Sewers

Sewers.

I. 323. Letter from the Lords of the Council to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen. The had been informed that Richard Mathew, Her Majesty's cutler, and bailiff of the sewers of London, had, at his own great costs and charges, erected certain floodgates and other necessary devices in the Fleet Ditch, at the commandment and by the direction of the then Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen, and the Commissioners of Sewers, to the benefit generally of the whole City, which had been continued, by his care and industry, for five years, but had been neglected for the past seven years, and allowed to fall into decay through the non-observance of certain covenants granted by the Court of Mayor and Aldermen, in a lease made to Mathew. Although sundry letters had been written by the Council, directing the continuance and maintenance of the said Mathew and his works, nothing had been done; the Council had therefore thought it good once again to remind them of the annoyance, and require them to have a special care to maintain the said Mathew and his assigns, with whatsoever the City and Court of Sewers had promised him for the cleansing and conservation of the said sewer.
10th April, 1582.

I. 591. Letter from the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to the Lords of the Council. They had considered the petition of Richard Mathew to the Queen, touching the state of the Fleet Ditch, and had thought it good to set down their answers, proving the untruths of his suggestions, and explaining the steps taken to keep the place free from all manner of annoyance, for the health of the whole City.
20th April, 1591.