FERRY INN - REEDHAM

Thanks to Chris Boon, gggggrandson of Jeremiah Hoggett, for information on the early innkeepers and ferry operators as in the transcription below :-

I Jeremiah Hoggett of Reedham in the County of Norfolk Yeoman do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare

1. That I am upward of Seventy two year of age and have resided in Reedham aforesaid altogether upwards of Fifty three years.

2. That I well know the Ferry over the River Yare situate in the said Parish and the Ferry house there and was born in the same Ferry house.

3. That from my own knowledge partly and also partly from the statement made from time to time by my late father and mother to me I can state confidently that my said father occupied the said Ferry house and collected the tolls or dues from the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy three or thereabouts until the year one thousand eight hundred and three or thereabouts having succeeded one John Shepherd who had occupied the Ferry house and collected the dues for a considerable period previously and that on the death of my father in one thousand eight hundred and three my said mother occupied the said house and collected the dues and continued to do so until her death in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine.

4. That from my own knowledge I can state positively that on the death of my said mother in one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine my brother John Hoggett resided there and collected the dues until the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty one in which year I succeeded him and continued to occupy such house and collect the dues until the year one thousand eight hundred and forty three about which time it was understood that the Railway Company had purchased the said Ferry.

5. That the said Ferry has been used for the purpose of carrying across the river passengers and animals of different descriptions with vehicles agricultural produce and other articles goods and chattels.

6. That in respect of the Labor and service of carrying across and the use of the Ferry certain fixed tolls or dues have to my knowledge been always paid to the Proprietor or Proprietors or Lessee or Lessees of the Ferry for the time being through their Ferryman or Collector.

7. That the exclusive right of Ferrying across the River at Reedham and taking duty therefor enjoyed by the Proprietor or Proprietors or Lessee or Lessees for the time being of the said Ferry has not at any period within my knowledge been disrupted or questioned except on one occasion my Sir Edmond Bacon Baronet who had crossed in his carriage and who at first objected to pay the toll but afterwards expressed himself perfectly satisfied and paid the toll accordingly.

8. That I have been informed by my said deceased father and mother and believe that during and prior to the period of their collection of the Ferry tolls the following charges were made (that is to say)

          For every four wheel vehicle____________    2. 6
          For every Jig_________________________   -. 9
          For every luggage cart_________________    -. 6
          For every horse, donkey or mule with rider_   -. 1½
          For each sheep or pig__________________    -. ½
          For all other animals per head____________   -. 1
          For each passenger     __________________ -. 1

          Four wheel vehicles only had a right to return free on the same day.

9. That I myself collected the same tolls as last aforesaid and a very ancient Board with such rates upon them then hung in the said Ferry house and had hung there as long as I could remember and that the same tolls are now usually taken by the present Ferryman.

          And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of an Act made and passed in the sixth year of the Reign of His late Majesty King William the Fourth entitled "An Act to repeal an Act of the present Session of Parliament entitled 'An Act for the more effectual abolition of oaths and affirmations taken and made in various departments of the State' and to substitute Declarations in lieu thereof and for the more entire suppression of voluntary and extra-judicial oaths and affidavits and to make other provisions for the abolition of unnecessary oaths