Note 111 — Chapter XIII

The Act of Parliament for the formation of this line of railway was passed in January, 1758, and it is therein stated that Charles Brandling, the owner of the collieries, had made agreements with the owners of the lands through which it was intended to pass, “to pay yearly rent or other considerations” for the privilege. The Leeds pot works must, therefore, have been established some length of time previous to the year 1758. It may be interesting to add that by this act Mr. Brandling bound himself for a term of sixty years to bring from his collieries at Middleton, to a repository at “Casson Close, near the Great Bridge at Leeds,” “20,000 dozens, or 240,000 corfs of coals,” each corf containing in weight about 210 lbs., and in measure 7,680 cubical inches, and there sell the same to the public at the price of 4¾d. a corf. As the town increased in size, and its manufactures spread, fresh acts of parliament were applied for and obtained in 1779, 1793 (two), and 1803, by which last the quantity of coal undertaken to be supplied was increased to 1,920 corfs per day, and the price raised to 8d. per corf.