1769
September

Shakespear Esquire another of his Majesty's said Justices
had taken New thereof and that the State and
Condition thereof would appear by a paper which they
produced which was then read and is as follows to vizt
We the underwritten three of his Majesty's Justices of the
Peace in and for the County of Middlesex do report to
this Court the State and Condition of that part of Chertsey
Bridge within the said County vizt. That upon a mature
inspection of the Premisses find them to be in a most
ruinous Condition and that the Work done 2 Years since
by Mr. Jepp is in great part blown up and carried away
by the late great Floods except a few Piles Etc. Particulars
of which are annexed and are in the possession of the
Landlady of the Swan Inn at the Foot of the said
Bridge who carefully employed People to secure them at
the Expence of £1.3 And We likewise are of Opinion
that the Chief Reason of its being in so ruinous a condition
is from the badness of the Work as the Bed of the River
is 18 feet 4 Inches deep from the Surface of the Land
and the Piles in general which were there placed do not
measure 19 feet long so that they have but very few
Inches in the Bed of the River where they ought to have
been drove 7 or 8 feet add to which they were pinned
together with Wood instead of Iron Pins And We also
find that 160 feet of the Bank leading West from the
foot of the said Bridge is washed away 22 feet in
depth at the West end and 6 Feet from the last Pile
at the foot of the said Bridge great part of which land
We apprehend is the property of Thomas Wood< no role > Esqr . He
having a Wharf and Warehouse on the said Ground
and We farther report that the Blockade made to keep
the Barges from damaging the Piles on the Middlesex
side of the Center Arch is intirely parted from its place
by which means if an other Flood should happen twill
not only take away the said Works, but greatly endanger
the abutment of the said Bridge unless speedily prevented
by a proper repair it being in a most defenceless condition