Document Request: Richardson v Commercial Railway Company
Document Description: Legal action between the owners of Dingley's Timber Yard and the Commercial Railway Company building a railway through the yard.
Transcription URL: https://richardson.surnametree.com/library/vdocs/D_277#277
Document Transcription:Richardson v Commercial Railway Company
[ Source of this document not recorded, originally transcribed by Tim Richardson 04/10/2011 ]
Between GEORGE STONE, BENJAMIN SEWELL, and GEORGE GIBSON, Assignees of CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON, a Bankrupt, - Plaintiffs’
and
THE COMMERCIAL RAILWAY COMPANY- Defendants
1839 - March 18th, 19th, April 10th.
In the schedule to the act, a bonded timber yard of three acres in extent, containing certain detached sheds and buildings thereon, was inserted under the description of “Timber Yard”.
That, in and for some time before the year, 1823, C. Richardson and his father, were the occupiers of, and carried on the business of timber-merchants, upon a large piece of ground, dwelling-house, wharfs, docks or ponds, and other hereditaments of very considerable extent and value, situate of the south side of the Commercial Road, in the parish of St Ann, Limehouse, and lying near, and partly contigious to the river Lea, and also near to a dock or basin in the Regent’s Canal, and at a short distance from the river Thames. That the aforesaid premises then belonged to the father of C. Richardson, in fee, and were called “Richardson’s Wharf;” part thereof having for many years before 1819, been used for landing foreign goods and merchandize, and enjoyed the privileges of a sufferance wharf, but which privileges ceased to be renewed in the year 1819.
That in the year 1823, it was conceived, that part of the premises might be advantageously converted into a yard for bonding foreign timber and wood; and accordingly, a petition for that purpose was signed by several merchants, and was presented to the lords Commissioners of the Treasury, of His Majesty George the Fourth. That the Secretary of the Treasury informed C. Richardson and his father, that the petition was granted; and they, together with two sureties, in July 1824, executed the usual bond to his Majesty, and such bond, after reciting that the premises called Richardson’s Wharf, had been conditionally approved of by the Commissioners of Customs for the deposit of wood which might be imported into the port of London, was conditioned in the usual manner. That, after obtaining such privelege, part of the said ground and premises were appropriated for, and converted into, and have since been used as, a yard for bonding timber and wood, and several thousand pounds laid out in building and making the walls, and fence, and the sheds, and sawpits hereinafter mentioned, and which are necessary and usual in yards of a similar description. That the ground so appropriated - with the exception of a portion thereof adjoining the docks or ponds, which is on the south side of the yard and between it and the river Lea - is surrounded and enclosed by high and substantial brick walls; and the remainder thereof, or the portion adjoining the docks or ponds, is secured and enclosed partly by the back of a shed within the yard, and partly by a high wooden fence; and there are several gates to the yard, for the egress and ingress of the timber and wood, and such gates are under the Queen’s locks, and are opened and closed at fixed hours every day, with certain exceptions, and the keys of such locks are now kept by an officer of Her Majesty’s Customs. That, within the yard, there are several sheds for stowing and protecting the deal planks lodged in the yard, and also two buildings containing several sawpits for sawing and cutting up such of the timber and wood as is intended for exportation into planks, boards and other forms, in which operation, as many as forty men are frequently employed. That, after the bonding yard had been formed, C. Richardson and his father carried on their business of timber-merchants on the remainder of the premises called Richardson’s Wharf.
That, in 1830, two floors of a building, at some distance from the bonding yard, and at the opposite end of a wharf, between the yard and warehouse, and forming other part of the premises, was approved of by the Commissioners of Customs as a warehouse for bonding foreign corn, and in the year 1831, the privelege of receiving wood was extended to iron and steel, when forming parts of the cargoes of vessels laden with wood, and in the year 1833, the docks or ponds were approved of by the Commissioners of Customs as a proper place for the deposit of imported timber, and these occasions bonds, similar to that aforesaid, were executed. [The bill then stated the death of the father of C. Richardson, whereby the latter became entitled to the business and premises, the bancruptcy of C. Richardson, and the transfer of his estate to the plaintiffs. ]
That the privelege of bonding timber and wood in the yard, and the business and profits resulting therefrom, are of considerable value, and render the bonding-yard, in its present state, a very valuable property; and in consequence of an application of the plaintiffs to the Commissioners of Customs, stating the appointment of F.G.Richardson, as occupier of the bonding-yard, ponds and warehouse, the usual bond was executed, which, after reciting that F.G. Richardson was the occupier of a bonding-yard, also docks or ponds, the whole situate at Richardson’s Wharf, Limehouse, was conditioned for the due exportation of or payment of Custom duties, on all such goods and merchandise as were then, or might thereafter, from time to time, be lodged in such bonding-yard, docks, ponds and warehouse. That, the plaintiffs have ever since the bankruptcy continued in the enjoyment of such privileges, and used the yard for bonding timber and wood, and by means of their agent F.G. Richardson, have ever since carried on the said business.
The treasury bonds of 1824, and 1831, describe the premises as “Richardson’s Wharf”.
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