Acts of Parliament

These are the Acts of Parliament for both the Lee and Stort combined with the New River Acts and references to each waterway. The New River references are highlighted in red type. The full, searchable, text of the Act is available if there is a link.

Reign	Date	Subject
Statutes 3 Henry VI c5	1424	Commissions awarded to reform the River Ley (for full text, click here)
Statutes 9 Henry VI	1430	Commissions awarded to scour and amend the River Ley (for full text, click here)
13.Elizabeth.c18	2.4.1571	Bringing the River of Lee to the North Side of the City of London (for full text, click here)
3.James I.c18	1606	An Act for the bringing in a fresh Stream of running Water into the North Part of the City of London
4.James I.c12	1607
11.George II.c14	1737	An Act vesting Ware Mills in the New River Co
12.George II.c32	to 1.2.1738	Improving the Navigation of the River Lee from Hertford to Ware. (for full text, click here)
		New River to continue to take water, though limited by a gauge 6' wide and 2' deep and 14' in length. Any overflow to return to the Lee
		New River Co to keep the lock in good repair
		Ware Mills to allow passage of boats through the Lock, on receipt of one shilling with return free.
		Water to be supplied from Ware Mills for cleaning the streets
		Set up River Lee Trustees
		New River Co to pay £350 per year to the Trustees in two equal payments
		Trustees to set up a weir or Turnpike between the Mills and Water Lane. Boats to pass without charge
32.George II	23.3.1759	An Act for making the River Stort navigable, in the Counties of Hertford and Essex, from the New Bridge in the town of Bishops Stortford, into the River Lee, near a place called The Rye, in the County of Hertford (for full text, click here)
6.George III.	30.4.1766	An Act for making and continuing navigable the River Stort, in the counties of Hertford and Essex (for full text, click here)
7.George III.c51	to 11.11.1766	Act for Improving the Navigation of the River Lee from Hertford to the Thames, (for full text, click here) including
		One new cut or canal, to be used for the said Navigation, leading from the ...Folly into and down Part of Dicker Mill Stream…to a place between Constant's Weir and the Manifold Ditch
		from the tail of the Lock above Ware Mill to above Water Lane near the Priory Orchard
		from any place above Ware Weir and below Ware Bridge to any place above Stanstead Bridge
		from there to the tail stream of Stanstead Mill
		from above Field's otherwise Rye Bridge Weir to between Archer's Weir and Field's Weir
		from above Dobb's Weir,otherwise the New Turnpike, to below the stream leading into the head of Broxburn Mill
		from above Carthagena Turnpike to a little below
		from above King's Weir, over Cheshunt Mill Stream, to the Tail Stream of the Powder Mills at Waltham
		from above Sotheby's Upper Weir otherwise called Newman's Weir to the Enfield Mill Stream within 100 yards below Enfield Lock with provision to build a new lock
		through Enfield Mill Stream (widened) to 340 yards above Enfield Mill and a new cut to 304 yards below Enfield Mill and then to use the Tail Stream
		from there a cut through part of Enfield and Edmonton Marshes across the ditch to Tottenham Marsh into the tail stream of Tottenham Mill
		from below Flander's Wharf to above the tail stream of Walthamstow Mill
		from between Lee Bridge and Hackney Waterworks, through Hackney Marsh to the channel between Pudding Mill Stream and Hackney Brook
		from there to a place between Bromley Lock and Bromley Hall
		from there to the Thames at Limehouse
		To protect France's Weir and the feed to Tottenham Mills
		To protect the Powder Mills, the Corn Mills and the Calico Grounds at Waltham Abbey
		Satisfaction to the various weir owners for the loss of their weirs (Archer's, Newman's or Sotheby's, Parkinson's,
		Satisfaction to the owners of Sewardstone Mill for loss of their water in annual payment of £45.
		Navigation extended to the Flood gates of Hertford Town Mill from the Folly
		The lock at Lee Bridge Mill being lately built by Abraham Ogier and others
		The New River no longer to charge one shilling for passage of Ware Lock. Satisfaction for this in annual payment of £40 (paid quarterly).
		The Trustees to charge tolls for passage of barges depending on cargo.
		Names of owners and steersmen to be put on each side of the bows of every vessel
19.George III. c58	to 26.11.1778	For Preserving the Navigation of the River Lee, (for full text, click here) including
		Additional tolls
		Proper operation of locks
		Names of owners and steersmen to be put on sterns of every vessel instead of the bows
		All craft to be marked with graduated figures denoting their burden
		Mill posts with the minimum level marked. Millers not to draw below.
45.George III.c69	27.6.1805	Better Preservation and Further Improvement of the Navigation of the River Lee, (for full text, click here) including
		Proper Mill operation
3.George IV.c109	1823
13/14.Victoria.c109	14.8.1850	Lee Navigation Improvement Act (for full text, click here) including
		New Cuts
		1.Fields Weir to Charlton Mill
		2. Nazeing Marsh to Carthagena Lock
		3. Waltham Marsh to Enfield Lock
		4. Stonebridge Lock to Tottenham Mills Lock
		5. Walthamstow Marsh
		6. Hackney Cut
		7. Lee Bridge
		8. Four Mills
		New Lock at Old Ford and Hunter's (otherwise Saint Thomas's Mill Stream) Gates
		Water to Temple Mills (Rockholt Mills) to be discontinued
		XVI. And whereas by means of the Construction of the proposed Works, and the Alteration of the level of the Water in the River Lee at and near the Point where Sir George Duckett's Canal otherwise the Lee Union Canal forms a Junction with the River Lee, the Depth of Water in the Pond between such Point of Junction and the First Lock on the Canal will be materially increased, and it is expedient to provide for the raising of the Banks of the Pond, and for maintaining the Water in the same at a proper Level. Be it therefore enacted, That it shall be lawful for the Trustees to raise the Banks of the Pond between the Point where the Canal forms a Junction with the River Lee and the First Lock on the Canal to the Extent and in the Mode defined upon the Sections deposited as herein-after mentioned and also to maintain the Level of the Water in the Pond at the intended Height shown upon the Sections.
		Raising the banks to Old Ford
		Building of Bow Tide Gates
		Bow Creek to Old Ford to be free of tolls for ever
		Rates to be charged at Kings Weir, Newmans Weir, Lee Bridge, Bromley Lock
		Compensation to the various Waterworks for changes made in the Act
18/19.Victoria.c196	14.8.1855	River Lee Water Act, (for full text, click here) including:
		The New River Company have consented to compromise their claim by restricting the Quantity …to two thousand five hundred cubic feet a minute
		The current annual payment of £1850 to cease, replaced by a one-off payment of £42,000 and an annual payment of £1500.
		First, Old Ford Lock shall be replaced by a Pair of Locks with communicating Sluices, one of those Locks to be Ninety-six Feet long and Eighteen Feet Six Inches wide in clear Inside Measure, and the other of those Locks to be Ninety Feet long and Sixteen Feet wide in clear Inside Measure; the Hackney Cut between Old Ford Lock and Homerton Lock may be raised to the Level of Lee Bridge Cut; Homerton Lock may be removed, but before such Removal the Trustees shall provide a suitable Place between Homerton Lock and Lee Bridge for inserting Stop Planks, which shall be inserted there, and shall be so made and maintained by the Trustees as effectually to prevent all Escape of Water whenever they draw down the Water at or above Old Ford Lock, for its Repair or Alteration, or for any other Purpose
		Secondly, Stanstead Lock and Weir shall be removed; Field's Weir Level shall be carried back to near Amwell Marsh, where a new Lock shall be built of no greater Dimensions than Tottenham Lock; Hardmead Lock shall be rebuilt
		Thirdly, Tottenham Lock may be raised to a Fall of Nine Feet Eight Inches, and the Banks thence to Stonebridge Lock may be proportionately raised; Edmonton Lock may be removed; the Level of Stonebridge Cut may be raised; Stonebridge Cut may be continued up to Picket's Lock, where a new Lock may be built suitable to the new Fall caused by those Alterations; and no such new Lock shall be built of less Width than Thirteen Feet Eight Inches.
		The erection of the New Gauge limiting the off take to 2500 cu ft per minute
		2500 cu ft per minute = 3600000 cu ft per day = 22,424,400 GALLONS PER DAY (Conversion cu ft to gall x 6.229)
		The depth shall be 3' 9'' whole length of the Navigation
31/32.Victoria.c154	31.7.1868	The Lee Conservancy Act, (for full text, click here) including
		Constitution of the Lee Conservancy Board
		Powers granted to purchase the Stort
57/58.Victoria.c205	25.8.1894	Canal Tolls and Charges Confirmation Act (for full text, click here)
63/64.Victoria.c117	30.7.1900	Lee Conservancy Act (Alteration and confirmation of powers) (for full text, click here)
		Increase of New River payment to £3750 per annum
1/2.George V.c93	18.8.1911	Metropolitan Electric Tramways Act (Construction of a new bridge over Ferry Lane)
10/11 George V.c8	20.5.1920	Lee Conservancy Act (Regulation and mitigation of flooding)
11/12. George V.c78	17.8.1921	Lee Conservancy Act (Increase of Tolls and Charges)
20/21.George V.c192	1.8.1930	River Lee (Flood Relief Act)
1/2 George VI,c33	23.6.1938	Lee Conservancy Act Further powers

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This site was last updated 02/08/14