THE HISTORY OF IMBANKING and DRAYNING OF DIVERS Fenns and Marshes Both in FOREIN PARTS AND IN THIS KINGDOM And of the Improvements thereby EXTRACTED FROM Records Manuscripts and other Authentick Testimonies BY WILLIAM DUGDALE Esquire NORROY King of Arms. LONDON Printed by Alice Warren in the Year of our Lord MDCLXII TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY Most Gratious Soveraign THE first and greatest attempt that hath been made in this Kingdom for the general Drayning of those vast Fenns lying in Cambridgeshire and the Counties adjacent was by that Prudent and Grave Prelate John Morton sometime Bishop of Ely the principal Instrument of that happy Union betwixt the two Houses of York and Lancaster as the Chanell betwixt Peterborough and Wisbeche still bearing his name doth witness And the next by your Royal Grandfather and Father of Blessed Memories the chiefest branches of that Renowned Stock Which not succeeding as it was designed by reason of the distractions of those times it will be no small Honour to your Sacred Majesty and Advantage of your Realm to compleat and make perfect that Noble undertaking To which end I most humbly offer unto your Majesty this present Historical Discourse whereby it will appear not only that divers Great and Mighty Princes and other Persons famous in their times have in Forein Parts been active in Works of this kind but how much your Majestie 's own Royal Ancestors have by several excellent and wholsome Laws promoted the like in this Kingdom Praying to the Almighty that he will bless your Majesty with a Long and Prosperous Reign that good Arts may again flourish amongst us and Virtue receive its due Encouragement to the joy of all your Loyal Subjects and amongst them of Your Majesties most Obedient Subject and Faithfull Servant WILLIAM DUGDALE TO THE READER Courteous Reader THAT the Strength of a King is in the Multitude of his Subjects is a truth which no man will gain-say Hence is it that those Countries the soil whereof is naturally fruitfull are alwaies much better esteem'd than such as be sterile in regard they afford more and better sustenance to their Inhabitants And hence is it likewise that the most civilized Nations have by so much Art and Industry endeavoured to make the best improvement of their Wasts Commons and all sorts of barren Land Amongst which advantages that of Inclosure hath not been the least whereof there is a notable instance in the Counties of Northampton and Somerset which though little differing in their extent and goodness of soyl yet if estimation may be made by Musters Subsidies Tenths and Fifteens Inclosure hath made the one more than double to exceed the other both in people and wealth as hath long ago been observed by some of great Iudgment If then the meer Inclosure and Tillage of that which naturally yielded little profit doth justly deserve so great a commendation how much more is the skill and pains of those to be had in esteem who have recovered many vast proportions of Land totally overwhelm'd with a deluge of waters And of these I need not look out for examples from abroad our own Countrey affoarding a multitude of notable Instances as the ensuing Discouâ—se will fully manifest whereby it will appear that in sundry parts of this Realm there are many thousands of Acres which do now yield much benefit yearly by Rape Cole-seed Grass Hay Hemp Flax Wheat Oats and other Grain nay by all sorts of excellent Plants Garden-stuff and fruit Trees which in former times were Drowned Lands And this was it which gave encouragement to oâ—â— two late Soveraigns of Blessed Memory viz. King James and King Charles the first to become the sole Adventurers for the Drayning of those vast Fenns of Cambridgshire and the five other adjacent Counties a worthy Work and never totally attempted till their times well discerning that by a compleat performance thereof the costly and troublesome meeting of Commissioners for Sewers the frequent great Taxes for the maintenance of divers Banks and Drains with many unhappy controversies and emulations relating thereto might be in a great measure prevented And if our industry were but comparable to that of our Neighbours in the Belgique Provinces how much more might those drayned grounds afford us for profit and pleasure than they yet do forasmuch as theirs lying below the Levell of the Sea at high Tydes is drayned by Engines which cast out the water and ours have not only a descent to the Sea but divers large Rivers and streams for leading the waters to their natural out-falls To give instance in the benefits First let us consider the large proportion of this one Levell which is no less than five hundred thousand Acres it being from the edge of Suffolk to Waynflete in Lincolnshire full Lxviii miles in a strait line And if we reckon by the bow of the Fenn which runneth up on both sides of the River Witham within a mile of Lincoln it may be well accounted Lxxx miles the bredth being in many places xxx more xx and seldom so little as ten miles so that 't is thought by some to be as good ground and as much as the States of the low Countries enjoy in the Netherlands Next for the richness of the soyl being gained from the waters doth it not for the most part exceed the high grounds thereon bordering as much as other meadows do which are ordinarily let for xxs. the Acre And do we not see that in the Marshes beyond Waynflete in Lincolnshire where the grounds are severed and trenched it is hard to find a poor man though they sit at great Rents for their Cattel being alwaies sound and thriving are therefore merchandable or if they come to a mischance yet fit for food Moreover besides the great plenty of flesh and white meats with the breed of servicable Horses let us consider the abundance of Wooll Hydes Tallow and other Commodities which this fruitfull ground now produces and that the new Chanels made for the Drayning do yield no small advantage to all those parts for the carriage of their Corn and Merchandize whereas before they were constrayned to go many miles about according to the natural bending of the Rivers And if we weigh the great inconveniences which these over-flowings have produced certainly the advantage by the general Drayning ought the more to be prized for in the Winter time when the Ice is strong enough to hinder the passage of Boats as hath been by some well observed and yet not able to bear a man the Inhabitants upon the Hards and the Banks within the Fenns can have no help of food nor comfort for body or soul no woman aid in her â—ravail no means to baptize a Child or partake of the Communion nor supply of any necessity saving what those poor desolate places do afford And what expectation of health can there be to the bodies of men where there is no element good the Air being for the most part
cloudy gross and full of rotten harrs the Water putrid and muddy yea full of loathsome vermin the Earth spungy and boggy and the Fire noysome by the stink of smoaky Hassocks As for the decay of Fish and Fowl which hath been no small objestion against this publick work there is not much likelyhood thereof for notwithstanding this general Drayning there are so many great Meeres and Lakes still continuing which be indeed the principal harbours for them that there will be no want of either for in the vast spreading waters they seldom abide the Rivers Chanels and Meeres being their principal Receptacles which being now increased will rather augment than diminish their store And that both Fish and Fowl are with much more ease taken by this restraint of the waters within such bounds we daily see forasmuch as all Netts for Fishing are better made use of in the Rivers and Meeres than when the waters are out of those narrower limits And that Decoys are now planted upon many drayned Levels whereby greater numbers of Fowl are caught than by any other Engins formerly used which could not at all be made there did the waters as formerly overspread the whole Countrey THE HISTORY OF IMBANKING and DRAYNING CAP I. THAT works of Drayning are most antient and of divine institution we have the testimony of holy Scripture In the beginning God said let the waters be gathered together and let the dry land appear and it was so And the Earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind and God saw that it was good Again after the Deluge it was through the divine goodness that the waters were dryed up from off the Earth and the face of the ground was dry And that those Nations which be of greatest antiquity and in chief renown for Arts and Civility are also famous for their works of this nature is evident from the practice of the AEgyptians the Babylonians the Graecians the Romans and several other of which I shall give instance First therefore of Egypt because that Countrey is more mervailous than any other and that the works there are more remarkable than the Countrey This lyeth in a great length from South to North between Arabia and Lybia and is watered with the River Nilus a stream that all the Winter keepeth within his banks but at the Summer Solstice beginneth to exceed and swelling an hundred dayes is almost as long a time in retreating Which constant inundation is so commodious that those surrounded parts as an eminent Historian testifieth are only habitable and that whatsoever place on either side the River riseth in such a manner that it cannot receive the floud remaineth desert and uninhabited through want of water We may therefore esteem the AEgyptians to have been the first Masters in this Art of Drayning whom necessity and profit induced to imploy their wit and labour to the improvement of their Countrey and making the best advantage of that exorbitant River wherein they became most excellent their workman-ship about the River Nilus being such as the same learned Author manifesteth that Industry surpassed nature for Egypt saith he though naturally fruitfull being watered is more fruitfull And though according to the course of nature the greatest increase of the River watereth the most land yet through industry it was so brought to pass that oftentimes when nature was defective there was by the help of Trenches and Banks as much ground watered with the smaller flouds as with the greater so that at high floud the Countrey is all a Sea except the Cities and Villages which being situate either on Natural hills or Artificial banks at distance seem to be Islands The just increase of this flowing appeareth to be xvi Cubits Lesse watereth not all more is too slow in retreating too much water keeping the ground wet too long loseth the season of sowing too little affordeth no season through drougth The Country reckon upon both At xii Cubits they foresee famine at xiii hunger xiv bring mirth xv security xvi plenty The AEgyptian Trenches therefore were of two sorts either for avoidance of superfluous water or disposing of what might be useful there being notable examples of both kinds Of the first sort are those many out-lets made by hand for the Rivers more current passage into the Mid-land Sea the natural mouths of Nile being insufficient for the septem ostia were not all natural Nilus having run through Egypt in one stream to the City Cercasorus thence divideth it self into three Chanels one runneth Eastward towards Pelusium thâ— other Westward towards Canobus from whence they are denominate the third dividing Delta runneth straight forward to Sebennitus from whence it hath it's name and there is divided into two other streams the one passing by Sais the other by Mendes receive their names from those Cities But the Bolbitique Bucolique Chanels are not natural but made by digging This Island of Egypt towards the Sea between the Pelusiaque and Canobique Chanels is called Delta from the form of the letter Δ. Between these two mouths besides the five before named there are many smaller For from the former there are divers subdivisions throughout the whole Island which make sundry Water-courses and Islands so as one Chanel being cut into another it is navigable every way The reason why these lower parts were cut and Drayned in such extraordinary manner may be supposed to be besides the convenience of navigation for that they were more apt to silting whereof the AEgytian Priests had good experience For in the Reign of King Myris when the River rose not above eight Cubits it watered all Egypt below Memphis But now in Herodotus his time unlesse it rose xvi or at least xv cubits it overflowed not that part of the Country Nor was there nine hundred years passed from the death of King Myris to the time that Herodotus heard this from the Priests Amongst this sort of works against the inconvenience of the River may be reckoned the inbanking of Cities which Sesostris first performed But those works especially at Bubastis were after heightned by Sabacon the AEthiopian who imployed therein all persons condemned to death The other kind of Trenches extending the benefit of the inundation beyond nature is more commendable having lesse of necessity but more for imitation The first of these was made by King Maeris into a Lake on the Lybian side which bears his name which Lake saith Herodotus is three thousand six hundred furlongs in compass being the measure of Egypt along the Sea coast and lyeth in length North and South the greatest depth being â—ifty paces Almost in the middle thereof stand two Pyramids each fifty paces above water and as much below in all an hundred paces there being upon each a Colossus sitting in a Chair The water of this lake is not esteemed to spring
nor the Persians made use but held a guard there to keep off strangers Howbeit Alexander the great seeing the opportunity of place caused a City to be built there which bore his name the foundation whereof was laid with Brann instead of Chalk which was taken for a good omen Which City was seated as it were between two Seas having on the South the Lake Mareia or Mareotis But it had been an intolerable inconvenience to have dwelt in a dry Country so far from the River Nilus had not that discommodity been avoided by means of artificial Rivers Therefore that navigable Chanel was made from Canopus which became famous for the practise of Luxury Another navigable River was also made from the Haven on the Mid-land Sea to the said lake Mareotis This lake is filled from the River Nile by many Trenches as well from above that is out of the Lake Meris whereof I have spoken as on the sides of it by Trenches cut immediately from the Nile and having eight Islands in it containeth above an 150 furlongs in bredth and neer 300 in length being well inhabited round about and affording good Corn. By which Water-passages much more Commodities were brought to Alexandria than by Sea so as the Haven on the Lake side was richer than that on the Sea and more goods carryed from Alexandria to Italy than from Italy thither as plainly appeareth by the Vessels more or less fraughted which pass to and again from thence and from Puteoli Besides the wealth that is brought in at both Havens from the Lake and Sea the goodness of the air is not unworthy to be remembred it being occasioned by the water on both sides of the City and the seasonable rising of the River Nilus For whereas other Towns situate by Lakes have in the heat of Summer a gross and stifling air forasmuch as their banks being left muddy slimie exhalations are drawn up by the Sun which make the air unwholesome and occasion sicknesse here in the beginning of the Summer the Nile being full filleth the Lake leaving no part muddy to exhale any malignant vapour At which time the Etesian winds blow also from the North Sea so as the Alexandrians passe the Summer pleasantly And that the improvement made in Egypt by the drains and new Rivers after the building of Alexandria was very large appeareth by these following instances in several ages In the sacred Commentaries of the antient Priests there were numbred in Egypt Cities and Towns of note eighteen thousand Under Amasis the last King before the Persian Conquest there were twenty thousand Towns in Egypt inhabited And under Ptolomy the first above thirty thousand The Printed Copies of Diodorus have only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that reading is faulty as appeareth by the preceding numbers and the testimony of Theocritus who was one of the seven Pleiades in the Court of Philadelphus the second Ptolomy in whose Territorie there were thirty three thousand three hundred thirty nine the improvement seeming then to be more compleat Howbeit in tract of time through great neglect these Trenches and Drayns by which the overflowing of the Nile so much inricht this Country were filled with mud But Augustus Caesar having reduced Egypt into the condition of a Province to the Roman Empire caused them to be scoured by his Souldiers which noble work did so much restore it to the fertility it formerly had and consequently increase the populousnesse thereof that the number of persons there inhabiting over and besides the Alexandrians were shortly after found to be no lesse than seven millions and five hundred thousand as the tribute mony paid by every head doth manifest And thus much for Egypt CAP. II. BABYLON I Am now come to that sometime famous City of Babylon situate in a low and flat Country Of which Sir Walter Rawleigh giving a reason why there is so little written of Belus who succeeded Nimrod the first Assyrian Monarch saith that it is thought he spent much of his time in disburthening the low Lands of Babylon and drying and making firm grounds of all those great Fens and over-flown Marshes which adjoyned to it How the parts hereabouts came thus to be surrounded let us hear what Pliny saith which is thus in effect The River Euphrates being cut into two parts stretcheth it's left arm into Mesopotamia by Seleucia the principal City in Syria and so into Tygris and it 's right arm to Babylon the chief City of Chaldea whence passing through the midst thereof it runneth into the Fens It is reported that this division of that River was made by Gobaris the Prefect lest otherwise by it's violent course it might have infested the City of Babylon but by the Assyrians it is called Naarmalcha which signifieth the Kingly River That the inundations from this River are occasioned upon the same reason as those of Nilus before spoken of we have not only the testimony of the before specified Author but of Strabo whose words are these Exundat enim Euphrates aestate sub ver incipiens c. Euphrates overfloweth in Summer beginning at the Spring time when the Snow in Armenia melteth so that the Fields must needs be overwhelmed with water◠unless that the flood be diverted by Trenches in such sort as they restrain the River Nilus in Egypt hereupon therefore is it that Chanels are digg'd c. That the Banks and Drains made by Belus did not fully accomplish that work of Drayning above mentioned or in case it did that after-ages through discontinuance of their repair were little the better for them appears by the relation of Herodotus who speaking of those two famous Queens of Babylon viz. Semiramis and Nitocris saith of Semiramis who reigned five ages before the other Haec per planitiem aggeres extruxit spectando dignos quum antehac flumen eam restagnare solitum id est She raised Banks throughout the whole Levell worthy of observation whereas before she did so it was wont to be drowned by the River And of Nitocris that being more active diligent than her Predecessour ante omnia Fluvium Euphratim c In the first place she diverted the stream of Euphrates into crooked Chanels which before ran in a straight course through the midst of the City levelling the Ditches above so that it might thrice flow into Arderica a certain village of Assyria and that those things which were conveyed by the Sea towards Babylon through the River Euphrates should thrice land at this village for three dayes together This she thus accomplisht And likewise upon the verge of the said River on each side she raised Banks for bignesse and height wonderful to behold Moreover far above the City and at some distance from the River she digg'd a Chanel for the Fen as deep as the water which was in bredth every way near three hundred and twenty furlongs And the
de Metham for those betwixt Faxflete and Cawode And in the same year to Will. de Vavasur Will. de Houk and Thomas de Fisheburne for those in the parts of Merskland Inclesmore Hovedenshire then much broken and in decay In 8 E. 2. upon complaint made by the men of Merskland inhabiting upon the River of Done that the said River whereunto the Sewers of the neighbouring parts did use to run was partly by reason of the Sea-tides and partly by undue straightnings so obstructed and stopt that most part of the lands thereabouts were overflowed VVhich complaint being exhibited to the King in Parliament then sitting at Westminster he constituted Iohn de Doncastre Roger de Cloherne and Robert de Amecotes his Commissioners to enquire thereof and proceed to the redresse of the same In 9 E. 2. the said Iohn de Doncastre Peter d'Eyvill and Alexander de Cave were assigned to enquire of the defaults in repair and clensing of certain Ditches in the parts of Spaldyngmore within the Bishop of Duresme's liberty of Hovedene whereby the low grounds there were overflowed And in the same year the said Iohn and Alexander together with Hugh de Louthre Adam de Midleton and Adam de Hopton had the like assignation for the view and repair of those Banks upon Ouse betwixt Rikhale and Hoveden dyke In 12 E. 2. Hugh de Pykworth Iohn Travers and Adam de Hopertone were appointed to view the Banks c. in Merskland upon the River of Done to make them new in such places where they should think fit The like appointment in 13 E. 2. had Iohn de Doncastre Adam de Haperton and Nich. de Sutton for those upon Ouse betwixt Bardelby and Hemingbrough So also in 14 E. 2. had Alexander de Cave Thomas de Houke and Hugh de Pikworth for those betwixt Faxflete and Cawode And in 16 E. 2. the same Thomas de Houke Gerard de Ufflet and Iohn the Son of Richard de VVhitgift had the like for those on the verge of Ouse in Merskland betwixt the River of Ayre and Trent fall So likewise the same year had the said Thomas de Houke and VVill. Basset for those upon the said stream of Ouse from Berlay Water-house to Ayremynne and thence upon the water of Ayre to the passage of Carletone neer Snaythe In that year also did the King send his Precept to Adam de Strikeland then Guardian of his Mannour of Hathelsay at that time in his hand that he should cause the banks upon the River AEre belonging to that Mannour to be repaired in all places needful according to the view and testimony of honest and lawful men of those parts In 17 E. 2. VVill. Basset Thomas de Egmanton and Iohn the Son of Richard de VVhitgift and Commission to view the defects in repair of all the banks upon Ouse in the parts of Mersklond betwixt the River of Ayre and Trentfall And the same year had Alexander de Cave Thomas Houke Peter de Saltmersh Robert D'amcotes VVill. de Lincolne and Geffrey de Edenham the like Commission for the view and repair of those betwixt Suth Cave and Barneby neer Hoveden then broken in divers places As also for the VVater-courses and Ditches of Beleby wyk Fuâ—nath Ragolf dyke Lange dyke Skelflete Hingbriksik Blaktoft damme Thornton's damme Temple damme Miklestek Hebewisgote Trakput Mulnedam of Broukflet Frisdike and Hoddeflete all which were diverted out of their right courses by which diversions and obstructions and the want of repairing those banks the low grounds betwixt Thornetone Muleburne Cathwayt Suth Cave Yverthorpe North Cave and Barneby neer Hoveden were overflowed And in case that they who had thus diverted and obstructed these VVater-courses were not able to repair them again then to distrain all such to give assistance therein as by such reducing them to their former Chanels and deobstruction of those stops should receive benefit and safeguard The next year following had Roger de Somery Hugh de Pikworth and Robert de Babthorpe the like assignation for the view and repair of those banks Ditches c. on the East part of Ouse betwixt Turneheved and Barneby ferry As also for those on the VVest part betwixt Cawode and Ayremyn and betwixt Feribrig and Ayremyn on the South and VVest part In the same year likewise were Alexander de Cave Thomas de Houke Peter de Saltmersh and Iohn de Kilvyngtone constituted Commissioners for those banks c. upon the coasts of Humbre and Use betwixt the towns of Suth Cave and Barneby neer Hoveden then broken and ruinous and also of the VVater-courses from Wartre Brunnom Brunneby Hayton Beleby Beveldale Myllington Ulvesthorp Killingwyke Pokelington Arnethorpe Wappelington Thorneton Melborne and Cathwayt then obstructed and diverted out of their right courses by reason whereof the low grounds betwixt Beleby Suth Cave and Barneby viz. Fulne Rageldyke Langdyke Skelflete Hingbrigstike Blacktoft dam Thornton dam Temple dam Mychelsyk Helewysgot Crakeput and the Mylndam of Bromflet Frisdyke were drowned And to compell all those who had so diverted and stopt the said waters to reduce them to their antient courses and where need should be to make new Chanels for that purpose The like Commission had they for the banks c. betwixt the River of Done and Bykerdyke within the Isle of Axeholme in Lincolnshire In 5 E. 3. Iohn Travers Peter de Midleton Peter de Saltmersh and Simon de Baldreston were assigned to enquire concerning the breach of a certain Causey called Foxholedyke made by certain malefactors in the parts of Merskland in this County by which breach the lands of the inhabitants of those parts were drowned In 7 E. 3. VVill. de Hathelse Iohn de Clif and Hugh de Bradeford were appointed to view and repair the banks c. betwixt AErmyne and Selby So likewise in 11 E. 3. were Will. Basset Thomas de Brayton and Iohn de Lacy of Gateford for those betwixt Temple hirst and Ayrmyne on the North side of Ayre as also upon both sides of the River Ouse betwixt Ayrmyne and Selby In 13 E. 3. the King directed his special Precept to Richard de Aldeburgh and Will. Basset whereby he made recital that whereas he had by his VVrit under the Privy seal commanded Simon de Grimesby then Guardian of his Mannor of Brustwyk that he should cause his demesne Lands Meadows and pastures and likewise the Lands of his Tenants within that Mannour to be drayned which had been drowned by the overflowing of water and to make a certain trench there whereby the water might passe away and have a direct course as before that time it had And the said Simon together with his Free-holders and Bondmen of that Lordship did by virtue of that precept make a trench there in a certain place where long before there had been one And the said King being informed
that Margerie the VVidow of Robert de Botheby of Rihill conspiring cunningly to supplant him in his right caused the same trench in the said Kings absence from England to be stopt up and his Tenants of that Mannour who were at the making thereof to be impleaded by divers VVrits as trespassers to the said Margerie alleging that they had broken the Banks of a certain Sewer at Rihill aforesaid so that the water thereof by that breach did drown her lands that she could have no profit by them And that certain VVrits of Nisi prius for to take Inquisition upon the premisses were granted to the said Richard and VVilliam by which in case they should be taken or that there should be such proceedings therein he the said King might easily receive prejudice and disherison especially if thereby his said Tenants should be convicted of those trespasses for then it would appear that he had no right to make that trench Therefore the said King being desirous by all wayes he could to prevent such damage and disherison commanded the before-specified Richard and William that they should wholly supersede the taking of any such Inquisitions by virtue of his said VVrit of Nisi prius In 17 E. 3. Sir Thomas Ughtred Sir Gerard de Useflet and Sir Will. de Kednesse Knights Iohn de Bekingham and Iohn de Langeton were assigned to view the banks betwixt Turnbrigg neer Rouclif and the antient course of the River of Done in the parts of Merskland as also those upon the Rivers of Ayre Use and Done thereabouts which were then much broken by the flouds of fresh waters and to take order for the repair of them In the same year upon a Petition exhibited to the King in Parliament by the Inhabitants of Merskland in this County and they of â—xholme in Lincolnshire shewing that whereas King Edward the second at the sute of them the said Inhabitants suggesting that the River of Done which is the division betwixt the said Counties where the course of the water had wont to be aswell for the passage of ships from the town of Doncastre unto the River of Trent as for the drayning of the adjacent lands was obstructed by the Sea-tides and thereupon gave Commission to Iohn de Donecaster and others to clear the same and reduce it to it 's antient course VVhich Commissioners did accordingly cause a trench of xvi foot and one grain of Barly in bredth to be thereupon digged at the chardge of the men of those parts from a certain place called Crulleflet hill unto Denmyn and did thereby reduce that stream into it's antient course And that since the said trench so digg'd there were bridges floud-gates and divers other obstructions made anew in the said stream so that it had not sufficient bredth but that the passage of ships was hindred and the adjacent grounds overflowed he therefore constituted Roger de Newmarsh Thomas de Levelannor Iohn de Ludington and Iohn de Rednesse his Commissioners to remove those obstructions In the same year upon information by the Inhabitants of Rykhale Skipwith Eskrik Styvelyngflet Duffeld and Bardelby that the banks of a certain Sewer which passeth from the River of Ouse unto Rikhale were so low and ruinous at Rikhale that by the flowing of the Ouse entring that Sewer and going over the banks thereof divers lands and Meadows of the said Inhabitants of those places as also a certain Road-way which goeth from Hoveden to Yorke and another which commeth from Selby to Yorke through want of repair of those banks and raising them higher were many times overflowed so that the before-specified Inhabitants for many years past had lost the benefit of their said lands the King therefore assigned Will. Basset Sir Will. de Rednesse Knight Robert de Haldanby and Iohn de Bekyngham his Commissioners to enquire thereof and to redresse the same By virtue of which Commission they the said Robert and Iohn sate at Rikhale upon Friday being the Feast of the decollation of S. Iohn Baptist in the year abovesaid before whom Henry de Moreby and his Fellow Jurors being impanelled and sworn did present upon their Oaths that there was a certain Sewer at Ryhkale called Rykhaleflete in the land of the Bishop of Duresme and the Prebendary of the Prebend of Rykhale by which the waters that descended from the Fields of Eskrik Skipwith and Rikhall fell into the River of Ouse and had done so time out of mind and that the banks of the said Sewer and those lying near thereto upon the said River were so low and the same Sewer by the frequent ebbing and flowing of the Ouse so worn away and enlarged in regard that the course of that River from Rikhale towards the Sea was then more straightned than formerly by banks upon the verge thereof newly made for the safeguard of the Country in divers places which causing it in Floud-times to rise higher than usually did by it's entrance of that Sewer over those banks drown much land meadow wood and pasture belonging to the Inhabitants of Rikhale Skipwith Eskrik and Thurgramby so that they often lost their benefit of those lands through the want of repair and raising the banks of the same Sewer viz. of the Bishop of Dureâ—me his Lands about Lxiiij Acres of the Lands belonging to the Prebendary of Rikhale and his Tenants about an hundred Acres of the land of Iohn de Manesergh about xxx Acres of the lands belonging to the Abby of S. Marie in Yorke lying in Escrik Park about Lx Acres of the lands pertaining to Sir Raphe de Lascels Avice la Constable Nicholas Damory the Prioresse of Thikheve and her Tenants about Cxx Acres of the lands of Edmund de Averenges and Iohn de Skipwith about Cxx Acres And they also said that the Road-way which leadeth from Hoveden to Yorke as also that High way from Selby to Yorke were by reason of that overflowing of the water entring by the said Sewer so often drowned that no man could passe them And that one Will. le Mareschall by reason of the said overflowing was drowned in that Road betwivt Seleby and Yorke the year before and so likewise was one Walter Redhed at another time in a place called Welebrig overflowed in such sort by the said water And being asked through whose neglect it was that those banks were not repaired and who ought to repair them they answered that the Prebendary of the Prebend of Rikhale had in times past a certain Mill which stood in the said Sewer in a place called Rikhaldrun for his own private commodity and a pool raised to a certain height upon which pool was a Causey for the passage of Carts and Waines and under that pool a Sluse six foot in bredth for evacuation of the water descending from the before-specified fields by which Causey and Sluse the tides of Ouse coming up the same Sewer and flowing over the banks thereof entring the said pool were
made higher by three foot 120. And that Guyhirne gole be banked with a Bank of xvi foot and in height x foot by all the lands lying in Wisbeche between Sorcel dike and the high Fendike On the 12th of Iuly in the same 13th year of Qâ—een Eliz. reign it was thus ordered by Robert Bell Ieffrey Coleville William Hunston Robert Balam William Brian Richard Nicholas Thomas Hewar and Henry Hunston Esquires Justices of Sewers for the Countrey of Marshland in the County of Norffolf and for the Borders and Confines of the same viz. Forasmuch as Bishops dyke within the Isle of Ely is greatly decayed by the abundance of fresh waters which hapned this last Winter the like whereof was never seen within the remembrance of man to the great decaying and impairing of Broken dyke being one of the defencâ—-Dikes for salvation of the whole Country of Marshlande to the great peril of the drowning the said Country of Marshland and to the utter undoing of all the Landholders of the East side of Elme between the said Bishop's dike and Broken dike if the said Bishop's dike be not sufficiently repaired and amended in time the experience wherof was too manifest this last winter to the great losse of a number of the Queen's Majesties Subjects the misery whereof is unspeakable it is therefore condescended and agreed by the said Justices That the Landholders of Elme within the Isle of Ely aforesaid between Nedeham dyke and Broken-dyke aswell for that the Countty of Marshland may the better repair and maintain the said Broken dike this last Winter decayed by the means of the overflowing of the said Bishop's dike as also to be without charge of making and defending of the said Broken dike the said Broken dyke being maintained which cannot be if the land there remain surrounded still and so thereby no profit to be reaped by the Owners of the same land shall have license to issue out the water of Oldfield between Needham dike and Broken dyke at the Gote or Pipe already laid on Broken dike not far distant from Blewick's house and to issue into Marshland by the direction of Mr. Balam Mr. Hewar and Mr. Henry Hunston through Emneth and Walsoken in the highest parts of Marshland Provided that when it shall be thought by any two of the Justices aforesaid or by any four of the chiefest Landholders of the Country of Marshland then resiant within the said Country that the same water running underneath Broken dike is hurtfull to the Country of Marshland or to any part thereof or that it shall be perceived by any two of the said Justices or by any four of the chiefest Landholders of the Country of Mershland aforesaid that the Charge bearers of Bishop's dike be negligent in the well defending the said Bishops dyke or that the Landholders of Oldfield do not sufficiently from time to time maintain and keep Needham dike or lay any Gotes or Pipes in any place of the said Needham dike to issue any water from any part of the South side of the said Needham dike or that any water is received into Oldfield by any way or device to the intent to utter the same at the Gote in Broken-dyke other than the downfall of the Ayre falling into the aforesaid Oldfield that then and at all times afterwards it shall be lawfull for any of the Inhabitants of the Country of Marshland so to cease the running of the water through the same any thing mentioned in this Order or Law to the contrary notwithstanding Or if the owners of the lands which do lye between Needham dike and Broken dike or any of them do refuse to bear and pay all and every such charges to Knight's goole or to any Sewer leading thereunto as the other lands in Marshland do according to the number of Acres and the same to be paid to the Dikereeves in Emneth Or if the Owners and Landholders of Oldfield do not from time to time well and sufficiently repair and maintain aswell the said Gote or Pipe lying underneath or through Broken dike as also as much of the Bank or Dike called Broken dike alias Oldfield dike as the same Gote or Pipe is in length or bredth Or if the same Gote have not two strong dores viz. at each end one always in readinesse to be shut or stopped when occasion shall serve at or before the day of S. Michael the Arch Angel next ensuing the date hereof and from time to time thenceforth to continue and keep the same in good reparations or else to cease as is aforesaid At a Session of Sewers held at Wisbeche 22 Aprâ— xvi Eliz. Ordered that the Causey called Norwol dam shall be raised with gravell three foot higher than it is at the costs of the Hundred of Wisbeche saving a way to be left of xii foot in bredth with a Bridg over the same as heretofore hath been accustomed which Bridg to be made at the costs of the Bishop of Ely Also that Longe's drove in Elme shall be made sufficient to keep out Says field water by the Landholders of Oldfield In An 1576 xviii Eliz. was the first Improvement of Needham Buriall fields lying within the Precincts of Upwelle by an Agreement of the Landholders there on the xxiiiith day of Iune in the same year at which time they setled an Acre-shot of six pence the Acre for defraying the charge thereof And about two years after this at a Session of Sewers held at Erith brigge viz. 4º Augusti xx Eliz. it was ordered by the Justices that there should be a Bank made from Marysse dike unto Bishop's dike alias Lovedays dike over the River of Elme to be in height eight foot in bredth xii on the upper part and in the bottom xxxii foot as also a Clouse at Marisdam but so as Boats might passe through the same And likewise that the Bank beginning at Keâ—ismill and extending to Guy hirne and so by Coldham to Fryday bridg in Elme should be repaired so that the height thereof might be six foot the bredth in the bottom xxiiii foot and at the top 8 foot At a Session of Sewers held at Wisebeche upon the 12th of Iuly in xxiii Eliz. it was thus ordered that whereas the Common called Ladwers lying in Elme is drowned for want of a Crest that there be a Crest or Bank made beginning at Tylneyhirne and so leading to the New Leame thence by the River of Nene to the Horshooe thence to Marmond land thence to the West end of Langbeche adjoyning unto Bishops dike which Bank to be xii foot in the bottom in bredth 4 foot at the top and in height 5 foot And that the Sluse upon Marys dam shall be taken up and when the said Bank is made then to be set at New Leames end As also a convenient Tenement built meet for a man to dwell in for the keeping of the same And it was likewise