n8 History of Inland Transport 



and Broseley to the towns and cities on its banks, and from 

 thence into the adjacent countries ; also great quantities of 

 grain, pig and bar iron, iron manufactures and earthen wares, 

 as well as wool, hops, cyder, and provisions are constantly 

 exported to Bristol and other places, from whence merchants' 

 goods, &c., are brought in return. The freight from Shrews- 

 bury to Bristol is about los. per ton, and from Bristol to 

 Shrewsbury 153., the rates to the intermediate towns being 

 in proportion. 



" This traffic is carried on with vessels of two sorts ; the 

 lesser kind are called barges and frigates, being from 40 to 

 60 feet in length, have a single mast, square sail, and carry 

 from 20 to 40 tons ; the trows, or larger vessels, are from 40 to 

 80 tons burthen ; these have a main and top mast, about 

 80 feet high, with square sails, and some have mizen masts ; 

 they are generally from 16 to 20 feet wide and 60 in length, 

 being, when new, and completely rigged worth about 300!." 



Their number having greatly increased, he had " an exact 

 list " taken of all the barges and trows on the Severn in May, 

 1756, and this list he gives. The total number of owners 

 was then 210, and the total number of vessels was 376. Among 

 the places mentioned are the following : 



TOWN. OWNERS. VESSELS. 



Shrewsbury . . . .10 ... 19 



Madeley Wood . . .21 ... 39 



Broseley . . . . 55 ... 87 



Bridgnorth . . . . 47 ... 75 



Bewdley . . . . 18 ... 47 



Worcester . . . 6 ... 21 



Tewkesbury . . . . 8 ... 18 



Evesham-upon-Avon. . .1 ... 2 



Gloucester . . . 4 7 



Of the disadvantages that attended navigation on the 

 Severn I shall speak in chapter xv, in connection with the 

 decline of river transport in general. 



What the Severn group of rivers, with Bristol as the head- 

 quarters of their navigation, were on the west coast, the Wash 

 group and the port of Lynn were on the east coast. 



The Wash group comprised : (i) the Bedford Ouse and its 

 tributaries, with a main outlet at Lynn ; (2) the Welland, 



