Hobson's Conduit
The New River at Cambridge Commonly Called Hobson's River

First published in 1938, this history of Cambridge's urban watercourse was written by W. D. Bushell of Hobson's Conduit Trust.

W. D. Bushell (Author), Edward Jackson (Preface by), J. A. Venn (Preface by)

9781108042444, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 January 2012

184 pages, 9 b/w illus. 3 maps
21.6 x 14 x 1.1 cm, 0.24 kg

It is a peculiarity of Cambridge that in one of the principal streets, Trumpington Street, there is a runnel of fresh water, called Hobson's Conduit, on either side of the road (a similar stream in St Andrew's Street was covered over in the 1990s.) These streams form part of a system of water supply named after Thomas Hobson (1545–1631), the Cambridge carrier, from whom we get the expression 'Hobson's Choice', and for who the young John Milton wrote two verse epitaphs, reproduced in this work. For 250 years, Hobson's Conduit provided the principal supply of drinking water for the centre of the city, after Andrew Perne (1519–89), Vice-Chancellor of the University, persuaded a number of patrons, including Hobson, to subscribe towards the project. First published in 1938, this history of Cambridge's ancient urban watercourse was written by W. D. Bushell, one of the trustees of the Hobson's Conduit Trust.

Preface
Author's note
1. The open watercourses in the streets of Cambridge
2. The Nine Wells, and the watercourse down to the Conduit Head
3. The distribution of the water from the Conduit Head
4. The Elizabethan proposals
5. The ancient King's Ditch
6. The water brought down Trumpington Street to the King's Ditch
7. The water brought to the Market Hill
8. The water brought to Emmanuel and Christ's Colleges
9. Thomas Hobson, the carrier
10. Other benefactors of the Conduit
11. The constitution of the Trust
12. Roman and medieval waterworks and the New River from Ware to London
13. Technical skill in the seventeenth century
14. Cambridge water supplies, past and present
15. The medieval water supply of Trinity Cambridge
16. The old account books of the Trust
17. The more recent history of the Conduit
Appendices
Index.

Subject Areas: British & Irish history [HBJD1]