The act of the 37th George III. was obtained chiefly for the purpose of enabling the company to make some deviations from the original line, through the parishes of Slimbridge, Frampton-upon-Severn, Fretherne, Saul, Wheatenhurst, Moreton, Valence, and Standish. It is entitled, An Act for authorizing the Company of Proprietors of the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal Navigation to vary the Line of a certain part of the said Canal, so as to render the Execution thereof more easy, expeditious and less expensive; and for altering and amending the Act passed in the Thirty-third Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, for making the said Canal. Power, however, is given in this act to raise £40,000, part of the £140,000, besides the £60,000 authorized by the last act, either by the admission of new subscribers for shares, half shares, or quarters; or by way of mortgage, or on bond. The company are required by the act to pay the Stroudwater Navigation Company, for every day which the making of this canal shall obstruct the passage on their canal, the sum of five guineas.
Eight years after the date of the last-recited act, the proprietors being desirous of making a branch from the main line, near Saul, to the Severn, at Hock Cribb, application was made to parliament for the necessary powers; and an act was accordingly obtained on the 10th July, 1805, entitled, An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal, to vary and alter the Line of a certain part of the said Canal, and to enable the said Company to raise a further Sum of Money for carrying into Execution the several Acts for making the said Canal. This branch is one mile, one furlong and five chains in length; and the estimate for making it was made by Mr. John Wheeler, which amounted to the sum of £28,765, 12s. 4d.; and, for this purpose, and for completing the main line of the canal, they are empowered to raise the additional sum of £80,000, by creating new shares of not less than £60 each.
Twenty-five years after the passing of the first act, the company of proprietors again applied to parliament for an act to enable them to alter the line, and make the canal terminate at Sharpness Point, as described in the early part of this article, instead of at Berkeley Pill.
