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Deal’s Early Freshwater Schemes
News-sheets and Coffee Houses
News-sheets and newspapers were printed and sold just as they are today. They were distributed and discussed in the fashionable coffee houses where trade, banking and insurance deals were often made. Books were sold, politics debated and shipping intelligence shared. Some of these news-sheets survive, and four relating to Ryder and Warner’s ‘Cases’ can be found in the British Library. It is quite probable that these ‘Cases’ with their claims and counterclaims were discussed and shared in London’s coffee houses.
The First News-sheet ~
Mr. Rider’s Case
In early 1700 the first news-sheet, reporting on Ryder’s Bill, was circulated. Titled ‘Mr. Rider’s Case’ it says that in order to bring the water in pipes from the North Stream a sum of £2,500 (approximately £300,000 in today’s money) was needed for the cost of the “…Grant (the Patent), the Engineers and the Agents to Treat with the inhabitants from whom Subscriptions were obtained…” But there was a dispute over the £2,500. Was it raised for the Mortgage that Ryder had taken out to pay for the Grant to enable him to solely benefit from it or was it raised to fund the waterworks themselves? When the matter of this money was settled with the parties concerned, though there is no mention of who these parties were, Ryder petitioned for a Bill to bring about the needed Act of Parliament to enable him to “..digg open the High-Ways, Streets… for laying of Pipes to bring fresh Water to the said Town and Conduit Head.”
The news-sheet goes on to point out that if Warner were to be successful then Ryder would be left with a £2,500 debt and “…destroyed…” by Warner’s undertaking.
It goes on to blame the disagreement over the disputed use of the mortgage as the reason that had prevented Ryder from starting the work and laying out any money “…on the Place.”
The Second News-sheet ~
William Warner’s Case
Warner’s response is printed in the second news-sheet titled ‘The Case of William Warner, Gent. Relating to his Water-Works at Deale’ in which he accuses Ryder of not actually borrowing the £2,500 for the use of the Water-works but that it was “…in Trust for Edward Lord Griffin, who was Attainted and Outlawed for High Treason..”
Warner went a whole lot further saying that the agents Cole, Gillibrand and Robinson who Ryder had employed to ‘Treat’ with the inhabitants of Deal to sell subscriptions for his fresh piped water were named in the trial of Sir John Friend in 1696 for his part in the assasination plot against the King. He suggests that as the Patent, either before or since the plot had not been made use of “Whether it may not be necessary to enquire who those parties that disagreed, and what use this £2,500 was applied? Is Humbly submitted to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons.”
Griffin Ranelagh and Friend
Sir Edward Griffin had borrowed £2,500 from Valentine Duncombe a London Goldsmith and Ryder had stood surety for the bond. In December 1688, just prior to James II exile, Sir Edward had become the first Earl of Braybrooke. Accompanying his King into France he was soon Attainted and Outlawed for High Treason and his lands forfeited to the crown. With no access to Sir Edward this left Ryder responsible for the £2,500 which today is about £300,000.
Valentine Duncombe, himself owing a debt to the Earl of Ranelagh, passed on Sir Edward’s debt to him.
Sir Edward later returned to England, in the Jacobite cause, and was taken prisoner in Northamptonshire, was sent to the Tower, condemned for treason and executed on Tower Green in 1710.
Earl of Ranelagh
In 1685 Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh was appointed Paymaster of the Forces. He was later expelled from the Commons, in 1703, when discrepancies were found in his accounts. It was discovered that he had misappropriated more than £72,000 of public funds.
He died in poverty on 5 Jan. 1712 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Sir John Friend
Sir John, though not a catholic, was a Jacobite conspirator. He helped with the plans to assassinate William III. Once the plot was exposed, a warrant was issued for Sir John’s arrest. He was put on trial for High Treason at the Old Bailey and during his questioning by Brice Blair, it was put to Sir John that –
“I said, I had Mony from you for Incouraging those that were Listed; and you told me it was impossible to do it but we must have Mony now and then, and we must be good Husbands, you told me, Sir John. Did not I bring you Mr. Cole that Lives at Deal? Did not his Brother-in-law Mr. Robinson and Mr. Gillibrand Dine there?…”
Sir John Friend was found guilty and was hanged at Tyburn on 3 April 1696.
As for Cole, Gillibrand and Robinson, Warner says a search was made for them but after the plot’s discovery they fled and had not been heard of since at Deal.