Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain/Borrowstowness Canal

by Joseph Priestley

BORROWSTOWNESS CANAL.

8 George III. Cap. 63, Royal Assent 8th March, 1768.

24 George III. Cap. 5, Royal Assent 24th December, 1783.

This canal was originally intended as a branch or collateral cut to the Forth and Clyde Canal, and the necessary powers for making it are contained in an act of 8th George III. entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Cut or Canal from the Firth or River of Forth, at or near the mouth of the River of Carron, in the county of Sterling, to the Firth or River of Clyde, at or near a place called Dalmuir Burnfoot, in the county of Dumbarton; and also a collateral Cut from the same to the city of Glasgow; and for making a navigable Cut or Canal of Communication from the Port and Harbour of Borrowstowness, to join the said Canal, at or near the place where it will fall into the Firth of Forth.'

Though it is thus embodied in the first act relating to the Forth and Clyde Canal, yet a separate company, consisting of one hundred and fifteen persons, (amongst whom were the Dukes of Hamilton and Brandon, Buccleugh, Argyle, and Duchess of Argyle, Earls of Buchan, Home, Roseberry, Hopetoun, and Countess of Hopetoun, and many other distinguished individuals,) were incorporated by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Borrowstowness Canal Navigation." They were authorized to raise £5,000, in one hundred shares of £50 each, and a further sum of £3,000, if the former sum should be found insufficient.

The line of canal stretches along the south shore of the Firth of Forth, from the port and harbour of Borrowstowness; it crosses the water of Avon, and thence proceeds to the Forth and Clyde Canal, at Grangemouth, near the mouth of the Carron River. Its length is about seven miles, and level throughout; the depth is 7 feet.

Considerable progress had been made in this canal previous to 1783, and the £8,000 which the company were empowered to raise under the act already recited, was expended, when they were under the necessity of again applying to parliament for a second, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Borrowstowness navigable Cut or Canal more effectually to complete and maintain the same.' By this act, the proprietors are empowered to raise among themselves the additional sum of £12,000, to be divided into shares of £50 each, and a further sum of £4,000 should it be deemed necessary; or they may obain the same by mortgage of the tolls, or by granting annuities on lives.

TONNAGE AND WHARFAGE.

Granted by the Act of 8th George III which have not been altered by the subsequent Act.

Iron, Coal, Stones, Timber and all other Goods, Wares and Merchandize, and Commodities whatsoever	3d per Ton, per Mile.
Lime, Lime-stone and Iron-stone	1d ditto, ditto.

EXEMPTION FROM TONNAGE RATES.

Paving-stones, Gravel, and all Materials for the repairing of Roads, (Limestone excepted,) Dung, Marl and all sorts of Manure.

As Borrowstowness is (with the exception of Leith) the principal trading town on the Forth, and where there is depth of water for vessels of three hundred tons, at neap-tides, it was the original intention of the promoters of the Forth and Clyde Canal to terminate it at this port; but they were subsequently induced by the force of private interests, to abandon this intention, and adopt this canal as a collateral branch.

The principal object of the Borrowstowness Canal was to avoid the difficult navigation of the Forth, and for improving the estates through which it passed; and though considerable sums of money have been expended on this work, it appears now to be entirely abandoned.