Welsh Journals

Dan Smith, of the White Lion," Chester1 — in co- operation with others of the trade established at various points along these routes. But these efforts of private subscription and volun- tary co-operation were limited in scope, and they had grave financial drawbacks. How were the contri- butors to secure an adequate return on their outlay ? And what if the money failed to last out till the work was completed ? The only solution was to procure a private Act for the formation of a turnpike trust, to take charge of a whole system of roads with power to levy tolls. By these means the roads could be made a tolerably secure investment. In England, turnpike Acts had been steadily widening the area of road- administration since the beginning of the century. From about 1750 there set in a perfect mania for them,2 and this was the time when they began to penetrate North Wales, the initiative being taken, of course, by the landed gentry. The turnpike trust set up in 1752 to manage the road between Shrewsbury and Wrexham4 was probably the first in North Wales. The roads between Wrexham and Chester, inland through Flintshire to Mostyn, and from Mold to the Cheshire border, came under similar regu- lation four years later.5 At the same time the develop- ment of eastern Montgomeryshire was begun by the setting up of the Oswestry-Welshpool and Knockin- 1 North Wales Gazette, May 17, 1810 he advertises in Chester Chronicle, Sept. 5, 1777, April 29, 1796, April 25, 1800, etc. 2 Webb op. cit. chap. VII, esp. pp. 114-8, 124. 3 A single example will suffice. William Pugh, of Brynllywarch, who eventually ruined himself by his lavish expenditure in schemes for the improvement of Montgomeryshire, is said to have invested over £ 7,000 in county road bonds, and another £ 10,000 in the Newtown- Builth road in 1823 (R. Williams Montgomeryshire Worthies," 2nd ed., pp. 266-75). 4 25 Geo. II, cap. 12. 29 Geo. II, cap. 93.