Hertford Lock

HERTFORD LOCK

Lock	State	Date	Length	Length - Working Distance	Width	Fall	Removed or bypassed
Upper Turnpike	Extant	c1658	~	~		2' 0''	1769
Lower Turnpike	Extant	c1658	~	~		1' 5 5/8''	1769
Constans Weir	Extant	c1658	~	~		1' 10 7/16''	1769
Constans Weir	Rebuilt	1750	~	~		1' 10 7/16''	1769
Unnamed Weir			~	~		1' 10''	1769
Hertford Lock	Built	1769				7' 6''	1865
Hertford (Brick and stone)	Report	1917			18' 6''
Hertford Lock	Rebuilt	1865	89' 0''	85' 0''	18' 6''	7' 11''

1.12.1739 One of the first engineering projects to feature in the minutes of the River Lee Trust was William Whittenbury's estimate of £273 for a turnpike at Broadmead in Hertford, although it is not clear whether this refers to the Upper or the Lower Turnpike. (NA Rail 845/1).

28.1.1742/3 "Complaint...that Several persons have got ffalse Keys to the Turnpike House belonging to the Lower Turnpike....and therewith open the said Turnpike House and draw and shut the said Turnpike at their will and pleasure to the Hindrance and Delay of the passage of Boats and Barges navigating the said River Lee. And on their Prayer that the said lock may be taken off and a new one placed thereon and that the said Turnpike may be placed under the care of one Thomas Yearsley (who used to look after the same)..." (NA 845/53)

The third weir on the original River course was Constance’s or Constans or Constant’s or Consett’s fishing weir This weir was rebuilt by Hertford carpenter Mr Orger in November 1752. He had also built a "small house.... for the use of the Weirkeeper." (NA Rail 845/1)

1.7.1767 The Trustees ordered Thomas Yeoman their Surveyor to proceed to extend the Navigation....from the Folly to the Flood Gates belonging to Hertford Town Mill. (NA Rail 845/50)

When was Hertford Lock first built?

Hertford Lock is thought to have been built originally in 1769, on an extension of the Dicker Mill Stream, replacing the Upper and Lower Turnpikes and Constant's Weir.

An entry of 18.7.1779 however confuses matters: "...it is ordered that Mr Edgerly who now proposed to build the Lock at the End of the Cut near Ware Park Mills for the sum of two hundred and forty three pounds do build the same according to Mr Whitworth's Plan and particular and his own Proposal for the same under the Inspection and to the Approbation of Mr Whitworth he being paid one hundred pounds on Account of the same as Mr Whitworth shall certify during the carrying on of the said work and the remainder of his Estimate at the first meeting of this Trust after Christmas next." (NA Rail 845/51)

2.7.1785 "...it is necessary that the upper Turnpike at Hertford be rebuilt as a Tumbling Bay and it is ordered that the Clerk ...do wait on Lady Townsend for leave to rebuild the same in her Ground paralel (sic) with the present Turnpike" (NA Rail 845/51)

On 20.2.1792, it was minuted that new gates should be fitted to Hertford Lock (NA Rail 845/6) and again on 26.10.1803, that “New gates be prepared for the Upper Lock near Hertford” (NA Rail 845/7). On 29.7.1819, yet again it was recommended for repair with “new gates, posts and slacker frames”. (NA Rail 845/9)

On 27^th April 1865, it was proposed that Hertford Lock be rebuilt to a width of 18’ 6’’ - despite the next lock downstream at Ware being only 14’ wide. The reason seems to have been to be ready for the time when all the Lee locks were rebuilt to provide an 18’ 6’’ standard all the way from Old Ford to Hertford. Between 24^th July and 5 p.m. on the 11^th December 1865, the chamber was rebuilt by Mr C E Birt of Poplar to a width of 18’ 6’’ at a tendered price of £4722

It was recommended on 26.10. 1877 “that a lock house be built in front of the lock”. (NA Rail 845/21).

LMA ACC 2423/355

Although the plan below specifies Tottenham Lock, August 1881, the design is similar to the lock house built at Hertford three years earlier, which is still there today. At Hertford the accommodation is reversed, with the scullery and bedroom on the ground floor exchanging places and the pantry and stairs the other way round.

LMA ACC 2423/P016

20.4.1883 The new lock house was insured for £250 (NA Rail 845/23). The old lock house was demolished in December 1887. (NA Rail 845/24).

This drawing specifies no particular lock but the date is concurrent with the building of the lock house at Hertford.

LMA ACC 2423/P010

On 14.10.1910, it was reported "That the old privy at this lock had been removed and an earth closet substituted, and that the fencing, etc., was being repainted (NA Rail 845/37). However, the building is still there. The privy/earth closet shows traces of the wooden seat and the mark of the bucket can still be seen on the concrete floor.

Hertford Lock, c. 1905

A 60 feet long modern mural of the view from in front of the old Ware Park Mill, looking up towards Hertford Lock and downstream past the New River Gauge House, painted by members of the Hertford Art Society in 2009 on the hoardings of the former Waters garage in Hertford. The site has now been redeveloped.

Hertford Lock

Census/ Date	Name	Title	Wife	Location given by enumerator/Comments	Source Reference
5.1948	E D Robinson	Lock keeper	Appointed at £4.15.0; tenant from 7.11.1948; £4.18.6 on 2.8.1950; Last recorded r.o.p ££7.14.11 plus on call allowance n.d;		LCB Records
1939	Henry Silver (b. 25.9.1896)	Lock keeper	Maud (?) A b24.9.1899		1939 Register
6.10.1939	Henry Silver	Lock keeper	Appointed 29.7.1939 at26/- per week and house and uniform		NA Rail 845/123
16.9.1939	E Dale (65)	Lock keeper	65 on 2.7.1939, to retire. Pension 6/6 per week plus £45.5.5 lump sum		NA Rail 845/123
1.4.1938	E Dale	Lock keeper	£1.6.0 to £1.8.0		NA Rail 845/122
14.3.1924	E Dale (48)	Lock keeper	Ex-soldier, appointed at 26/- per week with house and uniform		NA Rail 845/108
17.2.1924 14.3.1924 29.1.1937	John Campkin	Lock keeper	Died aged 73, leaving a widow (64) and grown up family. Widow had been married 43 years and had 5 sons in the War, 3 of whom were killed. Pension of 10/- per week until she is 70. Continued for life. Mrs Charlotte Campkin died aged 77		NA Rail 845/108 NA Rail 845/108 LMA ACC 2423/021 NA Rail 845/121
14.11.1919	J Campkin	Lock keeper	26/- + house, garden, and uniform		NA Rail 845/46
1.12.1916	J Campkin	Lock keeper	£2 war bonus		NA Rail 845/43
4.3.1915	J Campkin	Lock keeper	+2/- per week		NA Rail 845/42
1.3.1914	J Campkin	Lock keeper	1/- increase		NA Rail 845/41
14.12.1913	John Campkin	Lock keeper	Appointed ex Kings Weir		NA Rail 845/40
21.1.1913	George Biscoe (71)	Lock keeper	Died this day		NA Rail 845/40
1912	George Biscoe	Lock keeper	15/- per week		NA Rail 845
2.4.1911	George Biscoe (69)	Lock keeper	Emma	Hertford Lock	RG14PN7630 RG78PN374 RD137 SD2 ED10 SN269
9.7.1910	George Biscoe	Lock keeper	Appointed ex Aqueduct Lock		NA Rail 845/37
20.3.1910	Thomas Jones (66)	Lock keeper	Died after 22 years service. Left widow (64) who had no means and savings were exhausted through husband’s illness and funeral expenses (granted a pension of 7/- per week) Mrs Jones died 23.12.1916		NA Rail 845/37 LMA ACC 2423/016
31.3.1901	Thomas Jones (57)	Lock keeper	Sarah	Lock Cottage	Hertford St John/15/39
5.4.1891	Thomas Jones (44)	Lock keeper	Sarah	Kings Meads Lock House	Hertford St John/15/8
27.9.1889	T Jones		12/- up to 15/-		NA Rail 845/24
20.7.1888	T Jones	Lock keeper	Appointed at survey		NA Rail 845/24
9.12.1887	John Winn	Lock keeper	Deceased. Sum of £5 paid towards the funeral and Mrs Winn to have 5/- per week for 3 months		NA Rail 845/24 LMA ACC 2423/003
20.4.1883	J Winn	Lock keeper	16 years service 16/- per week		NA Rail 845/23
4.4.1881	John Winn (64)	Lock keeper	Susan	Kings Meads	Hertford St John/15/49
4.4.1881	Unoccupied	Lock keeper		Old Lock House	Hertford St John/15/49
4.6.1873	John Winn	Lock keeper	Appointed at 16/- per week ex labourer and pile driver (since about 1863)		NA Rail 845/19
29.5.1873	John Smith	Lock keeper	Died from "softening of the brain" (Death Certificate). Long time invalid, work done by wife (Ann, who became a Lee Conservancy pensioner) and child (Rebecca)		NA Rail 845/19 and Mike Thorpe (g-g-g-grandson)
2.6.1871	John Smith	Lock keeper	Transferred from Stanstead at 13/6 per week		NA Rail 845/18
2.6.1871	John Chandler		Transferred to Waltham (Town) at 16/- per week		NA Rail 845/18
2.4.1871	John Chandler (34)	Lock keeper	Jane	Lock Cottage	Hertford St John/6/43
9.4.1868	John Chandler	Lock keeper	Appointed at 13/- per week		NA Rail 845/16
12.3.1868	Richard Crawley (Jnr)		Transferred to Aqueduct Lock		NA Rail 845/16
12.4.1866	Richard Crawley (Jnr)	"and that his son Richard Crawley Junior be appointed as Lockman in his place at Thirteen Shillings per week"			NA Rail 845/16
12.4.1866	Richard Crawley	"had become incapable of performing the duties of the situation, in consequence of ill health, and that he was desirous of retiring after Thirty two years service....that he be allowed to retire and receive a pension of ten shillings per week..."			NA Rail 845/16
8.4.1861	Richard Crawley (56)	Lock keeper	Ann	Lock House, River Lea	Hertford St John/6/28
17.11.1855	Richard Crawley	Lock keeper	16/- per week. Also keeps daily record of water passing the Marble Gauge		NA Rail 845/14
21.10.1854	Richard Crawley	Lock keeper	16/- per week		NA Rail 845/14
30.3.1851	Richard Crawley (45)	Lock keeper	Ann	The Meads	Hertford St John/5b/27
1844	Richard Crawley	Lock keeper	Appointed		derived from NA Rail 845/16
7.6.1841					No Hertford record in Census
21.3.1837	James Weston	Lock keeper	Appointed		NA Rail 845/11
21.3.1837	(Henry)William Willburn	Lock keeper	Sarah	Transferred to Hackney Brick	NA Rail 845/11
20.12.1831	Henry Willburn	Lock keeper	Appointed		NA Rail 845/10
15.11.1831	Samuel Savill	Lock keeper	Died		NA Rail 845/10
5.12.1816	Samuel Savill	Lock keeper	Appointed in room of Worrell		NA Rail 845/9
7.11.1816	Stephen Worrell	Lock keeper	Resigned		NA Rail 845/9
10.10 1816	Stephen Worrell	Lock keeper	Appointed to replace John Windus		NA Rail 845/9
10.10.1816	John Windus	Lock keeper	Deceased* see below		NA Rail 845/9
. * “It is ordered that the Widow of John Windus the Lock Keeper near Hertford be allowed ‘till next Saturday sennight to continue in the Lock Keeper’s House now”
5.4.1807	John Windus	Lock keeper	Appointed		NA Rail 845/8
5.4.1807	Francis Godfrey	Lock keeper	Left		NA Rail 845/8
26.7.1779	James Shadbolt	Hertford to Ware £26 pa			NA Rail 845/5
3.6.1776	James Shadbolt	To look after Hertford to Ware at 10/- per week			NA Rail 845/5
29.9.1773 “James Shadbolt be paid eight shillings a week for looking after the Navigation near Hertford and the Upper Turnpike there” (NA Rail 845/5)
10.12.1771	James Shadbolt	To look after Hertford to Ware at 5/- per week			NA Rail 845/4
28.6.1770	James Shadbolt	"...the keeper of Constant's Weir be discharged from such his place at the end of a month to come and that the house wherein he lives be pulled down and laid by for the use of the Trust"			NA Rail 845/50
12.10.1767	James Shadbolt	The keeper of Constants Weir...shall be paid eight shillings a week for his Care and Trouble therein from the first day of July last.			NA Rail 845/50
13.12.1752	James Shadbolt	Agreed to also look after and scour the River between Hertford and Ware Bridge for no extra pay.			NA Rail 845/2
3.11.1750	James Shadbolt	Employed by "the Mayor and Alderman of Hertford.... for opening and shutting the said Weir and Collecting the Tolls"			NA Rail 845/1
28.1.1742/3	Thomas Yearsley	(who used to look after the Lower Turnpike) (see above at the head of the page)			NA Rail 845/53

This site was last updated 03-Mar-2021