| Description | The records comprise affidavit made by the supervisors, relating to their soundings in the R. Dee, before one of the city justices of the peace, usually the mayor; particulars of soundings; and certificates of appointment of supervisors. They include particulars of the dates when the soundings took place, submitted to the city treasurers, and also notes relating to the payment of the salary of the supervisor and other expences involved in the soundings. Nearly all these particulars state that they were made in accordance with an Assembly order of 14 Aug. 1800, but this order is not recorded in the Assembly book. |
| Administrative History | The rights of the City relating to the River Dee date back to medieval times and the City's admiralty powers were first defined in a charter granted to the Black Prince on 9 March 1354 (CH/18) and confirmed in the charter of incorporation 6 April 1506 (CH/32). These admiralty powers were abolished by the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835, section 108.
The Corporation was specifically empowered to recover and preserve the navigation of the River Dee by an Act of 11 and 12 William III (1699) c.24 but this responsibility was transferred to Nathaniel Kinderley and otehr undertakers of the navigation by an Act of 6 George II (1732) c.30 and by section 11 of this Act the mayor, recorder and aldermen of the city i.e. the city justices, were included ex officio among the numerous commissioners appointed to resolve differences between the undertakers of the navigation and the owners and occupiers of land adjacent to the river. By an Act of 14 George II (1740) c.8, the undertakers of the navigation were incorporated as the River Dee Company and by a later Act of 17 George II (1743) c.28, section 13, Chester Corporation was authorised to appoint one of two supervisors, the other being appointed by the River Dee Company, to make soundings in the river and to submit an affadavit in writing before either the city or county justices if at three successive tides the channel of the water in the river fell below 15 feet. This Act also stated that the appointments of the supervisors were to be enrolled with the County Clerk of the Peace, and that the books of soundings made by the supervisors were to be available for public inspection and copies lodged with the County Clerk of the Peace. |