October 1786

That the said Inhabitants and others Your Memorialists, have
had several Meetings lately to consider of the best means to procure a New
Bridge to be built there for the Safety as well as the Convenience not only of the
Neighbourhood but of all persons travelling over that part of the Kings
Highway and directed Mr Payne to examine the Soil on the proper spot for
building a new Bridge & to give in a Plan and Estimate of the Expence
likely to be incurred by building the same, Who hath so done and by the Plan
and Estimate hereto annexed it appears as the Soil is such as to require
Planking and Piling under the Piers, that the expence exclusive of the
Surveyors Commission will amount to 273..19..4.

Whereupon at a Meeting held of the said Inhabitants and others
at the London Apprentice in Isleworth on the 19th. of August last It was
Resolved "That unless the Sum of £300 can be raised, the Bridge cannot
"be Rebuilt Effectually, & that a Subscription be immediately Set on foot, and
"Sollicited thro' Isleworth , Twickenham , Richmond & the adjacent Parishes
"for the purpose" which has been accordingly done, and a considerable
Sum subscrib'd which the Subscribers your Memorialists are willing and
desirous to have applied towards the rebuilding the said Bridge in an
Effectual manner

But as it appears that the Sum likely to be raised by such
Subscription will not be sufficient to build a strong useful substantial
Bridge , such as they Wish to have built for the benefit not only of the
neighbourhood but of the public in general, not only for the Use of the
present Generation but of Posterity, and being advised that by a
Determination of the Court of Kings Bench (a Report of which is hereunto
annexed) from Blackstones Reports, and which may also be found in
Burrows Reports Mansfield fol: 2594 rather more fully Reported) the
following Point of Law is clearly Established

"That when a Private Person or Persons erect a Bridge that is of
"public Utility, the public, that is the County (or Riding) are bound to keep
"it in Repair"

And your Memorialists being thoroughly satisfied that they
can by proper and sufficient Evidence prove that the Bridge lately fallen
down was of Real public utility, and that since its being fallen down