CHAP. IV. THK NT.W IMYKI! ( 'OM I'LKTKD. I'J'.t 



interest in the undertaking to oilier capitalists. This he 

 seems to have done very shortly after the completion of 

 the works. The capital was divided into seventy-two 

 shares, one half of which belonged to Sir Hugh and the 

 other half to the King, in consideration of the latter 

 1 la vi ng borne one half of the cost. Of the thirty-six shares 

 owned by Sir Hugh, as many as twenty-eight were sold 

 by him to other persons, most probably for considerable 

 sinus. 1 The enterprise was now regarded as successful ; 

 its projector had been crowned with public honours, and 

 there could be no doubt as to the large consumption of the 

 Xew 1 liver water. In that stage of affairs, before the 

 actual paying qualities of the concern could be ascer- 

 tained, but while the most sanguine anticipations were 

 formed as to the large profits to be derived from the sale 

 of the water, it seems probable that Sir Hugh would 

 1m Ye little difficulty in inducing other capitalists to em- 

 hark in the undertaking. At all events he did sell 

 twenty-eight of his shares, and that he must have rea- 

 lized a considerable sum is countenanced by the circum- 

 stance that we find him shortly after embarked in an 

 undertaking hereafter to be described, requiring the 

 command of a very large capital. 



The shareholders were incorporated by letters patent 

 on the 21st of June, 1619, under the title of "The Go- 

 vernors and Company of the New Eiver brought from 

 rim dwell and Amwell to London." The government 

 of the corporation was vested in the twenty-nine adven- 

 turers who held amongst them the thirty-six shares 

 originally belonging to Sir Hugh, who had by that time 



1 In Pennant's 'London' it is i amount to more than 18,0007., in 

 stated that the original shares in the ', which ease the eapital represented by 

 eoiicern were 1<U>/. eaeh, whereas eaeli original share would be about 

 Kntiek makes them to have amounted 'J."><'/. 



- On the occasion of its subsequent 

 continuation by parliament, Sir Kd- 

 ward ('<>ke said: "This is a very 

 bill, and prevents one ^reat mis- 



to not less than 70OO/. each ! This 

 is only another il lust ration of the 

 hap-ha/ard statements put forth re- 

 d 



specting Sir lluuh and his works. 

 We have seen that the original cost 



chief that lianas over the city. 



of the Xt w Iliver probably did not Nimia potatio : frequen* incendium." 

 VOL. I. K 



