During the seventeenth century, as sources of iron and coal were located
and exploited in many parts of the country, Britain's economy
slowly changed from its reliance upon agricultural production
to one based upon industry and the growing manufacturing
capabilities of a number of major town and cities.
Central to this change were the rivers, upon which the
fuel, raw materials and manufactured products would be
transported. The
tidal reaches of many of the country's main rivers were
already being used, but it would now be necessary to improve
and control the upper reaches, beyond the tidal limits and
make them navigable to carry this new trade.
Most of the employment in Somerset at this time was still based upon the
needs of agriculture and the woollen industry, but its main
rivers, particularly the River Parrett and its tributary, the
River Tone, were to become increasingly important in bringing
supplies of coal from South Wales to towns such as Langport
and Taunton.
Much of the land through which these rivers flowed, the moors and
meadows, the rich agricultural pastures and indeed the water
course itself had for years been under the
control of ecclesiastical foundations: Wells Cathedral and the Abbeys of Muchelney, Glastonbury, Athelney. They
had once derived a large income not only from the produce
of their land, but also from the rivers which provided
both food from the fisheries, and revenue from the
supply of water, power for the mills, important settlement
at that time.
One of the earliest references to work on the Tone appears in a
manuscript from the Dean and Chapter of Wells Cathedral, dated
1325, where it is proposed to make a new river course 24 feet
wide from the River Tone below 'Hamme' to a new mill to be
built at ‘Cnapp’.
The Dean and Chapter owned Stathmoor and the Tone down to the 'weir at
Athelneye' and with it the rights to fishery in the river.
Fish was an important source of food for both rich and
poor in these times and catches from the river were assisted
by the construction of 'fish weirs'. This no doubt, accounts
for the mention of the weir at Athelney. In 1379, the Bishop
of
Bath
and Wells needed to remind his clergy that 'persons would be
punished who have fished and taken fish in the rivers and
waters of the Tone'.
In 1494 there is mention of a proposal to build a watermill in the manor
of North Curry, on the Tone and from references in 1504, the
mill was clearly in operation. Penning back the waters
up-river would have been necessary so as to provide a
sufficient head of water to power the waterwheel. A year
later, the Bishop of Winchester is relaying a complaint to the
Dean and Chapter that before the mill was built, 'the poore
tenauntes within the tythying of Ruyssheton (who) were never
troubled in theire copyholdes by grete floodes of water of the
ryver that commeth from Taunton towardes Brigwater until now,
by reason of beldyng a myll called Hammyll', pointing out
that, after heavy rains and with the stopping of the flood
gates, the water could not pass.
The earliest mention of the use of the Tone for navigation is made at
this time. The
Dean is informed that the inhabitants and merchants of Taunton
'... have had course, recourse and free passage upon the water
of the Toon, Bathpolemyll and Brigewater for all manner of
marchaundyses, corne, cole and stones ... boughtand sold until
the tyme a mylle, called Hammyll, which was newe made ... by
reason wherof your said petioners bee stopped'.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NAVIGATION
Even by the end of the sixteenth century cargoes were regularly hauled up
the tidal waters of the Parrett from Bridgwater to Langport,
and the 7 miles of the Tone from Burrowbridge to Ham Mill.
Whilst Langport and Ham Mill were at the limits of the
high spring tides and slacker tides would not allow barges to
reach these towns without the help of horses, cargoes could
still be taken the further four miles up-river to
Taunton
. This last
stretch was considerably more difficult to navigate for it was
winding and narrow and the mills needed to be bypassed, often
occasioning long delays for the boatmen while they waited for
the waters to be released.
The upper reaches of the Tone were in a poor state for anything but the
smallest tubs. In
the winter months the journey would have been arduous and
prone to delays due most often to ice and flood, while in
summer, the water would be shallow exposing shoals and
mudbanks. The
result was that the cost of goods, principally coal, became
well beyond the means of many inhabitants of the town.
In one of those interesting displays of seventeenth century public
concern for the well-being of the poorer residents of
Taunton
, John Malet, MP for
Bath
and Sheriff of Somerset sought, in 1638, to provide an
improved means of conveying coals to
Taunton
. He was a wealthy
man who had estates at Enmore in the west of
Somerset
and was therefore in a privileged position to take the
necessary action. He
obtained a Commission under the Great Seal from Charles 1,
which enabled him to improve the River Tone navigation at his
own expense as far as Ham Mills, and thereby was granted sole
navigation rights over the river between Bridgwater and
Taunton
and authorised to levy tolls on the cargoes carried.
'This waterway, one of the earliest built in England,
carried much general merchandise but was most important in
assuaging the fuel famine as woodlands became exhausted, for
it supplied to a very large area, even to south coast towns,
coal carried across the Severn from Wales.
He (John Malet) carried out the works, not to make
money, but to help the poor by reducing the price of coal, and
to aid the local economy by improved transport’.
Tony
Haskells 'By Waterway To Taunton' 
