VOL. xvii. (3) WATER SUPPLY OF GLOUCESTER 357 



Alderman John Scrivens, who served as Mayor 1642, intimated 

 his desire to improve the supply of water for the benefit of the 

 Citizens, and his offer to build a conduit at the south end of 

 the Wheat Market " was accepted and applauded " and the 

 use of a pipe connecting with the one supplying the Cross was 

 granted.' The Conduit was erected in 1636, and served its 

 purpose until 1784 or 1785, when it was removed under the 

 Act of 1750. It is now at Edgeworth Manor, near Cirencester. 

 Both the Conduit and Wheat Market are shown on Hall and 

 Pinnell's plan of the City, drawn 1780. The former has been 

 fully described by Mr Henry Medland." 



Though we know from direct evidence that the Abbot of 

 St Peter's had enjoyed the use of water from Matson for 

 nearly 200 years— and had probably enjoyed it for nearly as 

 much again— it appears to have been thought necessary after 

 the Dissolution to place the matter on a legal basis, for in 

 33 Henry VHI. (1542-3) " An Act concerning the Conduits of 

 Gloucester " was passed, which empowered the Mayor and 

 Dean of Gloucester to break ground in " Matstone's Hill 

 otherwise Robin Hood's Hill," for the conveyance of water to 

 the City and Minster. 



Towards the end of the seventeenth century it became 

 necessary to supplement the existing supply, for at the Meeting 

 of the Corporation held on April 6, 1692, it was agreed that 

 certain of the Councilmen should be deputed to 



" treate with Mr NichoUs or any other workeman touching proposalls 

 of carrying water into all parts of this City and to make their report 

 touching the same to this house with what speed they can." 



The report so made, as subsequent proceedings show, was 

 evidently to the effect that water could be supphed from the 

 Severn. On December 23, 1692, articles were read between 

 the Mayor and Burgesses of the City and Thomas NichoUs for 

 the building of a water-house and engine for serving the 

 inhabitants with water, and ordered to be engrossed and 

 passed under the City Seal. Matters progressed slowly, for 

 the next mention of this matter occurs in the Minutes of 

 June 7, 1694, when it was agreed that 



1 C H. Dancey, in Trans. Bristol and Gloucs. A. S.. vol. .xxiv pp. 293-307, has extracted 

 from the Corporation Minutes some interesting particulars relating to the Water Supply. 



2 Trans. Bristol and Gloucs. A. S., vol. xui., pp. 241-246. 



