The act of 1813, is entitled 'An Act for explaining and amending an Act of his present Majesty, for making a navigable Canal from the River Thames or Isis, near Abingdon, in the county of Berks, to join the Kennet and Avon canal, near Trowbridge, in the county of Wilts, and certain navigable Cuts.' It merely makes some regulations respecting the water to be taken at Beckett.
In 1815 the company obtained another act, entitled, 'An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Wilts and Berks Canal Navigation, to raise Money for discharging the Debts of the said Company,' which authorized them to raise an additional sum of £100,000 for the purpose of paying off their debts and making a reservoir.
The last act of parliament obtained by this company, was passed in 1821, and is entitled, 'An Act for incorporating the Company of Proprietors of the North Wilts Canal Navigation with the Company of Proprietors of the Wilts and Berks Canal Navigation; and for repealing the several Acts passed for making and maintaining the said Canals, and for consolidating the Powers and Provisions thereof in One Act.' This act states that the North Wilts Canal was executed under authority of an act of parliament passed in 1813; that the principal proprietors in it were also proprietors of the Wilts and Berks Canal, and that it had been in consequence considered desirable to incorporate the two canals, which the present act does; it repeals all the former acts of parliament, and embodies the different clauses, contained in them, in the present act, without alteration of any, relating to either the Wilts and Berks or North Wilts Canals; the tonnage rates and other clauses relating to the latter of which, will be found in this work under the head of "North Wilts Canal."
The number of shares in this canal by different creations now amounts to twenty thousand; the original subscription was £100 per share; but as money has been wanted to continue the work, shares have been created at various prices from £60 downwards, and the last creation was ten thousand at £5 per share.
The length of this canal is fifty-two miles. That part of the River Thames, where this canal locks into it, is 180⅓ feet above
