DRAINING OF THE FENS
(Dugdale, History of Imbanking and Draining, p. 375)
It hath been a long received opinion, as well by the borderers upon the Fens as others, that the total drowning of this Great Level (whereof we have in our times been eyewitnesses) hath for the most part, been occasioned by the neglect of putting the laws of sewers in due execution in these latter times; and that before the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII the passages for the water were kept with cleansing, and the banks with better repair, chiefly through the care and cost of those religious houses.
... but wholly to clear them was impossible without the perfect opening and cleansing of their natural outfalls.... In order whereunto the first considerable attempt ... was in 20 Eliz. the Queen then granting her commission to Sir Thomas Cecil, Sir W. Fitzwilliams, Sir Edward Montague and Sir Henry Cromwell, Knights, etc. Howbeit ... little was done.... But King James ... encouraged their proceedings therein, expressing his readiness to allow a part of his own lands to be so recovered, towards the charge of the work, in like proportion that other of his subjects should do....
After this ... the lords of the ... Privy Council ... desired them [the commissioners] to endeavour to satisfy all such persons as having no respect to the general good ... should oppose it ... the said commissioners ... concluded (with one consent) that this work of draining was feasible ... and most beneficial to the countries interested, to have good by, that ever was taken in hand of that kind in those days; ... The commissioners names subscribed thereto being these, viz.:
Oliver Cromwell, etc., Thomas Lambert, Robert Cromwell, Ireby, etc., etc.
Whereupon there was a particular view of the whole Level, begun ... (21 June, 1605) and ... the king himself ... incited them to fall in hand speedily with the work and the rather because that was a dry summer, and so the more proper for it ... intimating also that, for the better expediting thereof, he had employed his Chief Justice Popham to take pains therein ... they had information ... that in several places of recovered grounds, within the isle of Ely, etc. such as before that time had lived upon alms having no help but by fishing and fowling and such poor means, out of the common Fens, while they lay drowned, were since come to good and supportable estates.
The limitation of time allowed to Sir John Popham, knight, Lord Chief Justice, and the rest of the adventurers, for accomplishing the work, was to be ten years ...
... for the space of five years at the least ... there nothing appeareth of consequence to have been prosecuted therein, by reason of the opposition which divers perverse spirited people made thereto ... by bringing of turbulent suits in law ... and making of libellous songs ...
THE POWTES COMPLAINT
Come, Brethren of the water, and let us all assemble
To treat upon this matter, which makes us quake and tremble;
For we shall rue, if it be true, that Fens be undertaken,
And where we feed, in Fen and Reed, they’ll feed both Beef and Bacon.
They’ll sow both beans and oats, where never man yet thought it,
Where men did row in boats, ere undertakers[29] bought it:
But Ceres, thou behold us now, let wild oats be their venture,
Oh, let the frogs and miry bogs destroy where they do enter.
Behold the great design, which they do now determine,
Will make our bodies fine, a prey to crows and vermine:
For they do mean all fens to drain, and waters overmaster,
All will be dry, and we must die, ‘cause Essex calves want pasture.
Away with boats and rudder, farewell both boots and skatches,
No need of one nor th’other, men now make better matches;
Stilt-makers all and tanners shall complain of this disaster:
For they will make each muddy lake for Essex calves a pasture.
The feathered fowls have wings, to fly to other nations;
But we have no such things to help our transportations;
We must give place (oh grievous case) to horned beasts and cattle,
Except that we can all agree to drive them out by battle, etc.
And upon the 12th of August (1618) ... at a general session of sewers held at Huntingdon ... there were appointed three commissioners of every county to accompany ... Sir Clement Edwards (one of the Clerks of the Council) ... who gave in this following certificate ... That forasmuch as the inhabitants of Marshland complained much.... And though there were many gentlemen of good worth in those parts who wanted neither zeal nor judgement to do service therein; yet it was conceived, that the work might be best effected by such as had no interest at all in the country.... In pursuance of which order, the said Earl of Arundel made a journey into those parts; where having treaty with Sir William Ayloffe, knight, baronet, Anthony Thomas, Esq., and others, they ... as undertakers in this great adventure, did make these following proposals, viz.:
1. To have all the King’s lands drowned with fresh or salt water, which should be so recovered, at the free rent of 4d. the acre ...
2. To have all the Prince’s lands upon the like condition.
3. To have of all subjects lands, so drowned all the year, two thirds to them the said undertakers ...
4. And of all such lands of subjects which lay drowned half the year, to have the one half ...
... the said undertakers did propose to begin their work at the sea, by opening the outfalls of Nene, and Welland; and to make the same navigable to Spalding and Wisbech, which would take away all fear of turning the water upon any neighbour country and draw the same into their true and natural channels....
... Certain it is, that no farther progress was made therein.... Howbeit ... at King’s Lynne, upon the 1st of September (1630) there was a contract made with Sir Cornelius Vermuden, knight (a person well experienced in works of this kind) for the draining of this Level; and he, for his recompense therein, to have 95 thousand acres of the said surrounded lands: But the country not being satisfied to deal with Sir Cornelius, in regard he was an alien, they ... became humble suitors to Francis, then Earl of Bedford (who was owner of near 20 thousand acres about Thorney and Whittlesey, of this fenny level) to undertake the work; at whose request, as also of the commissioners, he condescended thereto....
These things being thus settled, the said Earl taking in divers adventurers as participants with him therein, they cast the whole (95,000 acres) so allowed for their recompense, into 20 parts or lots....
The said Francis ... etc.... did obtain Letters Patents of Incorporation ... into a body politic, to be guardians and conservors of the Fen lands....
All which being accomplished about three years after in a session of Sewers held at Peterborough, 12 October, 1637, the whole Level was adjudged drained ... the charge of these works to the said Earl and his participants having been no less than an hundred thousand pounds....
But ... though the lands were very much improved by those works, yet were they subject to inundation especially in the winter season....
Hereupon ... Charles I ... did command divers gentlemen to give their advice ... amongst which ... Vermuden was one ... the king himself was declared the undertaker; and to have not only those 95,000 acres ... but also 57,000 acres more, to make the same fens as well winter grounds as summer grounds.... And that though the Earl of Bedford had not performed his undertaking, he should in recompense of his great charge in those rivers, cuts and drains ... have 40,000 acres....
The king’s work [owing to the Civil War] being ... obstructed.... The Earl, etc., fell in hand with the work ... this main body of the fens is divided into three distinct Levels, viz., the North Level, the Middle Level and the South Level ... the Level on the 25th of March, 1653 was adjudged to be fully drained: Whereupon the said Earl and his participants had possession of those 95,000 acres awarded to them.