WHereas by Authority of two several Acts of Parliament Made and Ordained in the Third and Fourth Years of the Reign of King James the First, Our Royal Ancestor of Blessed Memory, the River now running from Chadwell and Amwell in Our County of Hertford, to the North Parts of Our City of London, was at the great Charge of the said King, and other the Vndertakers, happily made and finished; Since which time the Water thereof is dispersed by Pipes and Branches through the several Streéts and Places of Our said City, and the Liberties and Suburbs of the same, and elsewhere, to the Benefit and Ease of Our Subjects there Inhabiting, as well for the cleaning and sweet keéping of them in the times of Infection, as the preservation and safety of the Houses and Buildings, Goods and Riches therein, from the fearful danger of Fire casually happening; And such was the Care and Providence of His said Majesty King James the First, that the Water in any place in the course thereof, should not at any time be troubled or corrupted (whereby the Health or Lives of the People might suffer or be endangered) that by His Letters Patents of Incorporation, dated the One and twentieth day of June, in the Seventeénth Year of His Reign over this Our Realm of England, he Created and Erected a Governour and Company, successively to Regulate, and carefully to Oversee all things appertaining to the said River; And seve­ral strict Orders and Commands were Made and Given by the said late King, for preservation of the said River, and preventing of such things as might be prejudicial thereunto; Notwithstanding which, the present Governour and Company have Represent­ed unto Vs, That great Abuses are daily committed: We therefore taking into Our Princely Consideration, That the preserva­tion [Page]of the said River is of great and especial Consequence, are Graciously pleased by this Our Royal Proclamation (with the Ad­vice of Our Privy Council) straitly to Charge and Command, That all and every the Grants, Clauses and Restrictions in the said Acts of Parliament, Letters Patents, and in all other Letters Patents, Orders and Proclamations concerning the said Ri­ver, Enacted, Made, Established, Granted or Confirmed, be from time to time carefully obeyed, observed and performed; And We do hereby strictly prohibit and forbid all and singular the Inhabitants of Our City of London, the Suburbs and Liberties thereof, Our City of Westminster, and also the Inhabitants of Our several Counties of Middlesex and Hertford, and likewise all the Plum­mers, Paviers, and other Artificers whomsoever, and every of them, That they nor any of them, do or shall presume at any time or times hereafter, without the privity, permission and allowance of the Governour and Company aforesaid for the time being, to in­termeddle with the said Works, or any of the Pipes or Branches thereof, or to convey or derive any Pipe or Branch, Pipes or Branch­es of the said Water, into their, or any of their Houses, or other Places, nor shall fetch or carry the Water out of the said River, the Pipes or Branches thereof, or otherwise hinder, waste or consume, disturb, infect, abuse or corrupt the same River, by setting up of Grates, overflowing of Grounds, making of Trenches or Drains, filling of Ponds, Fishing, Watering of Cattel, keéping of Geése or Ducks thereupon, casting of Carrion thereinto, Washing themselves therein, or by doing or permitting any Misusance, Annoy­ance, Let, Stoppage or Prejudice whatsoever, to the Stream of Our said River in any part of the Currant thereof, nor shall cut, spoil, take a way or destroy any of the Branches, Bridges, Wharfs, Posts, Rails, Banks, Mounds or Fences to the said River in any wise belonging or appertaining, or therewith enjoyed, or lying near or behooveful to the same; And that the said Governour and Company, their Officers and Servants shall have free liberty in the day-time, in the presence of a Constable, to Search any House, Yard or Back-side, where they shall suspect any Branch or Branches are laid contrary to their knowledge, upon Pain of Our High Displeasure, and of such Pains, Penalties and Punishments, as by the Law and Statutes of this Kingdom, or Our Preroga­tive Royal, can and may be inflicted upon the Offenders for Contempt of Our Royal Will and Pleasure herein Declared. And We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Mayors, Iustices of the Peace, Commissioners of Sewers, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and all other Our Officers, Ministers and Subjects within Our said Cities of London and Westmin­ster, the Suburbs and Liberties thereof, Our Counties of Middlesex and Hertford, whom the same shall or may concern, That they and every of them hereafter be vigilant and circumspect, that Our Royal Will and Pleasure herein Declared, be from time to time effectually observed; And that they and every of them in their several Offices and Places respectively, without Excuse or Delay, be upon all Occasions Aiding and Assisting to the said Governour and Company, their Officers and Ministers, in the strict Ob­servance and Execution of all and singular the Powers and Authorities, Limitations and Restraints herein before mentioned, and in the Grants and Prohibitions aforesaid contained, according to the true intent and meaning of these Presents, when they shall be thereunto required by them or any of them, as they and every of them tender Our Pleasure, and will answer the contrary at their Perils.

Given at Our Court at Hampton-Court the Six and twentieth Day of September, 1689. In the First Year of Our Reign.

God save the King and Queen.