Catalogue description Aire and Calder Navigation Undertaking

By act of William 3rd dated 4th May 1699 entitled "An Act for making and keeping navigable to the tideway. Calder Branch of Aire and Calder Navigation commences at Wakefield. An attempt to obtain an act for making this Navigation was first made on 15th March 1625, when a bill entitled "An Act for making and maintaining the rivers of Ayre and Cawldes, in the West Riding of the Countye of Yorke, navigable and passable for Boats, Barges and other Vessels &c" was rejected. A similar Bill was introduced into House of Lords on 3rd April 1699, and received Royal Assent on 4th May following.

Undertakers of Aire and Calder Navigation obtained second Act dated 14th June 1774 enabling them to make a Canal from Haddlesey to Selby. Further Act was obtained dated 30th June 1820 for cutting a Canal from Knottingley to Goole (the Goole Canal).

Navigation was originally incorporated in 1699 as "The Undertakers of the Navigation of the Rivers of Aire and Calder in the West Riding of the County of York". It became registered as a Joint Stock Company on 27th January 1845 but its name was changed by act of (circa July) 1899 to "The Trustees of the Aire and Calder Navigation". Undertakers were also conservators of lower portion of River Ouse (Yorkshire) under Ouse (Lower) Improvement Act 1884. Undertaking passed to British Transport Commission under Transport Act 1947.