men, which for the most part been masterless men, and single men of all kinds of occupations and faculties, which do work at their own hands, and many boys being of small age, and of little skill, and being persons out of the rule and obedience of any honest Master and Governor, and do for the most part of their time use Dycing and Carding, and other unlawful Gaines, to the great and evil example of other such like, and against the Commonwealth of this Realm: And all which said evil and ignorant persons, in the time of Pressing by Commission, for the service of the King and Queen's most Royal Majesties, upon the Sea, for that they have no known place of abiding, do for the most part absent and convey themselves into the Country and other secret places, practising there Kobberies and Felonies, and other evil and detestable facts, to the great annoyance of the Commonwealth: And so after the said Commission of Pressing ended, oft-times the said evil persons do repair again to their former trade of Rowing, colouring their evil deeds; and also divers of them being very ignorant, for lack of convenient time of learning and exercise, in the which they might obtain sufficient knowledge of their occupation, do often times presume and enterprize to receive divers of our said Sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen's Majesties loving subjects into their Boats and Wherries, and do carry and convey their said subjects from place to place by water, upon the said River of Thames; whereby divers persons have been robbed, and spoiled of their Goods, and also drowned :

" And for and by the occasion aforesaid, be daily put in fear and peril of their lives, the which is very lamentable, and not to be permitted or suffered in any Commonwealth: And by reason also, that a great number, and the most part of the Wherries and Boats now occupied and used, and of late time made for rowing upon the said River, been made so little and small in proportion, and so strait and narrow in the bottom, varying much from the old substantial sort and sure making of Boats and Wherries, which was used before the space of Twenty Years last past, insomuch as the most part of Boats and Wherries used at this day, been so shallow and tickle, that thereby great peril and danger of drowning hath many times ensued, and daily is like to ensue, unless some speedy remedy be herein had and provided."

For the reformation of these Evils it is enacted, That there shall yearly be appointed by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, eight persons of the most wise, discreet, and best sort of Watermen, being Householders and employed as Watermen, to be Overseers and Rulers of all the Wherrymen and Watermen on the River Thames, between Gravesend and Windsor.

;

By § 6 of this Act, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and Justices of Peace in the Counties next adjoining joining the River, within their respective Jurisdic tions, are empowered, not only to hear and determine all Complaints, or Offences against the Act, when brought before them by the said Rulers; but also to correct and restrain the proceedings of the Rulers themselves, in cases where they have exceeded their Jurisdiction.

The next Statute of importance passed on this subject was the 11th and 12th William III. cap. 21. the preamble of which recites, that Notwithstanding the Laws that had been theretofore made for good Order, Rule, and Government, amongst the Watermen and Wherrymen, using and rowing on the said River of Thames, it had oftentimes happened, that divers persons passing by water upon the said River, had been put in danger of their Lives and Goods, and many times had perished and been drowned, and this occasioned by the unskilfulness and want of experience in Wherrymen and Watermen, and persons out of the Rule of any Master or Governor; and that the Rulers and Overseers of the Company of Watermen, were not suficiently empowered to make Rules, Orders, and Constitutions, for the Government of Watermen and Wherrymen, rowing on the said River, with Pains and Penalties to enforce due obedience to the same, and easy recovery of the said Penalties; And that the Lightermen, rowing on the said River of Thames, were grown very numerous, and were, at that time without Rule and

Government, by whose rudeness and unskilfulness

in working of Lighters, and other large Craft, Ships and Vessels were hindered in the delivery of Coals, and were thereby frequently stopped in the proceed of their Voyages, and the Goods and Lives of divers of his Majesty's subjects were likewise frequently endangered and lost, and notorious Disorders were

occasioned."

It is, therefore, enacted, That all Laws then in force respecting Watermen, shall be put in execution; and that every person being a Lighterman or Owner of any Lighter, between Gravesend and Windsor, shall be of the Watermen's Company; and the Wherrymen, Watermen, and Lightermen are declared to be one Company.

In addition to the Eight Rulers to be elected by the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen, under the 2d and 3d Phil. and Mary, three Rulers are also to be chosen out of twelve persons to be nominated to that Court by the Lightermen. The Elections are to be at the first Court of Aldermen after June 1st. annually; and the Eleven thus chosen are to be called the Overseers and Rulers of all the Wherrymen, Watermen, and Lightermen, on the Thames, between Gravesend and Windsor; who are to register the Lightermen: and to appoint Assistants, Auditors, &c. and to make Bye-laws for regulating the affairs of the Company, to be approved of by the Court of Aldermen, and confirmed by one of the two Chief Justices; with reasonable penalties to enforce the same.

Powers are given to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and

2

Justices Justices of Peace, within their respective Jurisdictions to hear and determine Offences against the Act, or the Bye-laws so allowed to be made, and to levy the penalties imposed, by Distress and Sale.

By the Stat. 4 Ann. cap. 13. which alludes to a former Act, 1 Jac. I. cap. 16. as to Watermen's Apprentices, and recites that certain Bye-laws made respecting them could not be altered without the consent of this Company, or by authority of Parliament, Power is given to the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen, to review and amend the said Bye-laws (and all others) of the Watermen's Company, subject to the approbation of the Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

The Regulations of the foregoing Laws were further enforced by the Statute, 2 Geo. II. cap. 26. the preamble to which recites, that "Several Laws and Statutes had been theretofore made for the better regulating and governing all persons free of the Watermen's Company, owning, rowing, or working Boats or other Craft upon the River Thames, between Gravesend in the County of Kent, and Windsor in the County of Berks; but that the said Laws had by experience been found, to be ineffectual to answer the good ends and purposes thereof, and that it was necessary further to provide against the mischiefs which happened by intrusting Apprentices too weak, unable, and unskilful in the work, with the care of Goods, and the Lives of Passengers on the said River."

By § 3 of this Act, reciting the deficiency of
Power,