42 REPORT — 1853. 



to Anthony Gilby, Esq., for a term of thirty-one years, at a rent of £5 per 

 annum, when it was described as containing 3500 acres of drowned ground*," 

 (that is, land over which the tide generally flowed,) " and a stipulation was 

 inserted in the lease for the embankment by the lessee of 100 acres or more, 

 within the first ten years of the term ; but the difficulties attending the under- 

 taking were so great, and the expense so heavy, that in the year 1675 the 

 lessee presented a petition to His Majesty, stating his inability to proceed 

 with the same (having then succeeded in embanking not more than 20 acres), 

 unless he should have a grant made to him of the Crown's reversionary 

 interest in the property, which fortunately was not complied with ; but it 

 was thought reasonable under the circumstances to accept a surrender of the 

 lease, and to extend by a new grant the terms to ninety-nine years, at the 

 same rent. Under that lease considerable progress was made in the embank- 

 ment, particularly by the exertions of Mr. William Gilby, a descendant of 

 the original lessee ; as it appears by a survey that had been made of the estate 

 in the year 174'4, that 1500 acres had been embanked, and that the estate 

 was divided out into farms. In the 5'ear 1755 a third lease of the estate was 

 granted, on payment of a fine of £1050, at the old rent of £5 ; and in 1771 

 a fourth lease was granted to Mrs. Margaret Gilby, for a term expiring on 

 the 15th of March, 1802, on payment of a further fine of £1550, and at a 

 rent of £100 per annum. Some time before the expiration of the last-men- 

 tioned lease, a survey of the estate was made by order of the late Surveyor- 

 General of Crown Lands, when it appeared that the quantity of land then em- 

 banked was only 1561 a. r. l-l- p., no addition having been made since the 

 year 1744 to the quantity brought into cultivation ; but the surveyor reported 

 that above 2700 acres of new ground were fit for embankment, the expense 

 of which was estimated to amount to £8940 18s. He certified at the same 

 time, that when the work should be completed, the property would be worth 

 about £3400 per annum ; and it was finally agreed that the estate should be 

 granted to the Rev. John Lonsdale and others, in trust for the representatives 

 of the original lessees, subject to a stipulation on their part for the embank- 

 ment, at their own expense, of the new ground, containing 2700 acres, above 

 referred to (which was estimated to cost about £10,000), for a term of thirty- 

 one years from the 5th of April, 1802, at a rent of £704 2s. 6d. for the first 

 year of the term, which lease expired at Lady-day 18S3. The Commis- 

 sioners and the old lessees not agreeing on a new lease, an arrangement was 

 made with the then tenants or under-lessees to become separate lessees under 

 the Crown." The Report goes on to say, that " On the survey made of the 

 estate in 1833, it was certified that the land in actual cultivation contained 

 no less than 5929 a. 1 r. 13 p. of land of excellent quality, then divided into 

 fifteen farms, beside some small holdings by cottagers and others. It is 

 believed that further extensive embankments may shortly be undertaken 

 with success." 



Without quoting further from the Report, I will briefly state that a further 

 embankment has taken place in 1850, under my direction as engineer to the 

 Commissioners of Her Majesty's Woods and Forests, of nearly 700 acres of 

 most excellent land ; so that now we have altogether of land within the banks, 

 secured from the tides, and also available grass beyond the banks, little less 

 than 7000 acres, and a prospect of still further increase. 



During the last few years great improvements have been made on the 

 island, in constructing roads, drains, &c. The land is of the most valuable 

 kind for agricultural purposes, and requires very little manure for many 



* Seven acres of which only was then embanked. 



