Julia — Yes, I'm Bernard C or Bernard Cavalot (or some variation of this) on a fair number of other discussion boards, some with an obvious connection like silver/silver plate and other glass boards, and others not so obvious like community discussion boards which I use when researching an individual or a location. I'm fortunate in dealing in a field and at a level in which security isn't really a problem, so there's usually no need to hide behind pseudonyms. So, Julia, how do I know you?
Anne — I didn't know all this was indexed on-line! Grateful thanks. I'm not sure how much the Street and Bridge Charity had to do with the Bridge itself. Stony Stratford is well endowed with charities as it always has been a town of small businessmen with no major property owner. It's a coaching town — the ancient equivalent of a motorway service station. So, for example, my daughters had most of their university books, equipment, and field trips funded by a local apprenticing charity.
I've had further thoughts about the canal issue. For many years ocean going boats were made in Stony Stratford and were taken down to London on the canal by producing the superstructure in kit form and laying it out flat on top of the hull. The reason that the plate glass making machinery was sent by road rather than by canal can only have been that it wouldn't fit through the tunnels and/or locks when broken down into subassemblies. This is possible if the grinding table had to be made in one piece for precision and was capable of manufacturing the largest plate glass windows and mirrors. Therefore it is quite possible that all the ancillary equipment was sent by canal.
Bernard C.
Topic: A curious event in the early 1830s (Read 695 times)
