377:
108:(i.e. venture capitalists), contracted to drain the southern part of the fens within six years in return for 95,000 acres of the reclaimed land. 12,000 acres would go to the king and 80,000 would be allocated amongst the adventurers in proportion to their financial investment. The latter would be in terms of £500 shares, 20 in all. The shares were wholly and partly transferable and thus the list of shareholders changed and grew. Charges on the land reclaimed would fund maintenance and future development. The constitution and the rights to levy charges was confirmed by royal charter in the name of Charles I.
1045:
793:
703:
602:
519:
432:
392:
problem. In 1638 the king revoked the contract, allocating 40,000 acres to the
Company of Adventurers and taking over as undertaker of the project himself. In 1640 Vermuyden was asked to take on the management of the work but by 1642 the political landscape had changed. The Civil War intervened and the project came to a halt until Vermuyden was able to resume work under parliamentary control in 1649 under the terms and conditions of what came to be called the "Pretended Act". He created the
872:. c. 17) which received royal assent on 27 July 1663. The corporation's general objectives remained unchanged but its powers in respect of navigation rights and taxation were much improved. The organisation was to comprise a governor, six bailiffs, 20 conservators and the commonalty. The first meeting took place at the Fen Office in the Inner Temple, London on 1 August 1663, where the various official were elected.
1034:
67:
51:, consisted traditionally of semi-continuous marshland and peat bog interspersed with isolated patches of higher ground. Agriculture has only been made possible by a co-ordinated system of drainage ditches. During medieval times this was controlled by the great monasteries in the area but fell into disrepair after the
391:
As time went by and construction costs rose it became clear that the adventurers company organisation was unsuitable for such a longterm project, beset as it was with issues of collecting charges and navigation interests. The fact that its legality only stemmed from a royal charter was another major
103:
was asked to undertake to free the
Bedford Level from flooding as an alternative to giving the project to Vermuyden. In 1630 he agreed a contract with the Commissioners of Sewers (who were responsible for fenland drainage) which was known as the "Lynn Law" after the town of King's Lynn where it was
91:, who owned a large part of it. It covers some 300,000 acres in the historical counties of Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire and much of it lies below sea level. It was divided under Vermuyden's plan into three areas, North, Middle and South Level.
1052:
As the drainage succeeded in its general purpose, albeit with many technical difficulties, the level of the land sank as it dried out, negating the achievement. It was then decided to introduce several hundred windpumps to lift the water from the fields into the drainage ditches and rivers. The
1056:
The system also depended on a number of sluices (locks) to prevent flooding at high tide or to control the flow of water within the system. These required constant maintenance and repair. Other ongoing problems concerned silting and navigation issues such as towpaths and access.
403:
By this time
Parliament had taken over much of the king's former authority and was deemed necessary and desirable to reincorporate the company via an Act of Parliament in order to satisfactorily manage the completion and maintenance of the scheme.
388:) was made in the Cambridgeshire Fens to join the River Great Ouse to the sea at King's Lynn. Many of these works had been sought by the Commissioners of Sewers for generations but lack of power and resources had prevented their implementation.
810:
An Act for repealing a Clause for dividing of
Commons, in an Act of Parliament made in the 15th Year of King Charles the Second, intituled, "An Act for settling the Draining of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford
967:
39:
of East
Central England. It formalised the legal status of the Company of Adventurers previously formed by the Duke of Bedford to reclaim 95,000 acres of the Bedford Level.
384:
Work got underway to dig several major new ditches and install sluices at the mouths of river to hold back the high tides. In particular a straight cut (now known as the
955:
161:
1086:
The corporation's powers and responsibilities gradually reduced until in 1920 it was finally wound up when its powers and responsibilities were transferred to the
269:
961:
884:
880:
1199:
209:
985:
816:
725:
624:
541:
454:
918:
912:
892:
887:, a child of only 3 years of age, who nevertheless served as governor for 21 years, dying in 1732. He was followed by his younger brother,
876:
131:
100:
88:
991:
979:
973:
949:
924:
896:
888:
906:
1021:
1003:
536:
An Act for confirming and continuing an Act, for the necessary
Maintenance of the Work of draining the Great Level of the Fens.
936:
396:, also known as the Hundred Foot Drain (from its width), which ran parallel to the Old Bedford River with a flood plain (the
52:
376:
1009:
146:
1044:
861:
Following the restoration of
Charles II in 1660, a series of local acts were passed to enable the project to advance.
879:, son of the original Undertaker, who held the position until his death in 1700, when he was replaced by his grandson
193:
105:
1076:
1109:
1099:
1104:
224:
1139:
1087:
720:
An Act for the taxing and assessing of the Lands of the
Adventurers within the Great Levell of the Fenns.
1015:
805:
797:
715:
707:
614:
606:
531:
523:
444:
436:
1066:
56:
765:
675:
1115:
730:
652:
393:
385:
277:
177:
546:
449:
An Act for the necessary
Maintenance of the Work of Draining the Great Level of the Fens.
619:
An Act for settling the dreyning of the Great Levell of the Fenns called
Bedford Levell.
930:
17:
1193:
257:
1033:
997:
943:
837:
755:
642:
562:
475:
240:
55:. By the 1600s the general drainage situation was so bad that King James I invited
1053:
windpumps were replaced with first steam-powered and later diesel-powered pumps.
397:
1038:
66:
1090:. This in turn became part of the River Great Ouse Catchment Board in 1930.
869:
629:
459:
60:
1180:
History of the Drainage of the Great Level of the Fens Called ..., Volume 1
1048:
A typical Fenland sluice where the River Delph joins the New Bedford River
84:
80:
48:
36:
895:, who then served for 31 years. He was succeeded in 1802 by his brother
891:
and on the 4th Duke's death in 1771 by the latter's 5 year old grandson
172:
MP, of Chippenham, Cambridgeshire. Commissioner of Sewers for Great Fen
821:
83:, lying between the Wash and Cambridge, is more popularly known as the
1162:
A Collection of Laws which Form the Constitution of the Bedford Level
883:. On the 2nd Duke's death in 1711 the post devolved to his young son
1065:
In 1843 the corporation's headquarters were moved to Bedford House,
375:
65:
1140:"The Company of Adventurers and The Bedford Level Corporation"
35:) was founded in England in 1663 to manage the draining of
1069:. The three original divisions became self-governing:
59:, the Dutch engineer, to devise a scheme to drain the
47:
The low-lying land of East Central England, known as
70:
Map of eastern England, showing position of the Fens
851:
846:
836:
831:
815:
804:
778:
764:
754:
749:
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688:
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576:
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540:
530:
504:
489:
484:
474:
469:
453:
443:
417:
104:drawn up. The earl and his 12 associates, known as
864:The Bedford Level Corporation was created by the
956:Joseph Micklethwaite, 1st Viscount Micklethwaite
8:
1061:Relocation and devolution of the corporation
589:
272:in 1621, Commissioner of Sewers, Great Fen
775:
685:
588:
501:
414:
580:Great Level of the Fens Drainage Act 1660
506:Great Level of the Fens Drainage Act 1661
493:Great Level of the Fens Drainage Act 1661
419:Great Level of the Fens Drainage Act 1660
408:Creation of the Bedford Level Corporation
1043:
1032:
962:George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend
885:Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of Bedford
881:Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford
113:
1173:
1171:
1128:
210:Oliver St John, 1st Earl of Bolingbroke
986:Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock
1134:
1132:
919:Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper
913:Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey
766:Text of statute as originally enacted
676:Text of statute as originally enacted
7:
893:Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford
877:William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford
132:Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford
89:Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford
902:Some of the notable bailiffs were:
992:Sampson Eardley, 1st Baron Eardley
980:Matthew Robinson, 2nd Baron Rokeby
974:John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
950:Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln
344:of Liscombe Park, Buckinghamshire
330:of London, Commissioner of Sewers
188:MP, of Tyringham, Buckinghamshire
25:
925:John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse
897:John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford
889:John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
380:New Bedford River at Sutton Gault
791:
701:
600:
517:
430:
99:Following the king's initiative
33:Corporation of the Bedford Level
1022:Sir Charles Morgan, 2nd Baronet
1004:Sir Charles Morgan, 1st Baronet
225:Edward, Baron Gorges of Dundalk
111:The original adventurers were:
1200:1663 establishments in England
937:Sir Thomas Willys, 1st Baronet
53:dissolution of the monasteries
1:
1010:Sir Henry Peyton, 1st Baronet
251:Chief Justice of Common Plea
147:Sir Miles Sandys, 1st Baronet
1160:Corporation, Bedford Level.
1118:- Museum of Fenland drainage
1216:
773:United Kingdom legislation
683:United Kingdom legislation
586:United Kingdom legislation
499:United Kingdom legislation
412:United Kingdom legislation
95:The Company of Adventurers
866:General Drainage Act 1663
790:
785:
700:
695:
599:
594:
516:
511:
429:
424:
29:Bedford Level Corporation
1112:- Middle Level waterways
1110:Middle Level Navigations
1100:Bedford Level experiment
1105:Internal drainage board
1029:Work of the corporation
875:The first governor was
302:Commissioner of Sewers
288:of Carleton, Yorkshire
1049:
1041:
968:Henry, Earl of Lincoln
855:Bedford Level Act 1663
780:Bedford Level Act 1685
690:Bedford Level Act 1667
670:Bedford Level Act 1685
590:Bedford Level Act 1663
381:
278:Sir Philibert Vernatti
204:of Saint Albons, Kent
71:
31:(or alternatively the
18:Bedford Level Act 1754
1047:
1036:
1016:George Leonard Jenyns
798:Parliament of England
708:Parliament of England
607:Parliament of England
524:Parliament of England
437:Parliament of England
379:
69:
1088:Ouse Drainage Board
591:
400:) between the two.
162:Sir William Russell
101:The Duke of Bedford
57:Cornelius Vermuyden
1116:Prickwillow Museum
1073:North Level (1858)
1050:
1042:
1000:, 1748–69, 1771–88
921:, 1665–66, 1667–68
915:, 1664–65, 1679–86
907:Sir Richard Onslow
731:19 & 20 Cha. 2
382:
123:Allocation (acres)
72:
859:
858:
847:Other legislation
786:Act of Parliament
771:
770:
696:Act of Parliament
681:
680:
662:Other legislation
595:Act of Parliament
584:
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572:Other legislation
512:Act of Parliament
497:
496:
485:Other legislation
480:13 September 1660
425:Act of Parliament
394:New Bedford River
386:Old Bedford River
374:
373:
335:Sir Robert Lovett
293:William Sams, LLD
178:William Tyringham
75:The Bedford Level
16:(Redirected from
1207:
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1037:The windpump at
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657:18 February 1663
604:
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547:13 Cha. 2. St. 1
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321:Andrewes Burrell
114:
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1214:
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1178:Wells, Samuel.
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740:19 Cha. 2. c. 8
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307:Samuel Spalding
270:Huntingdonshire
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11:
5:
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1182:. p. 455.
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931:Samuel Fortrey
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1164:. p. 26.
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316:of Cambridge
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258:Robert Bevill
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112:
109:
107:
102:
94:
92:
90:
86:
85:Bedford Level
82:
74:
68:
64:
62:
58:
54:
50:
42:
40:
38:
34:
30:
19:
1179:
1161:
1155:
1143:. Retrieved
1085:
1077:Middle Level
1064:
1055:
1051:
998:Soame Jenyns
944:Roger Jenyns
901:
874:
865:
863:
860:
842:27 June 1685
838:Royal assent
825:
756:Royal assent
653:Commencement
647:27 July 1663
643:Royal assent
567:30 July 1661
563:Royal assent
550:
476:Royal assent
463:
402:
390:
383:
241:Robert Heath
110:
98:
78:
46:
32:
28:
26:
1082:South Level
1006:, 1781–1807
994:, 1767–1825
939:, 1694–1700
738:(Ruffhead:
398:Ouse Washes
106:adventurers
1145:10 January
1123:References
1039:Wicken Fen
806:Long title
760:9 May 1668
716:Long title
667:Amended by
615:Long title
532:Long title
490:Amended by
445:Long title
1024:, 1807–27
1012:, 1787–89
988:, 1761–67
982:, 1756–63
976:, 1749–56
970:, 1742–64
964:, 1739–43
958:, 1728–29
952:, 1724–28
946:, 1712–25
933:, 1674–82
927:, 1668–69
909:, 1663–64
870:15 Cha. 2
630:15 Cha. 2
460:12 Cha. 2
81:Great Fen
61:Great Fen
1194:Category
1094:See also
817:Citation
811:Levell."
726:Citation
625:Citation
542:Citation
455:Citation
49:the Fens
37:the Fens
1018:, 1798–
822:1 Ja. 2
733:. c. 13
632:. c. 17
268:MP for
43:History
1079:(1862)
852:Amends
577:Amends
368:80,000
126:Notes
120:Shares
87:after
832:Dates
824:. c.
750:Dates
637:Dates
557:Dates
549:. c.
470:Dates
462:. c.
362:Total
355:4,000
341:4,000
327:4,000
313:4,000
299:4,000
285:4,000
265:4,000
248:4,000
232:4,000
217:4,000
201:8,000
185:8,000
169:8,000
154:8,000
139:8,000
1147:2018
942:Sir
256:Sir
239:Sir
117:Name
79:The
27:The
1067:Ely
1196::
1170:^
1131:^
899:.
551:14
365:20
349:??
63:.
1149:.
868:(
826:2
742:)
464:2
352:1
338:1
324:1
310:1
296:1
282:1
262:1
245:1
229:1
214:1
198:2
182:2
166:2
151:2
136:2
20:)
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