Editing Lee Navigation (section)

===Smeaton's design===
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = River Lee Navigation Act 1738
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of Great Britain
| long_title            = An Act for ascertaining, preserving, and improving, the Navigation of the River Lee, from the Town of Hertford, to the Town of Ware, in the County of Hertford; and for preserving and improving the said River, from the said Town of Ware, to the new Cut, or River, made by the Mayor, Commonalty, and Citizens of London; and for enabling the Governor and Company of The New River the better to supply the Cities of London and Westminster, and the Liberties and Suburbs thereof, with good and wholesome Water.
| year                  = 1738
| citation              = [[12 Geo. 2]]. c. 32
| introduced_commons    = 
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| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 13 June 1739
| commencement          = 
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| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
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A petition was presented to [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] resulting in the '''{{visible anchor|River Lee Navigation Act 1738}}''' ([[12 Geo. 2]]. c. 32).<ref name=priestley/> While recognising the right of the [[New River Company]] to extract water, it also enshrined the rights of the millers and bargemen. To resolve a problem where the New River works had blocked the Manifold Ditch, and boats had been forced to use the mill stream to Ware Mill, the mill was bought by the company, and the associated lock became an official right of way. The previous administration by commissioners was replaced by a body of trustees, which it was hoped would be better able to manage the navigation. Although at least two [[flash lock]]s were built, including one to assist passage past the mill at Broxbourne, there was still friction between the bargemen and the millers, since the use of a flash lock tended to lower the water level above it, to the detriment of the mill. In 1765, the trustees therefore asked [[John Smeaton]] to assess the navigation and make recommendations for its improvement.{{sfn |Boyes |Russell |1977 |pp=18–20}}

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = River Lee Navigation Act 1767
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of Great Britain
| long_title            = An Act for improving the Navigation of the River Lee, from the Town of Hertford, to the River Thames and for extending the said Navigation to the Flood Gates belonging to the Town Mill in the said Town of Hertford.
| year                  = 1767
| citation              = [[7 Geo. 3]]. c. 51
| introduced_commons    = 
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| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 29 June 1767
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| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
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Smeaton made a survey of the river and produced a report in 1766, in which he recorded that there were 18 staunches at the time, with a lock at Ware and tidal gates at [[Bow, London|Bow]]. He recommended that the staunches should be replaced by pound locks, and that several new cuts should be made. These recommendations formed the basis for a parliamentary [[Bill (proposed law)|bill]], which was opposed by the owners of the [[Shoreditch]] to [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]] turnpike road, the [[West Ham]] waterworks and the [[Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills]], who were all concerned that their rights would be affected. However, the trustees were granted an act, the '''{{visible anchor|River Lee Navigation Act 1767}}''' ([[7 Geo. 3]]. c. 51), on 29 June and appointed [[Thomas Yeoman]] to oversee the work at their first meeting held two days later.<ref name=boyes>{{harvnb |Boyes |Russell |1977 |pp=20–21}}</ref>

The act authorised the construction of several new stretches of canal, including the [[Edmonton, London|Edmonton]] Cut from Flanders Weir at [[Chingford]] to the mill stream at [[Walthamstow]], the [[Hackney Cut]] from [[Lea Bridge]] to [[Old Ford]], and the [[Limehouse Cut]] to bypass the tight bends of [[Bow Creek (England)|Bow Creek]] near the [[River Thames]]. Yeoman was also responsible for setting out towing paths, designing 35 roving bridges, and construction of lock gates. For the Limehouse Cut, Yeoman proposed a cut from Bow tidal gates to Dingley's Wharf at [[Limehouse]], which would shorten the distance to London considerably, since it would avoid the long passage around the [[Isle of Dogs]]. Mr Dingley, owner of the wharf and a trustee, was awarded part of the contract, and the cut was expected to open on 2 July 1770, but some brickwork failed and had to be repaired. A bridge collapsed in December, but traffic soon developed, and the cut had to be widened to allow barges to pass one another along its entire length. The widening was completed on 1 September 1777.{{sfn |Boyes |Russell |1977 |pp=21–22}}

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = {{visible anchor|River Lee Navigation Act 1779}}
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for preserving the Navigation of the River Lee, in the Counties of Hertford, Essex and Middlesex.
| year                  = 1779
| citation              = [[19 Geo. 3]]. c. 58
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 31 May 1779
| commencement          = 
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| millbankhansard       = 
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The trustees decided to finance the work with a loan, and advertisements appeared in the ''[[London Gazette]]'' and other newspapers, indicating that they wished to raise £35,000. The response was huge, with £161,500 being offered, and subscribers were chosen by ballot. Yeoman was overworked, and Edward Rubie was appointed to assist him in February 1769. New cuts and pound locks were opened at [[Waltham Abbey]], [[Edmonton, London|Edmonton]] and [[Hackney Marshes|Hackney]] in 1769. In total, {{convert|11|mi|km}} of new cuts were constructed, with 12 new locks. Some on the locks, such as [[Homerton]] Lock and [[Pickett's Lock (lock)|Pickett's Lock]], were built on new sections, while others, such as [[Stanstead Lock]], replaced an existing flash-lock. The works were completed to a tight schedule, and with most of it finished, Yeoman resigned in July 1771, although the reasons for his resignation were not recorded.{{sfn|Boyes |Russell |1977 |pp=22–23}}