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HISTORY OR ENGINEERING.

Book I.

flowing through it, the chief of which are the Trent, the Ancholme, the Witham, theWelland, the Glen, and several tributary streams. Jn the reign of Henry II . the whole ofthis district was one vast lake, for we find an account of shipping traversing it in all direc-tions. The great bay or estuary into which these different rivers are discharged is veryshallow, and full of shifting sands and silt, and the rivers flowing through a soft soil bringdown a great deal of mud, particularly in times of flood, which is met by the tide, alsocharged with silt, and prevented from being carried away ; thus both are deposited at themouth.

In wet seasons the rivers, from the greater quantity of water, run to seaward withincreased velocity, and of consequence drive the silt further out; when this quantity islessened, and the tides are stronger from the effects of the wind, the silt is driven less power-fully outwards, and settles near the mouths, which chokes them up, and prevents their freedischarge from the fens. Such may be some of the causes for the inundations that havetaken place. There is no doubt that much was effected by the Romans in this district toconfine the course of the several rivers and prevent their frequent overflow.

The marshes on the river Ancholme are mentioned in the sixteenth year of KingEdward I., who directs his writ to the sheriff of the county of Lincolnshire , to inquire“ whether it would be hurtful to him, or any other, if the course of that river, then ob-structed from a place called Bishop’s Brigge to the river Humber, were opened, so that thecurrent of the same might be reduced into its due and ancient channel,” and commissionerswere afterwards appointed to cause the channel to he scoured and cleansed.

The Island of Ancholme, which contains some of the most fertile land in the county, wasformerly nothing but fen, occasioned by the silt thrown up the Trent with the tides of theIlumber. The obstructions which the Dun and Idle met with forced back their watersover the neighbouring lands, so that the centre of this district, which was somewhat moreelevated, formed an island. One of the works performed here to prevent inundation in thereign of Henry V. was a strong sluice of wood, made upon the Trent at the head of asewer, called the Mazedyke, which was of a sufficient height and breadth to keep out thetidal water, as well as to prevent the fresh water descending from the west part of the samesluice to the sewer into the Trent, and from thence into the Ilumber. This sluice wasdestroyed by some of the inhabitants of the lordship of Hatfield, and rebuilt by John deShireburne with stone, sufficiently strong, as he thought, for defence against the sea-tides andfresh waters. The jurors, however, condemned it, being inadequate for its purpose, andbotli too high and broad; they also ordered in lieu of it, “ that sluices of strong timbershould be set up, which should consist of two flood-gates, each containing in itself 4 feet inbreadth, and 6 feet in height; and also a bridge upon the said sluices, in length andbreadth sufficient for carts and other carriages, which for the future might pass thatway.”

No great engineering works appear to have been undertaken to rescue this vast fen orlake, which extended over upwards of 60,000 acres, till the beginning of the reign of KingCharles I. That monarch seems to have authorised the draining of all the surroundingmarshes of the Isle of Ancholme, as well as those of Hatfield Chase and Dykesmarsh, whichwere overflowed by the Idel, Bickersdyke, Turne, Done, and Ayre rivers, in conse-quence of their being obstructed by silt, so that boats could navigate the country at alltimes.

Ilaxey Carr had boats laden with twenty quarters of corn usually passing over it fromthe river Idel to Trent. The king being the owner, not only of Hatfield Chase, Dykes-marsh, and other townships so inundated, contracted under the great seal with CorneliusVermuden of the city of London , in the second year of his reign, “that the said Corneliusshould at his own charge drain and lay the same dry, beginning the work within threemonths after the said king should have agreed with those persons that had interest of com-mon therein, and finish it with all possible expedition.

“ That the said Cornelius, in consideration thereof, should have to him and his heirs forever one full third part of the said surrounded grounds, to hold of the said king, his heirsand successors, as of his manor of East Greenwich in free and common soccage.

“ That he the said Cornelius should pay and satisfy to the owners of all lands lyingwithin the same level, and so surrounded, such sums of money as the said lands should bethought worth by four commissioners, whereof two to be named by the Lord Treasurer ofEngland for the time being, and the other two by him the said Cornelius.

“ That the said work being finished, there should be, for the better preservation thereof,a corporation made to make acts and ordinances to that end, as occasion should require,consisting of such persons as he the said Cornelius and his heirs did nominate.

“ That within three years after they should be finished, six commissioners to be ap-pointed, viz. three by the Lord Treasurer of England, three by the said Cornelius, his heirs,&c., to view them, and to estimate what the future yearly charge might amount unto forthe perpetual maintaining of them : whereupon the said Cornelius to convey and assure theinheritance of lands to such a value as might be thought sufficient to support that charge ;