To the honorable assembly of the Commons House of Parliament and to the committie for grieuances of the same house. The humble petition of the whole companie of the poore Water-Tankerd-bearers of the Citie of London, and the suburbs thereof, they and their families being 4000 in number, liuing and releeued thereby. Robert Tardy water-bearer in the name and behalf of the rest followes this petition. 1621 Approx. 7 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A72825 STC 16787.8 ESTC S125117 99898803 99898803 151073

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A72825) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 151073) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1997:45) To the honorable assembly of the Commons House of Parliament and to the committie for grieuances of the same house. The humble petition of the whole companie of the poore Water-Tankerd-bearers of the Citie of London, and the suburbs thereof, they and their families being 4000 in number, liuing and releeued thereby. Robert Tardy water-bearer in the name and behalf of the rest followes this petition. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1621?] Requeting suppression of private branches and cocks, which withdraw water from public conduits--STC. Imprint from STC. Reproduction of original in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England.

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eng Water-supply -- England -- London -- Early works to 1800. London (England) -- History -- 17th century -- Early works to 1800. 2008-08 Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-11 Sampled and proofread 2008-11 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
To the Honorable Aſſembly of the Commons Houſe of Parliament, and to the Committie for grieuances of the ſame Houſe. The humble Petition of the whole companie of the poore Water-Tankerd-bearers of the Citie of London, and the Suburbs thereof, they and their families being 4000 in number, liuing and releeued thereby. Robert Tardy Water-bearer in the name and behalfe of the reſt followes this Petition.

AMong the great multitude of poore diſtreſſed people of this kingdome, with ioyfull hearts and lifted vp hands to heauen, we your petitioners, haue iuſt cauſe to ſay. Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſraell, that moued the heart of his gratious Maieſtie, to call ſo Honorable an aſſembly in Parliament, which will not ſuffer Gehazi, to take Tallents of Siluer, nor change of rayments, but that euery one, may ſit vnder his owne Oliue-tree, and annoint himſelfe with the fat thereof. Wee poore miſerable people labouring hardly for a poore liuing, vnder great burthens, haue the bread taken out of our childrens mouthes, and our one, both contrary to good lawes eſtabliſhed and all equity and good conſcience.

For, moſt honourable aſſembly, to make this their grieuance plaine, that they are matters of truth, and no ſuggeſtions or inforcements. There was in the Parliament, holden in the 35. yeare of King Henry the eighth, an Act made and prouided, concerning the repayring, making, and amending, of the Conduits, in London, and that ſweete holſome running waters, and freſh ſprings, might be conueyed by Conduits, and fountaines, to the ſaid Conduits in London, and whereof the ſaid City, had bin before time well furniſhed, and abundantly ſerued.

In the ſaid Act there was a carefull prouiſo, that it ſhould not be lawfull, for the ſaid Lord Maior nor commonaltie, nor to their ſucceſſors, or miniſters, to take away any water, or ſpring now brought, or hereafter to be brought, or conueyed, by Pypes or Trenches, to the manſion of any perſon or perſons, nor for any perſon or perſons, by any way, deceipt, meane, or any other craftie conueiance, ſhall vndermine, miniſh, withdraw, or abate any Spring, or ſprings, found or hereafter to be found, now brought or conueyed, ſtopped, abated, or otherwiſe altered, from his dew courſe, and conueyance to the Conduits in London.

That the ſaid water brought to the ſaid City, by vertue of the ſaid Act, is the moſt wholſome, pureſt, and ſweeteſt water, comming to the ſaid City, is not to be doubted or diſputable; and ſufficient ſtore thereof, at the ſpring heads. And yet notwithſtanding the ſaid former Act; moſt of the ſaid water is taken, and kept from the ſaid Conduits in London, by many priuate branches and Cockes, cut and taken out of the Pipes, which are layed to conuey the ſame, to the ſaid Conduits; and laid into priuate houſes and dwellings, both without and within the City; whereby it is drawne out of the wayes, and many times ſuffered to runne at waſte, to the generall grieuance of all good Citizens, and all others; repayring to the ſame, hauing their meat dreſſed with other waters, neither ſo pure nor holſome, as the Conduit water is, as common experience teacheth; contrary to the true intent of the ſame ſtatute.

There are, as was confeſſed by the Cities Plumber, one Mr Randoll, fifteene branches or Cockes, laid into priuate houſes, and drawen from the Conduits, contrary to the prouiſo in the ſame Act: and three branches or Cocks, laid by himſelfe without warrant, only for his owne priuate gaine; by what warrant the other were granted to particular perſons, and taken from the common Conduits, we humbly deſire that firſt the ſaid Randoll, may be ſent for and examined, and afterwards ſuch other perſons as we ſhall produce, beſides many others, who may priuately take in water out of our maine pipes, and as yet vnknowne to the Petitioners.

Secondly, the water granted vnto Newgate, for vſe of that houſe only, is caried forth daily by fiue men to many places, which Tankerd-bearers keepe no houres, but worke continually, and ſo exhauſt and draw away the water from the other Conduits.

The Lady Swinnerton is allowed, but 2. gallons euery houre, (an ill preſident, and againſt the prouiſo, of the ſaid ſtatute of 35. Henry. 8. but that branch is ſo great, as it yeeldeth thirteene gallons and better euery houre as it hath beene tried, which many times runneth at waſte, if this one branch or Cocke, within this City doth or may draw away aboue a thouſand gallons extraordinarily from the Conduits in a weeke, what wrong ſo many branches without the City, where leſſe care is had, is to be taken into your Honourable conſideration.

Fourthly, the water that now ſerueth Alderman-bury Conduit, doth belong to the pipes of Cheapſide, and was lately cut out of the ſame, and that water which ſhould or would ſerue that Conduit of Alderman-bury, is wholy ſtopt or giuen to priuate houſes by the way.

Fiftly, Cornehill and Gracious-ſtreet men, complayning for want of water in their Conduits, there was three houres in a day abated by the Chamberlaine of the City, at the requeſt of the Plumber, from the Conduits 〈◊〉 Cheapſide, thereby to furniſh them with the more ſtore, being ill ſerued, by the ſame pipes, but yet Cornehill and Gracious-ſtreet Conduits haue neuer a whit more water, nor the houres yet reſtored to the Conduits in Cheapſide.

Sixtly, one of the maine and chiefeſt pipes runneth vnder part of Saint Martins Lane, and the Couen garden, in which places there are lately erected many new buildings and dwellings of Bricke; and it is ſuppoſed that digging deeper for the foundations, and finding the Pipes, they may take ſome priuate branches, out of their due courſe.

Your Petitioners doe humbly deſire, for that there is great defect of water, in the ſaid conduits: and that it is a generall grieuance, to the whole City; and that diuers complaints, haue beene made by your Petitioners for redreſſe, but no reliefe can be procured, and are vtterly remedileſſe, but by this Honourable aſſembly, that wee the Petitioners, may be permitted to preferre our Bill into this Honourable houſe: For remedy of this grieuance, and as in duty we are bounden; ſo we will daily pray, that God may bleſſe all your counſels, to the benefit of all ſucceeding ages.