An important era in the supply of water of London is marked by the erection of machines for raising Thames water into the houses through lead pipes. Stow, in his 'Survey of London', says: "Of later times Thames water was conveyed into men's houses by pipes of lead from a most artificial forder standing deere to London Bridge and made by Peter Maurice, a Dutchman, in the deere 1582 for the servic of the cities and the castern part thereof on the condition of his paying annually ten shillings into the Chamber of London." It appears that the Lord Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London granted to Maurice a lease dated May 30, 1581, for a term of 500 years.
The machinery used consisted of an undershot mill with a wheel of 20-ft. diameter, and it is recorded that on a visit to inspect the machinery by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, water was thrown over St. Magnus' steeple.
About 10 years later, various schemes were suggested for bringing water into London. One was to bring water from a river near. Rickmansworth in Herfordshire by means of an open ditch, another from Hoddesdown, in the same county, by means of a brick culvert,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.