, and
that a further sum of £20,000 would be available for the
work when commenced. If this important point was ever
reached, the benefits of the scheme were never extended to
Westminster, a failure which might have been due to the
fermented state of the public mind at the time, and to the
memorable events which shortly afterwards happened.
In the recorded proceedings of the Vestry the local water
supplies are frequently referred to in orders and resolutions
of which the following may be taken as specimens:—
Wednesday, 8th Sept., 1669. Whereas several Complaints have
been made unto ye Vestrey of this parish That John Row and
R. Wilson doe cary away and sell ye water of the Conduit
mainteined by ye sd parish and Intended for the Use of the
Neighbourhood insomuch that they cannot be supplyed for
their own Use And That they the sayd Row and Wilson doe
Occasion severall Quarrell there and abuse persons that come
to fetch water for themselves The Vestry doe therefore thinke
fitt and accordingly Order That the sayd llow, nor Wilson, nor
any other person shall fetch water thence to Sell from St Mich.