Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/660

 to the tideway in Bridgewater Bay at Start Point, in the Bristol Channel; being, however, joined in its course, at Borough Chapel, by the Parrett River.

It was executed under authority of an act passed in 1699, entitled, 'An Act for making and keeping the River Tone navigable from Bridgewater to Taunton, in the county of Somerset,' and of another in 1707, entitled, 'An Act for the more effectual making and keeping the River Tone navigable from Bridgewater to Taunton, in the county of Somerset;' and in 1804 a third act was passed, entitled, 'An Act for explaining and amending Two Acts, passed in the Tenth and Eleventh Years of the Reign of King William the Third and the Sixth of Queen Anne, for making and keeping navigable the River Tone, from Bridgewater to Taunton, in the county of Somerset.' These acts appointed certain persons conservators of this river, who were to collect tonnage rates thereon, part of which were to be applied to time maintenance of the navigation, and the remainder for the benefit of the poor of Taunton, and the parishes of Taunton St. Mary Magdalene and Taunton St. James.

In 1811 a number of persons became a company and obtained an act of parliament, authorizing them to make a canal from near Bristol to Taunton; and as it was supposed that this canal would materially injure the interests derived from the River Tone, the company are directed by the act of parliament to purchase those interests, and to maintain the River Tone out of the tolls arising therefrom, as will be found noticed under the article, "Bridgewater and Taunton Canal," in this work.

TRENT RIVER.
10 &amp; 11 Wm. III. C. 20, R. A. 4th May, 1699.

10 Geo. III. C. 57, R. A. 16th Mar. 1770.

13 Geo. III. C. 86, R. A. 24th Dec. 1772.

23 Geo. III. C. 41, R. A. 6th May, 1793.

23 Geo. III. C. 48, R. A. 24th June, 1793.

34 Geo. III. C. 95, R. A. 9th May, 1794.

THIS river rises in the most northern extremity of Staffordshire, near a place called Thursfield, from whence it runs southerly to Handford Bridge, being in its course joined by several other branches; proceeding through the grounds of the Marquis of Stafford, at Trentham, (where it forms a fine sheet of water) it