Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/620

 inflicting a penalty of £5 or three months imprisonment to hard labour, on any boatman or other person so offending, by a summary process before a magistrate.

It is not easy now to ascertain the legitimate expense of making this river navigable; but the undertaking consists of forty-eight shares, which of late have sold for £300 per share; and the tolls of the navigation are let for £900 per annum.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON CANAL.
33 Geo. III. C. 112, R. A. 28th March, 1793.

35 Geo. III. C. 72, R. A. 19th May, 1795.

39 Geo. III. C. 60, R. A. 21st June, 1799.

49 Geo. III. C. 42, R. A. 12th May, 1809.

55 Geo. III. C. 59, R. A. 12th May, 1815.

57 Geo. III. C. 15, R. A. 23rd May, 1817.

2 Geo. IV. C. 631, R. A. 28th May, 1821.

THIS canal commences at King's Norton, in the county of Worcester, about six miles from the town of Birmingham, where it joins the Worcester and Birmingham Canal; and from thence it runs in an easterly direction to Yardley Wood Common, where it takes a southerly course, and passes by Shirley Street, Monkford Street, Lapworth and Preston Bagot, at which place it crosses the River Alne; then proceeding by Wootton, it terminates on the north side of Stratford. The length is about twenty-three miles and a half, and it has four branches; one from near Hockley to Tamworth Quarries, about two miles and a half; one other from near Lapworth to the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, one mile and three quarters; one other from near Wilmcote to Temple Grafton Lime Works, four miles; and a branch from this last cut to Aston Cantlow, one mile.

The first act of parliament sanctioning this undertaking was passed in 1793, and is entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal from the Worcester and Birmingham Canal Navigation, in the parish of King's Norton, into the borough of Stratford-upon-Avon; and also certain collateral Cuts from the said intended Canal.' It incorporates the subscribers to the undertaking under the title of "The Company of Proprietors of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Navigation;" empowers them to