River Dee, Chester Act 1698

Reasons for passing this Act

Rates to be paid to the City of Chester for Goods brought from 25th April 1700, for 21 Years; The said Rates to be paid by the Persons herein mentioned.

Whereas the River Dee was heretofore navigable for Shipps and Vessells of considerable Burden from the Sea to the City of Chester but by Neglect of the said River and for want of sufficient Banks Works and Fences on the Sides thereof against the Flux and Reflux of the Sea especially betweene the new Tower of the said City and a certaine Point of Land in the County of Chester about One Mile distant from the said Tower commonly called Blacon-Point the Channell of the said River is become soe various and uncertaine that by Sands and otherwise the Navigation to the said City is almost lost and destroyed And if the said River were reduced and preserved within reasonable Bounds the same would by Navigation thereupon be of great Benefitt to the Publick by breeding up of Seamen and by Incouragement and Increase of Trade And whereas the Citizens of the said City are willing and desirous that for recovering and preserveing the said Navigation certaine Duties should be laid upon such Coales and Lime and Limestone as shall be brought to and unloaded within the Liberties of the said City May it please Your Majesty that it may be enacted and be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Five and twentieth Day of Aprill which shall be in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand seaven hundred and for and during the Terme of One and twenty Yeares thence next ensueing and no longer there shall be paid to the Mayor and Citizens of the said City for and towards the defraying the Charges of recovering and preserving the said Navigation For every Barrell of Coales and Lime or Limestone each Barrell containing Ten score Pound Weight which shall be brought to the said City of Chester either by Land or by Water-Carriage and unloaded within the Liberties of the said City (and soe proportionably for every greater or lesser Quantity of Coals and Lime or Limestone) such Summ or Summs of Money not exceeding Three Halfe Pence for every such Barrell of Coales and Two Pence for every such Barrell of Lime or Limestone as the Mayor Aldermen and Common Councill of the said City in Common Councill assembled shall from Time to Time order and appoint which Duties and Summs of Money soe ordered and appointed to be paid as aforesaid shall be paid immediately upon bringing and unloading the same Coales and Lime or Limestone within the Liberties of the said City by the respective Person and Persons hereafter mentioned (that is to say) the Duties upon all Coals Lime and Limestone which shall be brought by Water shall be paid upon unlading the same within the Liberties of the said City by the Master or Owner of such Boat or Vessell in or by which such Coales Lime or Limestone shall be soe brought And the said Duties upon all Coales Lime and Limestone which shall be brought by Land and unloaded within the Liberties of the said City (and not exposed to sale) shall be paid upon bringing and unloading the same by such Person and Persons who shall bring or unload the same And the said Duties upon all Coales Lime and Limestone which shall be brought by Land and exposed to sale and sold within the Liberties of the said City shall be immediately paid by such Person and Persons only who shall buy the same without makeing any Defalcation from the Seller or Sellers thereof according to the Markett Price.