( A. D. 1737. Anno decimo Georgii II. C. 3L 2S1
- Wimlfor in the County of Berks, there was an Act parted in the firft Year of the Reign of King *J*» «■"• '•■
- James the Firft, whereby fuch Watermen and Wherrymen were reftrained from taking any Apprcn- Ageof^Ap-
' tices who were not of the ful] Age of eighteen Years, unlefs they were the Sons of free Watermen and prentices n> be ' Wherrymen, whom they might retain as their Apprentices at the Age of fixteen Years: And whereas tak,;rl / Wa- ' by an Act pafied in the eleventh and twelfth Years of the Reign of his late Majefty King William AcTiTi i?. ' the Third, for the Explanation and better Execution of former Acts made touching Watermen and w. 3 . c.zi. ' Wherrymen rowing on the of River Thames, and for the better ordering and governing the faid Wa- S' vi °£ Power to ' Watermen, Wherrymen and Lightermen upon the faid River between Grave/end and Wind/or, the of'wawrmei In c faid Wherrymen, Watermen and Lightermen were made one Company, and were impowered to make m.ike Rules for ' realbnable and lawful Rules, Orders and Conftitutions for their Government; and in purfuance there- lh " Govern* ' of an Order was made, That no Waterman (hall have any more than one Apprentice at one Time, p 0I fuant to ' nor fhall be capable of taking any Apprentice, until fuch Maftcr hath been a Freeman feven Years, which an Or- ' nor fhall take a Second Apprentice until his firft be dead, or the Term expired ; and that not any ftriffine%Tater- ' Lighterman (hall take any Apprentice, until he is the real Owner of two Lighters, nor fhall have any m ln"&c. in re-" ' more than one Apprentice at one Time : And whereas by an Act paffed in the fourth Year of the Reign lation to a p - ' of her late Majetty Queen Anne, for the better ordering and governing the Watermen and Lighter- j^a!' Ann-- ' men upon the River of Thames, the faid Claufe in the faid Statute of the firft of King James the c . I3 . repealing ' Firft, as alfo the faid Order, and all and every other Order and Rule made for reftraining any Water- theCiaufeof
- man, Wherry-man or Lighterman taking and breeding Apprentices, were repealed and made void, in j^jfcfol'^Satlie
' order for the better Increafe of Seamen for the Service of the Royal Navy: And whereas in confe- f a jd orLr ; and
- quence of the faid laft recited Act fuch Watermen, Wherrymen and Lightermen are at Liberty to take allowing Wa-
- what Number of Apprentices, and at what Age they think fit, though they have not fufheient Buli- whT^Number 5
- neis to employ and maintain fuch Apprentices, nor any Habitation or Place of Abode to retain and f Apprentices
' keep them at, and though fuch Apprentices are too weak for the Work or Labour required in fuch they pieaftd, f Occupation, whereby fuch Apprentices become idle and profligate, and many and great Damages inconvenlenf;-* ' have frequeatly happened and mull daily happen to Goods and PafTengers by the Unfkilfulneis of reflating from ' fuch Apprentices, and the good Intention of the faid Act in breeding able and fufficient Seamen for this Licence.
- the Royal Navy is eluded ; For Remedy whereof be it enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty,
by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prelent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That from and after the twenty- Commence- fourth Day of June in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and thirty-feven, it fhall not ment of the be lawful for any Perfon whatfoever (although free of the faid Company) that now or hereafter (hall P refent Att - keep, ufe, hire or work any Wherry-boat, Tilt-boat, Barge, or other VefTel for carrying PafTengers or Goods for Hire or Gain upon the River of Thames, between Grave/end and Windfor aforefaid, to bind, take, retain, employ, have or keep, to ferve him or her to work or row upon the faid River, any Per- fon as an Apprentice, until fuch Time as fuch Perfon fo to be taken (hall arrive to be of the full Age No Apprentice^ of Fourteen Years at the leaft, and not to exceed the Age of twenty Years, which fhall be made ap- der 14 Years of pear by Certificate figned by the Minifter or Churchwardens for the time being of the Parifli or Place Age, nor above where fuch Perfon fo to be bound was or fhall be born, or by the Oath of two or more credible Wit- 2 -°- neffes, or their Affirmation in cafe they fha!I be of the People called Quakers. II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That fuch Apprentice fhall be bound to his Apprentices to faid Mafter or Miftrefs by Indentures of Apprenticeihip as ufual in the like Cafes of Apprenticefhip, years at the^ and be enrolled in the Book or Rolls of the faid Company, to ferve his faid Mafter or Miftrefs as an leaft; and to be Apprentice upon the faid River for and during the Space of feven Years at the leaft ; upon Pain that b° und °y In - every Mafter or Perfon acting contrary hereto fhall for every fuch Offence, upon Conviction thereof be- ^"ai', and' en- fore the Lord Mayor of the City of London for the time being, or before any one or more Juftice or rolled in the iuftices of the Peace for the time being for the faid City, or for the County, City, Town Corporate, ^ ook of the -iberty or Place, where the Offender fhall be found, or the Offence fhall be committed, by the Oath of p°n 1 afty'of the one or more credible Witnefs or Witneffes, fhall for every fuch Offence forfeit and pay the Sum of ten Mafter's forfeit- Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain. in S Io1 - III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all and every Apprentice or Appren- Penalty on Ap- tices, which fhall hereafter be bound contray to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, fhall not there- prentices bound by obtain any Freedom by fuch Apprenticeihip, or be intitled to any the Privileges and Advantages by trneinieritof- fuch Apprenticefhip, which Watermen, Wherrymen and Lightermen free of the faid Company are in- this Aft. titled to; but fhall be fubject and liable to pay for every Time he fhall work, row, or navigate any Boat, Barge, Lighter, or other VelTel, being thereof convicted in Manner aforefaid, the Sum of ten Pounds. ^° rnore th:in 1 IV. Provided neverthelefs, That no Freeman of the faid Company, nor his Widow, (hall at one and to be P taken at the fame Time be capable to take and retain more Apprentices than two, nor fhall take the Second Ap- one Time; the prentice till the firft hath ferved as an Apprentice for the Space of four Years at the leaft of. his faid ^,^-^X«k- Apprenticeihip, under the Penalty of ten Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain. wlverithefeconti V. And, to avoid the great Inconveniencies which happen by Wherrymen and fuch other Water- i»t: ; ken; men and Lightermen as aforefaid daily taking Apprentices, before fuch Wherrymen, Watermen or °h Penalty of Lightermen are Houfekeepers, or have any fettled Habitation for themfelves and their Apprentices to No Member of lodge in, whereby pilfering and diforderly Actions are frequently committed ; Be it alfo further enacted the Conipany; by the Authority aforefaid, That it fhall not be lawful for any Wherryman, Waterman or Lighterman, man 5 » wkeaii though a Freeman of the faid Company, or his Widow, to take, retain or keep any Perfon as his or Apprentice, ti.i her Apprentice, unlefs fuch Waterman, Wherryman or Lighterman, or the Widow of fuch Water- he has a fettled man, Wherryman or Lighterman fhall be the Occupier of fome Houfe or Tenement wherein to lodge "|~ r ^f 'a- V-OL. VI. O O him pienticr in.'
