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VOL. XVII. (3) WATER SUPPLY OF GLOUCESTER 359 



" Whereas this City is very ill supply'd with Water and a proposall 

 is now on foot for the Corporation to obtaine a Sufficient Supply from 

 Robinhood's Hill But it being impossible to execute that Proposall or 

 designe without Authority of Parliam' which must be attended with 

 great expense to this Corporation And the Honble John Selwyn Esq 

 having been requested for the benefit of this City and the Inhabitants 

 thereof to procure such an Act to be pass'd If therefore the said John 

 Selwyn doth or shall procure this present Sessions of Parliam' such Act as 

 aforesd at his owne expense to enable this Corporation to execute the 

 said designe Whether this Corporation will agree with and promise and 

 accordingly doe now agree with and promise to transferr and assure the 

 sole power and benefit to be to them granted by said Act to him the 

 said John Selwyn and his assignes in such manner or as the Counsell of 

 the sd John Selwyn shall advise He beginning the same within Six 

 Months and completing it within Two Years next Ensuing the date of said 

 Act And that a copy of this vote be sent to the said John Selwyn under 

 the Seal of this Corporation as their request to procure the said Act and 

 undertake the bringing the water as afores*^." 



Eighteen were " for " and two " against." 

 In the following year an Act was passed " For supplying 

 the City of Gloucester with fresh water," and on August lo, 

 1741, a deed was sealed vesting the powers of the Corpora- 

 tion mentioned in the Act in John Selwyn, " the said Mr 

 Selwyn paying reasonably for the same." This Act em- 

 powered the Mayor and Common Council to contract for the 

 conveyance of water from the " springs issuing out of or near 

 to Matson's Hill, otherwise Robin Hood's Hill " and to make 

 reservoirs and lay the necessary conduits and pipes. 



From later Acts it is evident certain works were construc- 

 ted, and the " Gloucestershire Directory " of 1820 speaks of 

 " two large Reservoirs on Robinswood Hill." Martin' states 



" a few years ago [i.e., before 1759]. Col. Selwyn, many years the worthy 

 representative of the City, at his sole expence, caused a capacious Reser- 

 voir to be dug at the foot of the above-mentioned hill [i.e., Robin's Wood], 

 from whence the water is brought in pipes to all parts of the town ; and 

 every family, who will, may have it brought by leaden-pipes into their 

 houses, at an easy Rent," 



and he mentions that the County Infirmary, "very lately 

 finished," is supplied from this Reservoir. Martin was evi- 

 dently not aware that Selwyn, though making the reservoir 

 at his own cost, was able to recompense himself by the charges 

 levied for the supply given. Mr Read, the City Surveyor, is 

 of opinion that the reservoir constructed by Col. Selwyn was 

 situated above the existing reservoirs, to the left of the cot- 

 tages there standing. This was filled in some 25 years ago. 



I " Natural History of England," 1759, vol. i., p. 354- 



