A History of Horncastle from the Earliest Period to the Present Time/Chapter 9

by James Conway Walter

 

CHAPTER IX.

 

THE CANAL.

HE Horncastle Canal, connecting for commerce the town with the river Witham, and so with Lincoln, Boston, and the sea, though now a derelict, was formerly of much value. Its history is here given from its earliest inception.

Horncastle having been for some centuries the chief market of an important agricultural district, an association was formed towards the close of the 18th century, with the title "The Company of Proprietors of Horncastle Navigation, in the County of Lincoln." This was, in the year 1792, incorporated by an Act of Parliament, which gave a list of the names of the original members, and secured to them, and to their successors, perpetual possession of the same, and a common seal. The canal was to be 11 miles long, extending from the junction of the two rivers, Bain and Waring, which traverse the town and meet at the point where now stands the public swimming bath, to the Witham at Tattershall; and passing through the parishes of Thornton, Martin, Dalderby, Roughton, Haltham, Kirkby, Coningsby, and Tattershall.

The company had at first a capital of £15,000 in £50 shares, no member being allowed to hold less than one share or more than 20. The surveyors for the undertaking were Messrs. Robert Stickney and Samuel Dickinson.

When about two-thirds of the work was completed this capital was exhausted; and in the year 1800 a second Act of Parliament was obtained, which authorised the raising of a supplementary sum of £20,000 in shares of £50; additional members being enrolled, and mortgages raised on the tolls. The whole profits of the concern, for several years, were absorbed in paying off the debt thus contracted, so that no dividend accrued for the shareholders until the year 1813. The channel, from Horncastle to Dalderby, was an entirely new cut, the rest being the river Bain deepened and straightened in its course. It was adapted for the passage of vessels of 50 tons burden; and in the whole length of 11 miles there was a fall of 84 feet.

The original rate of charges was 2/- per ton for the whole length of the canal, 1/9 to the seventh lock, and 1/3 to the fourth lock; vessels laden with lime, manure, or material for roads, were granted free passage.^[1] By the second Act of Parliament, in 1800, the charges were raised to 3/3 per ton for the whole length of the canal, 2/7 to the seventh lock, and 1/6 to the fourth lock; lime, manure, and road material being exempted, as before.

The whole structure was completed in the autumn of 1802, and the canal was formally opened on Friday, Sept. 17th of that year. The occasion was observed as a general holiday by the towns-folk. At one o'clock the boats the

The Canal.

Betsy of Horncastle, and the Martha of Dalderby, the property of Messrs. Gilliat & Wilson, and the British Queen, owned by Mr. Boyers, were hauled into the two basins of the canal, elaborately decorated with colours, amid the cheers of spectators, who are said to have numbered more than 2,000. The vessels having been brought to, several salutes were fired, and a band of music, on the pleasure boat of Mr. Lane, played "God save the King," "Rule Britannia," "Hearts of Oak," &c. Having traversed some distance on the canal the company aftewards landed at the wharfs on the two branches, and a large number of the shareholders partook of a festive repast at the Greyhound Inn, East Street, near the south basin. The navvies and other workmen who had been employed in the construction of the canal, were also regaled on the boats, and afterwards feasted at the Greyhound.

In following years an excursion was made annually by the Directors, conveyed down the canal, in a fine barge, which was their own property, named "The Lady Banks," in order to inspect its condition; and this was followed by a public dinner at the Bull Hotel, which continued to be an established institution during the period of the canal's prosperity.

The shares quickly rose considerably in value; a great number of barges came to the town, and it was no uncommon occurrence to see the whole distance from the South bridge to the Bow bridge packed closely with heavily laden vessels, carrying coals, grain, or other merchandise. In 1836 it was computed that about 30,000 quarters of wheat, and 3,000 packs of wool, passed through the canal annually; and in 1850 the profits of the traffic amounted to about £2,000 a year.

Consequent on the opening of the railway in August, 1855, the canal, as a means of goods conveyance, gradually became disused, until, of late years, it has become worse than a mere derelict, since it forms an obstruction to the free passage of the water brought down by the two rivers, and after heavy rain it has led to temporary inundations of the town, to the great inconvenience of those residing near it, as well as interfering, as might in some circumstances be serious, with the sanitary arrangements.

A few years ago an attempt was made to restore the canal traffic, but the railway monopoly had become too thoroughly established, and the project failed; yet the competition, could it have been maintained, might have had a salutary effect upon the cost of railway conveyance, to the advantage of the general public.

Our canals, it should be remembered, are a time-honoured institution; the Lincolnshire Cardyke and Fossdyke date from the period of the Roman occupation of this country. The Magna Charta of the early 13th century took cognizance, not only of the roads, called "The King's Highway," but also of inland navigation, under the term "Haut streames de le Roy." The latter half of the 18th century was remarkable for great achievements as regards internal waterways, notably in the Bridgewater Canal, and the Grand Junction Canal of London; and to this period, as we have seen, the Horncastle Canal belongs.

In this twentieth century, again, notwithstanding the great railway facilities, there is a wide-spread movement in favour of extended water traffic, headed by the very successful Suez Canal; with a prospect of the sister channel of Panama. Berlin is said to owe its prosperity largely to its well-organized system, connecting the rivers Oder, Elbe, Spree, &c., which have an annual traffic of some million and half tons. Our own Manchester Ship Canal is another instance; the most recent case being fresh developments of the Aire and Calder Navigation, in South Yorkshire. The canals, too, which have been recently constructed in India, are yielding, by the latest reports,^[2] a handsome revenue to the Government, as well as greatly benefiting the native population.

It is acknowledged that a more general use of waterways, throughout the kingdom for the cheaper transport of our heavier and more bulky produce, would be a national boon; and a Royal Commission was engaged in considering the subject of the acquisition of all canals as Government property.^[3]

It is now being more and more recognised that, on the establishment of railways, everyone jumped too hastily to the conclusion that the days of canals were over; whereas, in truth, there is still a large field, probably an increasing field, for the cheaper traffic in heavy goods, which canals can provide for. The Belgian town of Bruges, though situated several miles inland, is now to be converted into a port by the government of that country, through the creation of a canal, which is expected to increase the prosperity of that city. Similarly it is suggested that our own town of Nottingham could be made a great inland port, if water carriage were provided; and Sir John Turney, before the Royal Commission, has recently (July, 1907) stated that the trade of that town might thus be greatly increased. These, be it remembered, are not isolated cases.

On the Canal.

As to our own local interests, we may reasonably regret that, after so much money being invested in the Horncastle Canal, and the serious losses incurred by so many investors, no further effort should be made to utilize it. The trade of Horncastle is not so satisfactory but that we might welcome every adjunct, which could in any way contribute to its furtherance; while, even from an æsthetic point of view, it were desirable that, with the present dilapidated locks, and the banks in some places broken, the channel, which is in parts little more than a shallow bed of mud, befouled by garbage and carrion, or choked by a matted growth of weeds, should be superceded by a flow of water, pure and emitting no pestiferous exhalations.

THE RAILWAY.

In few things has there been more remarkable evolution, or we might even say, revolution, than in our methods of locomotion. In these days of historic pageants we might well conceive of a series of scenes passing before us, shewing the means adopted at different periods, or under different conditions, in this respect. The war-chariot of Queen Boadicea, charging the legions of Cæsar, or (in our own neighbourhood) that of the British warrior Raengeires, routing his Saxon foes, at Tetford, with their wheels of solid wood and other massive carpentry, would form a, then inconceivable, contrast to the future taximeter cab, to be evolved in this 20th century.

The lumbering "wain" of the Saxon churl, though still surviving in the name of a constellation, befitted only an age little advanced beyond barbarism.

The primitive "shout" (Dutch "schuyt"), or "dug-out" boat, hollowed by Celtic flint-axe from the bole of a mighty oak, and slowly propelled by the almost wild Girvian, through the tangle of fen morass, had but a remote connection with the steam packet which, within living memory, plied on the neighbouring Witham, between Boston and Lincoln. Although the speed of the latter was so slow, that (as a friend of the writer has done) a pedestrian, travelling by road, could reach either of those places, from our town of Horncastle, in less time than it took to go by carrier's van to Kirkstead wharf, and thence by the said steamer.

While, again, both these would provoke only a smile of contempt in the voyager who now crosses the atlantic, at a rate of 20 knots or more in the hour. Then, again, compare with these the cyclist, who now flashes past us with the speed of lightning; or the motorist, who vanishes from our sight, almost before the dust he has raised is blown away.

Another humbler mode of progress, again, was a familiar sight in our boyhood, when the farmer's wife jogged contentedly to market, seated on a pillion, behind her husband, and carrying her butter, eggs, or chickens, in roomy market baskets by her side. Even the gig, to carry two, of the better bucolic class, has now become obsolete, as the train pours out, at the station, its living stream of market folk, male and female, within a few minutes of leaving their own doors several miles away.

As to our country roads we are, it is true, well supplied with them, but a pageant view of the past, such as we have here conceived, would reveal to us our British forefathers, toiling, in wearied gangs, under Roman task-masters, at the forced labour of road making; by which the town's markets and chartered fairs were to be accessible, from all directions, for generations yet unborn. In our present iron ways, we might well suppose that we have attained the highest evolutionary stage in expeditious traffic; but who, indeed, shall venture to gainsay, that as a sequel to our wireless telegraphy, we may one day eschew the mundane altogether, and become a race of aeronauts.

The Great Northern loop line, connecting Boston and Lincoln with Peterborough and Grantham, and so with the further north and south, was opened in October, 1848. At that date, except the "Navigation" for heavy goods, such as corn, coal, &c., there were only coaches, once a day, for public conveyance to Boston, Lincoln, Market Rasen, and Louth. But through the enterprise of Mr. Samuel Sketchley, of Horncastle, Solicitor, of the old firm of Selwood and Conington, an Act of Parliament was, not without difficulty, obtained, July 10th, 1854, for the construction of a branch line, running from Kirkstead to Horncastle; the importance of this event being recognised by a joyous peal of the parish church bells being rung, and crowds parading the streets, at 10 o'clock at night, at which hour the news arrived. The next day the rejoicings were continued, the bells of St. Mary's Church being again rung, while the tower of the church was adorned with a tricolour flag, bearing the inscription "God speed the railway," and crowds again passed through the streets, headed by the town band and a large tricolour standard.

The construction of the line was begun in April of the following year, 1855; the contractors being Messrs. Smith & Knight. The original capital of the company was £48,000, in £10 shares, but the ultimate cost was about £60,000. The G.N.R. Company undertook the working, paying half the receipts to the shareholders; and as, for the distance (about 7½ miles), the expenditure was, compared with that of many such undertakings, small, so, as an investment, the enterprise proved a profitable one, few lines yielding so good a return for the outlay; the £10 shares still (in 1907) sell at nearly half as much again (£14 17s. 3d., July, 1907).

A brief account may well here be given of the opening ceremony of this important event in the town's history, condensed from the public journals of the day. The line was examined by the Government Inspector, Colonel Wynn, and a few days later Mr. Seymour Clarke, the G.N.R. manager, stated that it could not be in a more efficient condition. The opening ceremony was fixed for Aug. 12th, 1855. At an early hour the town was crowded with visitors and shops were closed. At 7 a.m. 2,500 lbs. of beef were distributed among the poorer people. Peals of bells were rung, the Horncastle and Spilsby bands added their music of popular airs. The streets and station were profusely decorated, under the direction of Mr. Crowder, florist, Mr. John Osborne, parish clerk, Mr. Archbould, head gardener to Sir H. Dymoke, Mr. Nelson from Stourton Hall, and a local committee. Flags displayed the arms of the town, those of Sir H. Dymoke, Mr. J. Banks Stanhope, the Bishop of Carlisle, then lord of the manor, the Rose of England, and the Union Jack. About noon a procession was formed in the Bull Ring, to meet the Directors of the G.N.R., by Mr. F. Harwood, master of the ceremonies, in the following order:

Navvy bearing bronzed pickaxe and shovel.
Banner.
Navvies, four abreast.
Banner.
Two navvies, bearing silver-gilt wheelbarrow.
Banners.
Horncastle Brass Band.
	Contractor.	Engineer.
	Secretary.	Solicitor.
	Auditor.	Auditor.
Banners.	Directors, two abreast.		Banners.
Churchwarden, Dr. B. J. Boulton.
The Vicar, Rev. W. H. Milner.
Banners.	Shareholders and their friends, four abreast.		Banners.
Spilsby Brass Band.
Parish Clerk, Mr. J. C. Osborne, in his robes,
Banner.	preceded by his Standard Bearer.		Banner.
Members of the various Clubs, with Banners.
Banner.	1,000 School Children, 4 abreast.		Banner.
The Public.

The procession marched from the Bull Ring to the Railway Station, where the elders of the party on the platform, and the children, with their banners, ranged on the opposite side, awaited the arrival of the train bringing the G.N.R. Directors, and as it drew up the bands played "See the Conquering Hero comes."

The procession, augmented by the directors, then re-formed, and marched through the town; in the Bull Ring the National Anthem was sung. A large marquee was erected in the grounds of Mr. R. C. Armstrong (now Mrs. Howland's garden), adjoining South Street, in which the contractors, Messrs. Smith & Knight, provided for the directors and shareholders, and other guests, in all over 200, a splendid dinner, served in excellent style, by Messrs. Wilson and Serpell, of the Bull Hotel. The Honble. Sir H. Dymoke presided, as Chairman of the Horncastle and Kirkstead Railway Co.; being supported on his right by Mr. Hussey Packe and Mr. C. Chaplin, Directors of the G.N.R., Major Amcotts and Sir M. J. Cholmeley, and on his left by J. Banks Stanhope, Esq., M.P., Director of the Horncastle Railway, and Rev. W. H. Milner, Vicar. Congratulatory speeches were made, and the day closed with a fine display of fireworks.

Opened under such favourable auspices, and supplying a felt need, the railway has continued to be a success; improvements have been made, from time to time, in the stations at Horncastle and Woodhall Spa. The line continues to be a single one, but it is sufficient for the local requirements, and the shares, as before mentioned, at the present time (1907) find a ready sale at an advance of about 50 per cent. on their original price. We might add that if the railway could be continued to Spilsby, and then connected with the different lines running to the Skegness, Mablethorpe and other health resorts on the coast, its utility, and doubtless its paying value, would be largely increased, as it would shorten the distance by many miles.

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1. Weir, in his History of Horncastle, says that lime, manure, and road material were charged half rates. This was in 1828.
2. We refer to an admirable Paper, read before the Society of Arts, London, by Mr. Buckley, C.S.I., Feb. 15th, 1906.
3. See a very interesting volume, Our Waterways, by Urquhart A. Forbes and W. H. R. Ashford. Murray, London, 1906.