120 



SIR HUGH MYDDELTON, M.V. 



TART IT. 



CHAPTER IV. 

 SIR HUGH MYDDELTON, M.P. THE NEW KIVER COMPLETED. 



ALTHOUGH the cutting of the New Biver may now be 

 regarded as a work of comparatively small account, by 

 men familiar with the canals and railways of this day, 

 it was very different at the time of its projection. It- 

 will be remembered that though successive A cts of Par- 

 liament had been obtained to enable such a work to be 

 carried out, none dared venture upon its execution until 

 Hugh Myddelton declared himself willing to be its 

 undertaker. It was the greatest enterprise of the kind 

 that had yet been attempted in this country. It was 

 both much more costly and more difficult of execution 

 than the Leet at Plymouth, which consisted mainly of 

 the diversion of one stream into another, whereas this 

 was an entire new river from end to end. Myddelton 

 had no past experience to serve as his guide, nothing 

 but strong good sense and sound practical judgment, 

 whilst in the earlier period of the enterprise he had to 

 encounter the lot of the bold, original man in all times, 

 sneers, derision, and ridicule, and at the same time 

 to battle at every step against the harassing opposition 

 of the tenantry and landowners. But all these obstruc- 

 tions he eventually overcame, with his own and the 

 Bang's help. 



The general plan adopted by Myddelton was to follow 

 a contour line, as far as practicable, from the then level 

 of the Chadwell spring to the circular pond at Islington, 

 subsequently called the New Biver Head. 1 The stream 



1 The site of the New River Head 

 had always been a pond, "an open, 

 idell poole," says Hawes, " commonly 



called the Ducking-pond ; being now 

 by the master of this work reduced 

 into a comley pleasant shape, and 



