The next General Assembly, or meeting of the Company or Proprietors of the River Ouse navigation, will be holden by the adjournment at the Sheffield Arms Inn, in Fletching, on Monday the 15th day of March, instant, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon; at which meeting the Company will take into consideration, and decide, with respect to the propriety in purchasing, or taking a lease under the power vested in them by an act of parliament, made and passed in the 30th year of the reign of his late Majesty, King George, the Third instituted an act for improving, continuing, and extending the navigation of the River Ouse from Lewes Bridge, at the town of Lewes, to Hammer Bridge*, in the parish of Cuckfield, …

… and to the extent of the said parish of Cuckfield and also a branch of the River, to Shortbridge, in the parish of Fletching, in that said County of Sussex, of a certain piece of land, lying in the parish of Hamsey, adjoining to the Hamsey Canal, and call the Old Wharf, belonging to Sir George Shiffner, Bart. to be used as a Wharf or Quay, for the landing, depositing, and delivering chalk, lime, and other goods from, and to the barges trading upon the said navigation.

The attendance of proprietors is particularly requested Lewes. March 1, 1830, Edward Verrall, Clerk.

Sussex Advertiser, 8 March 1830

NOTES: To the best of our knowledge the canal project did not proceed very far, if at all. But any further information would be welcome. The iron industry collapsed locally with more efficient production taking off in the Ironbridge area. R But we do know that the canal did reach as far as the Ouse Viaduct and helped with the movement of heavy materials when the rail viaduct was being built. Rail, from the 1840s, overtook canal as a more expedient form of transport.

But one of our readers is researching further into this - so there may be a follow-up item if anything more is found.

* For location 'A' Holmsted Forge adjacent to bridge see: https://www.cuckfieldconnections.org.uk/post/the-cuckfield-ironworks-3-3

Contributed by Malcolm Davison.

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