|
SPELLBROOK LOCK
|
Lock |
State |
Date |
Length |
Length - Working Distance |
Width |
Fall |
|
Spellbrook Lock |
Built turfsided |
1766/9 |
90' 0'' |
87' 6'' |
13. 5 1/2' |
5' 0'' |
|
Spellbrook Lock |
Rebuilt in brick/concrete |
1921 |
90' 0'' |
87' 6'' |
13. 5 1/2' |
5' 0'' |
 Griggs’ Report
1844: No 13 Lock called Spellbrook Lock not affected by a Mill. Has a
bridge attached with 5 oak timbered oak covering and in middling repair;
headway 6’ 3’. Depth of water on lower sill 4’ 3’’; ditto on upper sill
4’ 8’’; the upper and lower gates dated 1842; this lock is in good
order. No 6 Lock house at Spellbrook in fair order.
Beardmore’s
Report 1870: Spellbrook Lock is in bad repair
Childs’ Report 1880: Spelbrook; In very good
condition generally. Open sides. Upper gates good. Lower gates moderate.
Sills deep enough. (Lock house) brick built and tiled in very good
condition, had about 12 feet new end added last year.
Childs' Report 1884: "In very good condition
generally, open sides, upper gates good; lower gates moderate, sills
deep enough. Lockhouse Brick-built and tiled, in very good condition,
had about 12 ft new end added last year"
Tween's Report 1901: ''Upper gates 1874, in fair
order, Lower gates, 1842. Open sides, fairly good, pointings very bad.
Cost about £200. Lockhouse: Part brick and tiled, in fair condition.''
This lock derives
its name from the small brook that flows into the river below the lock.
The timber-framed lock cottage was built here by the Navigation
Company and bore a plaque with the date 1820.
In this postcard
image, the galley beam over the gate is reminiscent of the Constable painting.
Its purpose is to hold the gate posts vertical and is perhaps indicative
that the lock was not in very good condition in about 1908 when this
picture was taken.
Benjamin Salmon was the
lock keeper at this time but since he would have been 64 in 1908, it is
unlikely that the children would have been his!
This delightful photograph shows the last
Spellbrook lock keeper Charles
Welsh in the foreground. The picture was probably taken following
the winning of the "Best Kept Lock" competition in 1960, an award he won
on several occasions. His daughter Jenny is with him and her brother
Mick is standing in the porch of the cottage.
Photo: Courtesy of
Jenny Snow
Charles Welsh left British Waterways' employ in 1962 and
a few months later the cottage was demolished.
Photo: Courtesy of Mick Welsh
Spellbrook Lock House
|
Census/Date |
Name |
Title |
Wife |
Location given by
enumerator/Comments |
Source Reference |
|
1962 |
Charles Edward Welsh |
Lock keeper |
Left |
Jenny Snow 9.2.2010 |
|
4.10.1954 |
Charles Edward Welsh |
Lock keeper |
Appointed ex Sheering Mill Lock. (Wife: Doris.
Children: Michael, Jennifer, Charles) |
Jenny Snow 9.2.2010 |
|
2.8.1950 |
S J Skinner |
Lock keeper |
To £4.18.6 |
LCB Records |
|
9.6.1948 |
S J Skinner |
Lock keeper |
To £4.15.0 |
LCB Records |
|
1.4.1939 |
S Skinner |
Lock keeper |
To £1.7.0 |
NA Rail 845/123 |
|
1.4.1938 |
S Skinner |
Lock keeper |
£1.5.0 to £1.6.0 |
NA Rail 845/122 |
|
1.4.1937 |
S J Skinner |
Lock keeper |
£1.2.0 to £1.5.0 |
LCB Records |
|
15.3.1935 |
S Skinner |
Lock keeper |
£1.1s to £1.2s per week |
NA Rail 845/119 |
|
5.10.1928 |
S J Skinner |
Lock keeper |
Increase to £1. 1s (Minimum wage
) |
NA Rail 845/112 |
|
15.2.1924 |
S J Skinner (40) |
Lock keeper |
Son-in-law to Salmon, appointed
at 19/- per week + house and garden. Employed on river since
8.1916 |
NA Rail 845/108
LCB Records |
|
15.2.1924 |
B Salmon (77) |
Lock keeper |
“Unwell for several weeks and was
past work” A pension of 8/- per week be granted.
Died 18.9.1936 aged 89
|
NA Rail 845/108
NA Rail 845/120 |
|
14.11.1919 |
B Salmon |
Lock keeper |
19/- per week + house, garden,
and uniform |
NA/Rail 845/46 |
|
5.2.1918 |
B. Salmon |
Lock keeper |
17/- per week |
NA Rail 845/66 |
|
4.3.1915 |
B Salmons |
Lock keeper |
+2/- per week |
NA Rail 845/42 |
|
13.10.1911 |
B Salmons |
Lock keeper |
Into the service of the Board at
15/- per week plus house and water. Value with emoluments, 18/9
per week. (He added to his income with sale of
refreshments.) |
NA/Rail 845/38 |
|
2.4.1911 |
Benjamin Salmon (66) |
Lock keeper |
Maria |
Lock Cottage, Spellbrook |
RG14PN7498 RG78PN365 RD134 SD1 ED7 SN101 |
|
31.3.1901 |
Benjamin Salmon (57) |
Lockman on River |
Maria |
Spellbrook Lock |
Ex/Gt Hallingbury/6/2 |
|
1897 |
B Salmon |
|
Appointed (brother of J Salmon at
Harlow Lock) |
NA Rail 845/108 |
|
5.4.1891 |
Daniel Samuel Dorrington (32) |
Lockman on the R Stort |
Alice |
Spellbrook Lock |
Ex/Gt Hall'bury/6/5 |
|
4.4.1881 |
Daniel S Dorrington (22) |
Lock keeper on R Stort |
unm/Sarah (mother) |
Spellbrook Lock house |
Ex/Gt Hall'bury/6/2 |
|
2.4.1871 |
Daniel Dorrington (47) |
Lock Manager |
Sarah |
(Daniel 12y) |
Ex/Gt Hall'bury/6/3 |
|
11.12.1868 |
Daniel Dorrington |
Lock keeper |
Witness in Court case regarding Willam Barber and waste of water
(see
press cutting) |
Press cutting, Chelmsford Chronicle |
|
8.4.1861 |
Daniel Dorrington (37) |
Lock keeper River Stort |
Sarah |
(Daniel 2y) |
Ex/Gt Hall'bury/6d/10 |
|
30.3.1851 |
Samuel Dorrington (61) |
Labourer |
Sarah |
|
Ex/Gt Hall'bury/4/10 |
|
7.6.1841 |
Samuel Dorrington (50) |
Lockman |
Sarah |
(Daniel 15y) |
Ex Gt Hall'bury/5/14 |
|
11.6.1833 |
Sam. Dorrington |
|
|
Spellbrook Lockhouse |
Essex RO D/DU 289/52 |
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