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Committee of Management met and received tenders, at the 

 George Inn, Stroud, when they came to an arrangement with 

 one Charles Jones, mason and miner, of Manchester, to execute 

 the excavations for a Tunnel ]5 feet high hj 15 feet wide, for 

 the low sum of seven guineas per yard forward. 



This was to include the sinking of the shafts, but not the 

 gins or winding tackle, (which the Company were to supply,) or 

 bricks, &c. 



The original tender of C. Jones is as under, £8 8 per yard, 

 but this was modified on its acceptance. 



A preposal to make tlie Tunnel Tkrougli Sapporton hill and Haley Wood 

 15 feet wide and 16 feet tigli at £8-8-0 per yard — and tlie undertaker to 

 Sink all tlie Shafts as may be wanted in the whole Tunnel — the Co to find 

 Timber and Carpenter's work for making Gins Senters as maney as may be 

 wanted to Compleate the Tunnel in the Time as may be fixed by the 

 Committees Engineer and the Co to finde all Barrowcs and planks and 

 Ropes and Bricks and Basketts to Compleate all the works Through Hill 



Stroude October 7th 1783 C. JONES 



This was made the subject of an agreement between Jones 

 and the Company, which was executed on the following day, 

 viz., 8th October, 1783, under which agreement the Tunnel 

 should have been completed on the 1st January, 1788. Jones, 

 however, did not get on well with the work, and the usual 

 difficulties with the contractor ensued. He did not complete 

 altogether 100 yards of the work at the Sapperton end, where 

 " Marie Rubble and Loose Rock" were encountered, and the 

 shafts were deep, but he ultimately completed about 1400 yards 

 at the Coates end, where the work was easier. 



He seems to have been treated rather strictly by the Committee 

 of Management, I think, for in March, 1784, I find the acting 

 Engineer, Mr. Josiah Clowes, certifying that it is necessary to 

 make the excavations wider and deeper by 2^ feet each way, so 

 as to allow of a lining of rammed clay and brickwork ; and on 

 the 5th of April of the same year Jones signed an agreement 

 at the Swan Inn, Stroud, under which he recognizes this addition 

 as an "incident to the Contract" and that he cannot claim 

 anything for it as extra work. This became one of Jones' 

 chief points in the Chancery proceedings, which he, or his 



