Press cuttings about Lancaster Footpath Protection Society 1831-89 Taken from British Newspaper Archives (poor copy and poor OCR) There are a few relevant maps at the end Brian Jones [email protected] Lancaster Gazette 9 July 1831 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, THAT on the twenty-ninth day of June last past, an ORDER was signed by the Reverend Thomas Butler and Thomas Yates Ridley, Clerke, two of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Lancaster, acting within the Hundred of Lonsdale, South of the Sands, within the said County, for STOPPING UP an unnecessary FOOTWAY, situate, lying, and being in the Township of Lancaster, in the Parish of Lancaster, in the said Hundred of Lonsdale, South of the Sands, commencing at the North corner of Lands called Great Haverbrecks Close, now divided into Gardens, and belonging to Samuel Gregson, Esquire, in Ashton lane, near the Mansion-house, called Springfield, the residence of Henry Hargreaves, Esquire, and leading from thence towards and unto the Towing-path, near one of the Bridges over the Lancaster Canal Navigation, called Basin- bridge, containing in length eight hundred and ninety-six yards, or thereabouts, and passing through the Lands or Grounds of Jane Brathwaite, Hannah Braithwaite, and Emma Broster; also of the said Henry Hargreaves, and of Henry Lindow Lindow, Esquire, and more particularly described in the Plan set forth in the margin of the said Order; reserving, nevertheless, to the Owners and Occupiers of the several Lands and Grounds adjoining, that part of the said Footway described in the said Plan as lying between the letters A and B, to labour, pass and repass upon and over the same Footway or Road with their Horses, Carts, and Carriages, from time to time, and at all times for ever thereafter, for the necessary use, occupation, and enjoyment of their said respective Lands and Grounds; and also reserving to the Owners and Occupiers of the several Lands and Grounds adjoining that other part of the said Footway or Road, described in the said Plan as lying between the letters C and D, to labour, pass and repass upon and over the same last-mentioned Footway or Road with their Horses, Carts, and Carriages, from time to time, and at all times for ever thereafter, for the necessary use, occupation, and enjoyment of their said respective Lands and Grounds; and that the said Order will be lodged with the Clerk of the Peace for the said County, at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, to be holden at the Castle of Lancaster, in and for the said County, on the seventeenth day of October next ; and also that the said Order will, at the said Quarter Sessions, be confirmed and enrolled, unless upon an Appeal against the same to be then made it be otherwise determined. Dated this first day of July, one thousand eight hundred and thirty- one. THOS. THOMPSON. Clerk to the Magistrates. Lancaster Gazette 13 August 1831 HOUSE OF COMMONS. Wednesday, Aug. 3. PUBLIC FOOTWAYS. Mr. John Wood presented a partition from Manchester, complaining of the present state, of the law, which authorises two magistrates to make an order for stopping up public footways, and the difficulty and expense of getting such an order rescinded, by the only mode now left by law,— that of appeal to the quarter sessions. The petitioners stated, that in one instance. an order of this kind was not set aside until after the parties opposing it had gone to £800 expense. They prayed that all appeals against such order of magistrates should be decided by a jury, and not by a bench of magistrates at quarter sessions. He would move that this petition be referred to the Committee on the Highways Bill. Mr. Strickland cordially concurred in the prayer of the petition. The greatest public inconvenience was felt by the present state of the law. Mr. Wilks also supported the petition. The public suffered much by the stopping up of footways across parks and fields, particularly in the neighbourhood of large and populous towns. Mr. C. F. Palmer said, that the practice of closing up pathways by the order of two magistrates was quite a common one in the country. could state from his own knowledge, that it was a common thing for one magistrate to say to another, "Come and dine with me on such a day, and come an hour earlier, we want to shut up such and such a road or footway”. The interest or convenience of the public was never thought of, and whether the shutting up of a road or pathway would oblige the public, who were in the habit of using it, to take a round of two miles, was never thought of, provided the convenience of one or two individuals was attended to. In that part of the country with which he was acquainted, not less than seven roads and five footways were shut up in the course of a very short period. He regretted that the bill [the Highways Bill] which stood for a Committer that day did not remedy the evil. On the contrary it would enable magistrates to get over some difficulties which now stood in their way, and thus magistrates would be enabled to shut up all the roads in the country. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 20 August 1831 MEETING RESPECTING THE STOPPING OF FOOTPATHS On Monday last, a public meeting was held in the Town-hall, in this town, for the purpose of forming an association to resist attempts to stop up any of the footways in the neighbourhood of Lancaster. The Mayor in the chair. Dr. Whallcy explained the nature of the meeting, namely, that a requisition had been sent to the Mayor, in consequence of an attempt being ade to stop up a footpath leading to Haverbreaks. He had been that way very often. It was a very beautiful walk, and he had never seen anything riotous or disorderly occur on it, so as to be a sufficient cause for stopping it up. Why it should be stopped up, therefore, he could not conceive, and certainly the private convenience or property of any individual ought not to be put in competition with public convenience. The following resolutions were then adopted: Resolved That the Public Footways in the vicinity of Lancaster have long been, and are a great convenience and source of health and pleasure, to the inhabitants of Lancaster and its neighbour hood; and that every attempt to obstruct or stop up the same, or render them unsafe, or inconvenient, is highly reprehensible. That there is now a notice given to stop up a public Footway, at Haverbreaks, signed by two Magistrates, residing at a considerable distance from the town, although there are several Magistrates living in or near it. That in order, effectually, to check any such attempts to sacrifice public right to private interest, an association be now formed. That Dr. Whalley, William Satterthwalte, Thomas Housman Higgin. Joseph Dockray, Robert Fletcher Housman, Joshua Hadwen, and William Jackson, be appointed a Committee, and Mr. Joshua Hadwen, Treasurer and Secretary, to the association, three of whom shall have power to act. That a subscription be now entered into, and promoted in this town and its vicinity, for carrying into effect the object of this Association, and that every Subscriber of 2s. 6d. and upwards be considered as Members. That the Committee shall have full power to adopt all such measures as they may deem expedient, for carrying the objects of the Association into execution; and the funds of the Association shall be placed at their disposal, subject to such orders as may from time to time be given by a general Meeting. That the Committee be and they are hereby directed and authorised, to appeal against the order for stopping up the Footway, at Haverbrakes. That a General Meeting of the Association be held annually, in the month of August, of which public notice shall be given; at which Meeting, a Committee and Treasurer shall be appointed, and the accounts of the Association, together with a report of the proceedings of the preceding year, shall he submitted to the Members. That all applications claiming the interference of the Association, shall be made to the Treasurer, who, in conjunction with any two Members, shall be empowered to call a Meeting of the Committee. That it appear, from the proceedings of the House of Commons, that there is an intention on the part of Government, to consolidate the Laws relative to Highways, and it is the opinion of this Meeting, that no public Footways ought to be diverted, or shut up, without the verdict of a Jury, and that the Members for this Borough be respectfully requested to support a clause to that effect. That a copy of these Resolutions be printed, and sent by the Chairman to the Representatives of this Borough in Parliament. T. Giles, Esq. Mr. W. Satterthwaitc, and several others, expressed themselves strongly against attempts to stop up footways, and also against keeping them in such bad repair that no one could conveniently walk along them. The association being formed, the above gentlemen were appointed of the Committee. A subscription was entered into, and Mr. Joshua Hadwen appointed treasurer. It was stated that the society would oppose the present attempt to stop up the footway leading to Haverbreaks, should it be persevered in; but there was an intimation that the order would be abandoned. Lancaster Gazette - Saturday 23 April 1836 Original Communications FOOTPATH SOCIETY TO THE EDITOR OF THE LANCASTER GAZETTE Sir -- Two or three years ago, a meeting was held at the Town-Hall, and a Society with this title formed, to preserve, and as I suppose, to promote by all proper means, the use of footpaths in the neighbourhood, several sums of money were subscribed, officers appointed, and the proceedings regularly reported in the papers at the time.