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Document 54, Draft Case to the Court of Chancery, p 1

Case
A Bridge was built by Subscription across the River Tyne
near Hexham in Northumberland for the Use of the publick
and was finished in the year 1770 – in November 1771 it was thrown
down in a Great Flood-
this Bridge is distinguished by the name of Sir Walter Blacketts
Bridge – he being the principal Contributor towards the Building
of it
of the peace
The Justices ⁁sensible of the great Utility to the publick of a bridge across
the said river at or near the place where the former one was erected caused
a Plan of a new Bridge to be made and published Advertisements for
Undertakers, these Advertisements were continued for a very long time and
many Experiments were made of the Bed of the River but no person in the
long Space of Time from 1771 to 1777 would undertake to build a Bridge
either upon Site of the former one or at any other place until the Defent
(who previously consulted with Mr Smeaton a very eminent and Skilful
Engineer) made a proposal to the Justices to build a Bridge at a place
about half a mile below the place where the former Bridge stood and
after some Treaty respecting the same the following Articles were entered
into
2nd June 1777 Articles of Agreement between the said Plaintiffs (being three Justices of the
Peace for Northumberland) of the one part and the Defendant Mr Errington
of the other part Reciting that at the General Quarter Sessions held by
Adjournment the 6th Febry this last sd Mr Errington proposed that he
would for the Consideration after mentioned build and erect a good and
substantial Stone Bridge across the River Tyne at from and to such
Place and of such Dimensions and in such Manner as in the said Articles
and a plan thereunto annexed are particularly mentioned and described
-that the same should be built under the Inspection and Direction of
Mr Smeaton – and that Mr Errington would compleat the whole and find
and provide all necessary Materials for the same (over and above all the
Timber Stone Iron and other Materials which had been prepared and provided
and which he was to have) for the sum of 5700L – and further Reciting
that [??] at the said Sessions John Donkin as Agent for and on Behalf
of Mr Errington proposed and undertook to make a substantial Road from
the North End of the said Bridge when built to the Alemouth Road for the Sum
of 400L and that Mr Errington would enter into a Bond in the penalty of
9100L to the County conditioned for building making finishing and
compleating the said Bridge & road on or before the 25th Day of March 1780
and for the supporting upholding or rebuilding the said Bridge and repairing
and keeping in Repair the same for the Term of 7 years from the time of
compleating the same respectively and which said proposals were at the said
Sessions approved of and agreed to by the Justices then present on behalf
of the County It was witnessed that in Consideration of the said proposals
1

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Transcribed by CTW and TB