14/09/2020 River Thames 1758 A DESCRIPTION OF THE RIVER THAMES, 1758 [ A comprehensive view of the Thames from an Official of the City of London. He does go on a bit (whilst rubbing it in by saying how brief he is!) The best bits are: the almost poetic descriptions of the beauty and utility he finds; and the descriptions of Reaches, Eyots, Places, Locks and weirs, and Fish. The Google Books version. I have added links and changed "f" to "s" where needed to make it readable, and corrected OCR errors. Bu sorry - I interrupted the "brief" title - ] With the City of London's Jurisdiction and Conservacy Thereof Proved, Both in Point of RIGHT and USAGE, By Prescription, Charters, Acts of Parliament, Decrees, upon Hearing before the King, Letters Patents, &c. &c. To which is added A brief Description of those Fish; with their Seasons, Spawning-times, &c. that are caught in the Thames, or sold in London, With Some few Observations on the Nature, Element Cloathing, Numbers, Passage, Wars, and Sensation, &c., peculiar to FISH in general. and also Of the Water-Carriage on the River Thames, to the several Parts of the Kingdom; with a List of the Keys, Wharfs, and Docks, adjoining to the same. To which are added, RULES, ORDERS and ORDINANCES, made in Pursuance of an Act of Parliament passed in the 30th of Geo. II. For the more effectual Preservation and Improvement the Spawn and Fry of Fish, and for the better Regulating the Fishery thereof. LONDON: Printed for T. Longman in Pater-noster-Row. 1758. { By Roger Griffiths, continued and published by Robert Binnell. this line hand inscribed on the copy } DEDICATION To the Right Honourable Sir Charles Asgyll Knt. Lord Mayor of the City of LONDON, Conservator of the River Thames, and Waters of Medway, &c. My Lord, AS the Conservacy of the River Thames is peculiar to that High Office in which Your Lordship is so worthily distinguished, I humbly present the following Sheets to You Lordship. And the rather, as the Subject-Matter is of such Importance to this City, whose Honour Your Lordship so conspicuously supports, and whose Interest You have so much Heart. The Publication was some Time since intended, but deferred on Account of some depending Regulations for the well-governing this noble River: Which Regulations, to th Honour of this City, through the Assiduity of its worthy Magistrates, were happily effected Anno 1757: An Event of great Utility to the Publick, and no less advantageou to the Fishermen. The following Description was begun by a Gentleman, who had many Years the Honour to serve this City in a Station, which gave him the greatest Opportunities of bein perfectly acquainted with the Subjects; and as he has heen pleased, out of Kindness, to indulge me with the Presentation hereof, I humbly offer them to the Publick, who Attention will of Course follow Your Lordship's Patronage; which will be esteemed the greatest Honour by, My Lord, Your Lordship's most Dutiful And Obedient humble Servant, Robert Binnell. PREFACE THE Duty and Nature of my Office, soon prompting me to consider of, enquire, and search, into the Authority, Manner, and Execution thereof, I had naturally a Recourse to such Authors as had published any Thing concerning the Rights and Priviledges of the City of London, from whence I extracted the following Testimonies; which, though at first intended meerly for my own Information, are now (upon a longer Observation of their Invasion by several illegal Practices, and the ill Consequences that must naturally issue thereon) designed as a Means to induce some more able Hand to erect a much more ample, and perfect Superstructure, then what I am capable of, or would pretend to: And as it may not be unacceptable to the Reader, to have the several Parts of this Work connected, and in a brief Manner laid before him, I shall here, by Way of Preface, inform him, That its Intention is to set forth the Beauty and Value which the River of Thames is of to the Publick, as well as to the City of London; to prove the said City's Power on the said River; to exemplify, from Time to Time, the Execution of that Power; to remonstrate the evil Consequences that must befal the City by any Abridgment, Neglect, or Abuse of that said Power; and to point out some few Methods, in order to reform what is amiss, supply what is defective, and secure it from any illegal Attempts that are, or may (by Force or Art) be made to injure, or invade the same. THEY that live on the Banks of this famous River, can never too much admire its Beauty, nor sufficiently extol its Usefulness. For whether we consider its Navigatio either as to the Number of Ships daily arriving from, or sailing for all the known Parts of the World, with the Riches and Necessaries of Life; or the Number of the small Craft of different Sorts and Sizes, that serve not only for Pleasure, but the Profit or Conveniency of the neighbouring Shores; or whether we consider the infinite Numbe https://thames.me.uk/ThamesBinnell1758.htm 1/80 14/09/2020 River Thames 1758 of Men, whose entire Livelihood depends thereupon, as well as the great Nursery it is for the raising of Sailors for the Publick Service; I say, when we consider all thes and the many other Benefits, together with that invaluable Blessing we have in its Fishery, We may justly say, it far exceeds all other Rivers in the known World. SHOULD not such a River be therefore carefully preserved from all Obstacles and Damages that may accrue either to its Navigation or Fishery? Surely, such was the Care and Consideration of former Ages which induced the Wisdom of the Legislature (almost from the earliest Account of Time) to repose such Powers in the Magistracy of the City of London, as to enable the Lord Mayor of the same, to hold Courts of Conservacy, to enact Laws or Orders for the Preservation of its Navigation and Fishery, and even to fine and imprison all Defaulters or Offenders against such Laws and Orders, which should, or might be made, from Time to Time, for that said Purpose, by the said Lord Mayor; and, also, to nominate, appoint, and constitute a Sub-Conservator (or Water-Bailiff) for the better Executing the Office of Conservator of the said River and Waters, within the Jurisdiction of the said City. AND, accordingly, the antient Guardians of this truly imperial City, have always looked upon this noble Jurisdiction, as one of their greatest Honours; and have often shewn, by enabling new Orders, not only their Care of this great River, but, likewise, how much they regarded so great a Trust, as the Prosperity of its Navigation and Fishery. BUT surely, there never was a Time when the Abuses or Devastations in the latter were so frequent and numerous as of late Years, and that even in open Contempt and Defiance of the City's Authority and Jurisdiction; which, if not soon remedied and prevented, must, in a few Years, be lost, and the Fishery of this River entirely destroyed; and all this only, by a few desperate Fellows, in Comparison to the whole Body of Fishermen, who often, in Combination, and Defiance of all Laws, Rules, or Orders, now in Being, destroy the Brood and Fry of Fish therein, and that meerly for their Scales, which they fell to make Beads on; and then either feed their Hogs, or bury in their Dunghills the Bodies of that Fry so destroyed. NAY, these Desperado's[sic] are lately become (through Impunity) so daring and open in this iniquitous and horrid Destruction, as frequently to contemn, insult, resist, and even, at Noon-Day, assault the Water-Bailiff, and his Deputies, in the due Execution of their Office, in Searching for, Seizing, and Taking away, their illegal Nets and Engines. IS it not then Time for the Conservator of this profitable River, to do all that lies in his Power, to preserve, and save from Destruction, the Fishery thereof? Is it not then Time to exert his Power, and bring to Justice all such Contemners and Invaders of so antient, honourable, and necessary an Authority? Surely so. AND if Circumstances, in the Process of Time, may have, in any wise, so altered the Nature of Things, as possibly to need some more ample Explication, or additional Parliamentary Aid, whereby to strengthen and secure, or even enlarge his Power of making new, or more effectual Laws or Orders, than those now in Being, whereby to prevent such Abuses, and to regulate, preserve, and improve so publick a Good, as is the Navigation and Fishery of the River of Thames; and for more readily bringing all such illegal Fishers, and Contemners of its Authority, to a more speedy Justice. IS it, I say, to be doubted, that the City of London can want the ready Concurrence and Protection of a British Parliament herein? BUT I dare answer, that the bare mention of such Insults and Outrages against it (exclusive of the many evident ill Consequences arising therefrom) is so sufficient to excite this great City to seek for immediate Relief and Redress, to secure and strengthen if wanting, such their Authority, that it would be only Impertinence in me, to offer any farther Arguments, by Way of Inducement thereto, as it is a Matter not unworthy their strictest Attention. NUMEROUS are the Instances of their Ancestors Care, and vigorous Defence herein, when, on many Occasions, this said Jurisdiction, and Conservacy, has been attempted to be invaded or disputed; for read only the following Essay, and you will there find, That the City of London was always so anxious, nay, so well persuaded of their Rights herein, and the common Benefits resulting to the Publick thereby, that they contended for, and defended