BELL WHARF 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1904 the Leigh Urban District Council issued byelaws regulating the use of Bell Wharf.

 

Byelaws of the Free Fishermen had originally been made in 1697 and Bell Wharf had been called King's Strand but changed its name in 1854. The Wharf was conveyed to the Leigh UDC in 1897 for the princely sum of £185 subject to such rights as existed for fishermen to land fish and bring them to shore free of toll.

 

Some of the more interesting byelaws were:

 

• No person shall use the Wharf while intoxicated and no person shall while using the Wharf be guilty of any violent, quarrelsome or disorderly behaviour.

• No person shall (without agreement of the Council) use the Wharf for the purpose of selling or exposing for sale any material, commodity, goods or other article.

• No person shall use the Wharf or any part thereof for the purpose of fishing or bathing therefrom without the consent of the Council

• No person shall, unless duly authorised by the Council, take or place or use upon the Wharf, or in any part thereof, any steam roundabout, shooting gallery, cocoanut shy, or other similar contrivance

• The person in charge of any horse or beast of burden shall not leave the same unattended on the Wharf, or allow the same to remain thereon longer than necessary for the loading or unloading of any material.

 

There were of course many byelaws regarding the working of the Wharf by vessels carrying various commodities and for the regulation of machinery.

 

Anyone offending the byelaws was liable to a penalty of £5 and in the case of a continuing offence, a further penalty of 5 shillings for each day they continued to offend.

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