DAOENHAM BREACH. 1 67 



the direction of Commissioners, who are appointed by the Crown, 

 and now extends from Rainham Creek to East Ham Levels, and up 

 to Walthamstow ; but not including the borough of West Ham. 



These Commissioners receive presentments from the Marsh 

 Jury, and any repairs that may^e ordered or required are carried 

 out under the superintendence of the Marsh Bailiff. 



A few notes on the career of Captain John Perry may not be 

 unacceptable. He was born in 1669, the second son of Samuel 

 Perr}', of Rodborough (Gloucs.). At an early age he joined the 

 Royal Navy, and in September, 1693, we find he was captain of the 

 Cignet fire-ship, which was lost during a fight. For this loss he was 

 tried, and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, and to pay ;!^i,ooo 

 fine. He employed his enforced quiet in writing " A regulation for 

 Seamen, wherein a method is humbly proposed whereby their 

 Majesties' Fleet may at all times be speedily and effectually 

 Mann'd," etc. To this he appended " A short narrative of his case 

 relating to the loss of the said ship in company of the Diamond- 

 Friggat." This is dated from the " Marshalsea Prison, Dec. i8th, 

 1694," and was published in small quarto, 48 pages, 1695.^^ 



He appears, however, to have been soon released, for in 1698 he was 

 recommended to the Czar Peter, who was then in this country, and 

 he engaged him at a salary of ;^3oo a year to open communication 

 between the Volga and the Don Rivers, where he was employed for 

 three successive summers ; and also to assist in the formation of a 

 Royal dockyard and Russian fleet. He remained there some 

 years, but left in 17 12, after many disappointments and trouble in 

 getting money. In 1715, he published his octavo volume on "The 

 State of Russia under the Present Czar," with a map. On his return, 

 as we have already seen, he was employed here till 1720, and the 

 next year brought out his book on the Breach : and was also em- 

 ployed about the harbour at Dublin. In 1727, he brought out a 

 folio volume, " Proposals for the Draining the Fens in Lincolnshire," 

 and whilst he was employed in the work took up his residence at 

 Spalding ; where, on i6th April, 1730, he was elected a member of 

 " The Gentlemen's Society," and is described as an engineer, and 

 adventurer for draining Deeping Fens. This well-known Literary 

 and Antiquarian Club was founded in 1710,''-' and numbered amongst 

 its early members Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Hans Sloane, Sir John 



i8 These statements, compiled from Capt. Perr>''s own books, are no doubt correct, although 

 they differ in detail from several notices of his life which have been published at various times. 

 19 For further information about this club, 7'iiic " Nichol's Literary Anecdotes." 



