46 History of Inland Transport 



to expound to the world the excellences of what the writer 

 described as " that noble and valuable machine, the broad- 

 wheeled waggon." He gives the following account of the 

 origin of the said machine : 



" The first set of broad wheels made use of on roads in this 

 Kingdom were erected by Mr James Morris, of Brock-Forge, 

 near Wiggan in Lancashire ; who having a deep bad road to 

 pass with his team advised with me upon the subject ; I 

 mentioned the making of the fellies of his wheels of an un- 

 common width : He accordingly made his first set thirteen 

 inches, and the next year another of nine inches in the sole ; 

 and his travelling with these to Liverpool, Warrington and 

 other places, was took notice of by some persons of distinc- 

 tion, particularly Lord Strange, and Mr Hardman, Member 

 for Liverpool, &c., who after making strict enquiries of Mr 

 Morris, concerning their nature and properties, reported their 

 utilities to the House, which occasioned an Act of Parliament 

 being made in their favour. . . . 



" Therefore let us congratulate ourselves on making thus 

 far so happy a progress ; and as the publick roads continue to 

 mend and improve, as they polish and smooth, and arrive 

 nearer perfection, so let us try if the carriage that travels this 

 road may not continue to improve too, and receive a similar 

 degree of perfection." 



The Act of Parliament referred to by Bourn was, pre- 

 sumably, that of 26 Geo. II., c. 30, which laid down that with 

 certain exceptions no cart or waggon should be allowed on 

 any turnpike road at all unless the " fellies " of each and every 

 wheel had a breadth of at least nine inches, the penalty for a 

 breach of this enactment being a fine of ^5, with one month's 

 imprisonment in default of payment, and forfeiture of one of 

 the horses, together with its harness, to the sole use and 

 benefit of the person making the seizure. As a further en- 

 couragement of such wheels, the trustees of turnpike roads 

 were required to accept reduced tolls for all vehicles having 

 wheels of a breadth of nine inches. Two years later a further 

 Act (28 Geo. II., c. 17), set forth that, the former statutes 

 relating to cart-wheels not having answered the good purposes 

 intended, it was now provided that for a period of three years 

 from June 24, 1753, waggons having g-inch wheels were to be 

 allowed to pass free through every turnpike in the Kingdom, 



