Wargrave Parish Highways Records Book 1826-1889

Wargrave Parish Highways records book 1826-1889

Berkshire Record Office ref CPC 145/19/2 Examined by Ross Kennedy, Sept 2003, April 2004

This volume contains mostly the annual accounts of the Parish Surveyor of Highways. In early years this is quite detailed, almost a daily log of road repairs. Later surveyors record rather less. There are also records of dealing with complaints of nuisance and other activities of the Parish Highways Board. Records of the surveyor’s salary increases - £30 a year by 1889 – and threats of prosecution for one luckless surveyor presenting sloppy accounts to his board.

I have much yet to add to these notes !!

Example from the first pages;

Messrs. Green and Piggott, Surveyors Surveyors Expenditure, from Michs. 1826 Parish Division £ s d Village Division £ s d Oct 2nd Mr.Wise, ½ Ho. - 10 6 Oct 2nd Aldridge - 4 6 Bushes Thos. Wise ¼ do. - 3 9 M Keeley Twyford Rd. - 3 - Hillier 1 day - 1 - do. scrapg. 200 poles - 10 - Exps. to Wokingham - 10 - Freeman on a/c - 4 6 Surveyors Warrants - 5 - Avery 2 days - 2 - Oct 6th Garraway Bill for - 12 - Oct 9th do. - 6 - repairing by Tills Shurwill new barrow - 10 - Aldridge - 4 6 Oct 9th Hillier 1 day - 1 - Brookman Chch. Lane - 3 - Do. on a/c of Tag Lane - 6 - Critcher 8 lds Stones - 4 - A Bear Reading - 6 - T Guy on a/c - 6 - Oct 16th Avery at the Hill - 6 - Oct 16th Aldridge - 4 6 H Keeley 2 days Star - 2 - Critcher 8 lds Stones - 4 - Lane do. mending tools - - 6 T.Guy bala. Church - 6 6 Lane J Hillier on a/c - 9 - Brookman 12 lds - 6 - Stones Oct 23rd Avery Wood Lane - 6 - A’Bear 4 days Twyford - 4 - Lane Coles breakg. gravel - 6 - M Keeley 1 day do. - 1 6 J Hillier on a/c - 8 - do. on account - 4 6 Saunders on a/c - 10 - Mr. Roberts, cash pd. 6 15 8 to Mr.Budd being the fees of 2 presentments of road by C F Palmer esq. do. mendg. Mattock - 1 - Oct 23rd Aldridge - 4 6 Oct 30th Saunders - 1 - Critcher 7 lds Stones - 3 6 H Keeley on a/c - 8 - M Keeley on a/c - 8 - Jacobs 4 ld. Stones - 2 - Kitchen on a/c - 7 - Cole breakg. Gravel & - 5 - A’Bear 3 days - 3 - 2 days wheeling Stones J Hillier on a/c - 8 - Oct 30th do. 4 do. - 4 - Freeman for Mattock - 2 - Kitchen on a/c - 7 - do. on account - 7 - Brookman do. - 6 - Avery Wood Lane - 6 - Aldridge - 4 6 Nov 6th do. Culham Lane - 6 - Critcher 7 ld Stones - 3 6 Jacobs 6 lds Stones - 3 - A Keeley on a/c - 4 - Saunders on a/c - 10 - Nov 6th Aldridge - 4 6 Hillier on a/c - 7 - Critcher 8 ld Stones - 4 - do. 3 days Mill Lane - 3 - A’Bear Twyford Rd - 6 - H Keeley on a/c - 12 - 10-2-9 14-3-8

The following are selected entries, on the basis of interest to the local highway historian;

Nov 13th J Hillier 3 days Mill - 3 6 1826 Lane do. scraping 80 poles - 4 - Hill Farm Gibbons Harehatch - 6 - Road Avery Culham Lane - 6 - Nov 8th J Hillier 3 days Gravel - 3 6 Hill do. scraping Highfield - 2 - Rd Gibbon 2 days - 2 - scraping Milly Jacobs pickg. 1 load - - 6 (Hatts) Caladine 2 lds (Milly) - 1 - Avery Culham Lane - 6 - Nov 15th Saunders scraping 6 - 6 - sc. Langhams Gibbons Ruscomb - 6 - Lane Nov F Saunders Pate Rd - 9 - 22nd Critcher 7 lds in Pates - 3 6 Gibbons Milly Lane - 6 - 18th Nov 1887 minutes

Pursuant to Public notice

To consider the proposal to cover in the Ditch by the Road leading to the District School. And to consider a proposal by Mr.Herring “That an Occupation road leading from a point in the Highway between Wargrave and Piggots School – within 75 yards of the Junction of the road from Hill Lands with the said Highway, to a new road called Jubilee Road late the property of H.Knox Esq., to be taken over as a parish road by the Surveyor who is hereby authorized to take the necessary steps as required by 5&6 Will 4 c50 s62. Also “To Move that a new road late the property of H.Knox Esq. and known as Jubilee Road commencing at the termination of the above named occupation road and forming at the other end a junction with the Main Road leading from Wargrave to the Holt be taken over as a parish road and that the Surveyor is hereby authorized to take the necessary measures as required by 5&6 Will 4 c50 s62.

A letter was read from Mr.Holmes protesting a second time against the meeting on the ground that the matter was disposed of at the meeting of the Vestry in August last.

It was proposed by Mr.Herring and seconded by Mr.Wicks that the road as far as the District School be taken over as a Parish Road. 23 votes for the motion and one against.

It was proposed by Mr.Herring and seconded by Mr.Carter “That the ditch by the road leading to the District School be covered in”. That a committee of six be appointed to consider with the assistance of the Surveyor the best method of covering in the said ditch. Carried unanimously

[a committee is appointed]

Mr.Herring withdrew by request the motion relating to the Jubilee Road.

4th Aug 1887

Parish of Wargrave in the County of Berks

At a meeting of the Inhabitants of this Parish in Vestry held on the fourth day of August One thousand eight hundred and eighty seven at the Vestry Room of the said Parish pursuant to a notice of such meeting duly published and given on Sunday the thirty first day of July One thousand eight hundred and eighty seven and there being present at such meeting, Reverend Simon Sturges in the Chair J.W.Rhodes Esqr. (Churchwarden) – Mr.Holmer – Mr. Maynard – Mr.Hannen – Mr.Eaton Smith – Mr.F.J.Nicholl – Mr.Vidler – Mr.Herring – Mr. Whitehead – Mr.Bond And other inhabitants of the said Parish it was in pursuance of section eighty four of the General Highway Act Resolved, that the wish and proposal of John William Rhodes esquire of Hannerton House within this Parish to stop up and divert a portion of a certain highway or footway leading out of a public highway or road leading from Henley upon Thames in the County of Oxford to the Village of Wargrave in the County of Berks commonly called or known as “The Wargrave Road”, to the public highway or Road in the said Parish of Wargrave known as Purfield Road and commencing at a point in the said highway known as the Wargrave Road fifteen yards or thereabouts south of the Chalk Cliff Gate and thence proceeding in a south easterly direction over the field belonging to him the said John William Rhodes known as Peat Field and terminating at a point in the said field three hundred and forty five yards or thereabouts from the point in the said Wargrave road at which the proposed diversion commences being of the length of three hundred and forty five yards and in lieu thereof to make a certain new highway or footway through and over the land of him the said John William Rhodes known as Peat Field commencing at a point in the said highway called the Wargrave Road One hundred and ninety five yards or thereabouts south of the first mentioned point and thence proceeding in an easterly direction over the said field called Peat Field to the point in the said field where the said first mentioned portion of footway proposed to be diverted and stopped up terminates being of the length of two hundred and thirty one yards or thereabouts. And also to stop up and divert a portion of a certain other highway or footway commencing at a point adjacent to the Upper Lodge of Hennerton House the residence of the said John William Rhodes at the west side of the road leading from Wargrave aforesaid to Craizies Hill known as Purfield Road and thence leading over Land of him the said John William Rhodes known as Lavender Field in a northerly direction towards the public highway or Road known as Penny’s Lane and terminating at a point in the said footway near the south east corner of the field known as Lavender Field being of the length of two hundred and sixty two yards or thereabouts and in lieu thereof to make a certain new highway or footway through and over land of him the said John William Rhodes called Gibstrude Field commencing at a point in the said highway known as Purfield Road and thence proceeding in a northerly direction over the field called Gibstrude Field and running parallel to and terminating at the same point as the portion of the footway so proposed to be diverted and stopped up terminates, such proposed new highway or footpath being of the length of two hundred and sixty yards or thereabouts be agreed to – S.Sturges Chairman