Quarter Sessions: West Riding Surveyor

Surveyors were first appointed by the justices in April 1743. The two surveyors, who held office jointly, were responsible for the 'Riding bridges', that is bridges the Riding were liable to maintain out of the West Riding rate. An important aspect of their work was to investigate the status of bridges to ensure no bridge was maintained out of the county rate if the liability lay with a wapentake, an individual or any other authority. The surveyors did not have the responsibility for the maintenance of Riding bridges, from July 1712 that work was regulary let out to contractors known as undertakers of the Ridings bridges.

In April 1777 the justices decided to make a major revision in the office and duties of the surveyor. Thereafter there was to be a single surveyor only, to whom was to be delegated all business concerning both Riding and wapentake bridges and all other public works. As before, the surveyor was not to be directly involved in contracts for the repair and building of bridges, but the practice of letting a single contract for the maintenance of all Riding bridges seems to have ended.

The responsibilty for public works assumed greater significance in the nineteeth century. The commission for the first West Riding asylum was awarded to a private contractor, but the West Riding Surveyor was responsible for designing two houses of correction and two later asylums. In December 1878 the responsibilities of the surveyor were enlarged by the delegation to him by the court of duties under the Highway and Locomotives Amendment Act 1878 which made counties liable to contribute towards the maintenance of main roads.

Further information about the West Riding Surveyor collection can be found on the WYAS catalogue:

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