Coals

Coals.

I. 589 Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lord Treasurer, stating that some controversy had lately arisen between the Lord Admiral and the City touching the right of measurage of coal and certain other things upon the River Thames. His Lordship had promised to aid the City's suit to Her Majesty for her further confirmation of their right, held and exercised by them time out of mind, and they besought his good offices with Her Majesty for the settlement of the dispute.
12th March, 1590.

I. 615. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lord Treasurer, stating that, whereas, according to instructions touching the controversy between the City and the Lord Admiral as to the measurage of sea-coal and other things measurable upon the River Thames, the AttorneyGeneral (fn. 1) and the Solicitor-General (fn. 2) had perused and throughly reformed a certain Book of Rules for the measuring of sea-coal, &c., as well on Her Majesty's part as on the Lord Admiral, who had given his full assent to have the book so passed as it had been conceived and amended by them, but had refused to sign and allow the same without further warrant. The Lord Mayor therefore entreats the Lord Treasurer to grant the said warrant to the Attorney and Solicitor-General to certify by signing the book that the same has been reformed; and further reminds him of the suit still pending between the Tower and the City, touching the bounds of both places, and requests him to grant a commission to some discreet persons to hear and determine the matter in dispute.
26th December, 1592.

I. 616. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lord Treasurer.
Copy of the above Letter, dated 17th December, 1592.

I. 619. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lord Treasurer and Lord Admiral, to the same effect as No.615.
24th January, 1592.

II. 105. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lords of the Council, requesting them to use their authority for the reforming of the abuses existing among sea-coal owners of Newcastle, who, having taken on lease the common pits (six in number) granted to that town by the Bishop of Durham, (fn. 3) suffered them to be unused, and worked their own private pits, whereby a less quantity and worse quality were imported, to the increased expense of the poor.
4th October, 1595.

II. 132. Causes of enhancing the price and impairing the goodness of sea-coal by the town of Newcastle.
Sans date.

II. 133. Remedies for reforming these abuses.
Sans date. Sans date.

II. 134. Reply to the answer made by Henry Mitford and Henry chapman, in the name of the Mayor and Aldermen of Newcastle, touching the abuses committed in the prices and mixture of sea-coal.
Sans date.

II. 135. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Mayor and Aldermen, &c., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, informing them that the Lords of the Council had issued a Commission to inquire into the abuses existing in the coal trade in the town of Newcastle, which had caused great loss both to this City and that town.
21st January, 1595.

II. 136Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Bishop of Durham,
upon the same subject.
3rd February, 1595.

II. 137. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Mayor and Aldermen of the town of Newcastle, being a second letter upon the appointment of a Commission to inquire into the abuses existing in the coal trade there.
4th February, 1595.

II. 138. Appointment of Mr. Christopher Lerven (Lewen) by the City of London as their Commissioner for inquiring into the abuses existing in the coal trade of Newcastle.
15th February, 1595.

II. 139. Instructions to be pursued by the Commissioners appointed by the City of London, touching the reformation of the price and mixture of pit-coal.
Signed by Stephen Slaney, Mayor, (fn. 4)
Nicholas Mosley. (fn. 5)
Benedict Barnham. (fn. 6)
Sans date.

II. 152. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lords of the Council, informing them that the City had appointed Christopher Lewen and Henry Sanderson, of Newcastle, as Commissioners to inquire into the price and mixture of sea-coal in that town, that the Mayor and Aldermen of Newcastle had refused to appoint two Commissioners on their behalf, as ordered by the Council, and requesting them to direct the Lord Bishop of Durham to proceed with the examination of witnesses, &c.
31st March, 1596.

II. 153. Letter of thanks from the Lord Mayor to Mr. Henry Sanderson, of Newcastle, for the trouble he had taken in the matter of the mixture of coal, and appointing him one of the Commissioners for the City.
1st April, 1596.

II. 161. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lords of the Council, complaining that the Mayor and Aldermen of the town of Newcastle still refused to appoint two Commissioners to assist the Bishop of Durham and the two Commissioners selected by the City, and praying the Council to consider the inconvenience likely to ensue to the poor of the whole realm by the continued contempt of their former orders thereon.
17th July, 1596.

II. 181. Letter from the Lords of the Council to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, directing them to inquire into the causes of the excessive price of coals brought from Newcastle and the North, whether it be by engrossing or no, and what reasonable price, according to their judgment, should be allowed to the coastmen bringing coals; and whether the Companies could be moved to purchase a stock in the summer, and issue them to the poor in the winter, at the same rates, and so to keep down the price.
17th July, 1601.

II. 202. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lords of the Council, enclosing, answers to the instructions forwarded by them, to inquire into the causes of the excessive price of sea-coal.
July, 1601.

II. 255. Petition of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen to the Lord Treasurer, touching the grant of 4,000 chaldrons of sea-coal yearly from Newcastle, free of impost, for the poor of the City.
Sans date.

III. 101. Letter from the Lords of the Council to the Lord Mayor concerning complaints, made by the farmers of the imposition on seacoals, of abuses by coastmen of Newcastle in the lading of coal ships by bulk, and not measuring the coals, whereby His Majesty was defrauded of the imposition due upon them. These abuses could only be found out by inspection of the coal meters' books, to which the farmers had hitherto had access, but had lately been refused. The Council therefore required the Lord Mayor to enjoin the coal meters to make out books of all coal ships, and the number of coals unladen from them in the Port of London from the 1st of January till the last of May last past, and deliver the same to the Clerk of the Cockets, in order that the farmers or their deputies might inspect them as they had formerly done, and further, to direct them to deliver such books in future monthly to the Clerk of the Cockets for their inspection.
19th June, 1613.

IV. 12. Letter from the Lord Mayor to Lord Chief Justice Coke, reciting that ships laden with sea-coals had been wont to ride at a portion of Tower Wharf, holden by grant from the King, for the better receipt of coals, which was also the most convenient place for coal ships to lie at, seeing that they had latterly been built of greater burden than before, and that on account of the shallowness of the water they could not well float at any other place; that carrs which conveyed such coals from the ships to the City had usually passed through the bulwark there, but Sir Jervis Elwis, (fn. 7) late Lieutenant of the Tower, had prevented their passage, and the bulwark still remained shut up; the carrs had consequently to go so far round that the cost of carriage was doubled, and the ship-masters not having their wonted utterance by carrs, were forced to sell them to the woodmongers and other engrossers, who had lighters to fetch them, thereby increasing the prices. The dispute between the Lieutenant of the Tower and the wharfingers having been referred to the Lord Chief Justice, the Lord Mayor had felt it right to acquaint him with these inconveniences.
20th January, 1615.

IV. 50. Order of the Privy Council, reciting that complaint had been made to them on behalf of the towns of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Lyme Regis, Yarmouth, Harwich, and Woodbridge, and of the Masters of the Trinity House, concerning an office lately crected for the survey of coals to be shipped at Newcastle, and that it had been much controverted as to whether coals shipped from Newcastle were mixed with any black earth, slate, or other unmerchantable stuff, which pretence had been the ground and motive for erecting the office, and that many oastmen and mariners had been prosecuted in the Star Chamber for such pretended deceit, to their trouble and disturbance. The Council therefore require the Court of Aldermen to hear the parties, and such other traders and retailers of coals in the City as could best speak of the business and certify their opinion thereon. The Council further order the stay of the proceedings in the Star Chamber, and direct that if Mr. Andrew Boyde, (fn. 8) the Patentee and Officer for Search and Survey of Coals shipped at Newcastle, should find cause to bring any man before the Star Chamber for such deceit, he should make himself relator to the Bill.
11th February, 1616.

IV. 51. The allegations made by the Patentee in favour of the creation of the office, and for payment to him of 4d. per chaldron for a certificate, and the objections and answers made thereto by the several towns above mentioned. (These are entered at considerable length.)

IV. 52. Allegations against the Patent submitted by the Masters of the Trinity House.

IV. 53. The like submitted by the Merchants of Newcastle, Lyme Regis, Yarmouth, and others.

IV. 55. Letter from the Duke of Lenox to the Lord Mayor with respect to the reference to him to inquire as to the mixture of coals, and requesting him duly to examine the matter on account of one of His Majesty's servants, whom the Duke desired to pleasure as far as he could with equity and reason.
(Marginal note says "On behalf of Mr. Boyde.")
Whitehall, 17th February, 1616.

IV. 59. Letter from the Lord Mayor and Aldermen to the Lords of the Council, certifying that having heard the parties to the controversy concerning the mixture of coals at Newcastle, and also the coal meters of the City, they did not find any pretence for the suggestion. But they found that there were several sorts of coals in those parts, sometimes arising from one and the same mine,—that such coals were usually mixed together, and that it could not well be otherwise when they came from the same mine. They were of opinion such mixture was necessary for the good of the subject, both for increasing the quantity and keeping coals at a reasonable price, and were informed by men of experience that such mixed coals burned better and were a more lasting fuel. No complaint had been made to the Court of Aldermen of such mixture, which they thought a great argument that no grievance or inconvenience was found from it. The worst coals were not unmerchantable stuff, being used by lime-burners, brick-makers, and dyers. Moreover, it was generally confessed by traders in coals that those unserviceable for the hearth could not be distinguished by view, but only by trial by fire. They therefore left for the consideration of the Council the necessity or use of the office of Surveyor of Coals.
21st February, 1616.

V. 117. Petition of the Mayor, Commonalty, and Citizens of the City of London to the King, reciting that they had for many years past, at their own charge, provided a stock of sea-coals to be sold to the poor in winter at easy rates, and that, to encourage them to continue the practice, His Majesty had been pleased to grant by Letters Patent that they might buy and provide 4,000 chaldrons at Newcastle-onTyne, or elsewhere within the realm, for conveyance to London free of all tolls, dues, &c. In the Letters Patent, however, Newcastle had been described as in the County of York, whereas it was a county of itself, and a question had arisen as to whether they might have allowance of such coals according to the measure of Newcastle. A doubt had also been raised whether the farmers of the Customs could make allowance of the 12d. in the chaldron on the said 4,000 chaldrons without forfeiture of their lease.
In margin, October, 1621.

(Note.—This Petition is apparently incomplete, no prayer being inserted.)

VI. 171. A General Warrant from Richard Weston (fn. 9) (Lord Treasurer) to the Comptrollers and Searchers of Customs at the Port of Newcastle, reciting that the late King had, by Letters Patent, granted to the City of London that they might provide for the use of the poor 4,000 chaldrons of sea-coal free of impost or other charge, and requiring the said officers to permit such persons as the Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London should appoint to buy and provide yearly such quantity for such purpose, and transport them to the Port of London, and to take entries of the quantities shipped, and record them in the quarter books returned to the Surveyors of the outposts, that allowance for defalcation might be made to the farmers for duties due to them by their lease for each chaldron so shipped.
Whitehall, 24th April, 1629.

VII. 1. Letter from Richard Weston, Lord Treasurer, to Sir John Mildrom, (fn. 10) 1 Knight, similar in effect to Volume VI., No. 171.
20th August, 1629.

VII. 34. Letter from the Lords of the Council to the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, stating that a Petition had been presented to them from masters and owners of coal ships, acknowledging the King's care of them in the ships employed for their safeguard under the command of Sir Henry Mervin, (fn. 11) Knight, and affirming that they could not be sufficiently secured without a constant convoy to waft them as they had had for two years past. The Council finding, by divers complaints and late experience, the excessive rates of coals, and having regard to the great prejudice and danger that might befall the City through the scarcity and want to coals, had thought fit to send to them Captain James Duppra, who had been formerly employed in that service, to advise as to some course for the safety of coal ships by settling a constant convoy for them.
Whitechall, 26th April, 1630.

VII. 41. Letter from the Lord Mayor, &c., to the Lords of the Council, acknowledging receipt of their letter of 13th April last as to the safe fetching of coals from Newcastle. Finding the business overdifficult for the City of London, they had called before them the Master of the Trinity House and several of the principal men of that Society, whose opinion they submitted, and being of the same mind with them, thought six ships would be a sufficient convoy. As to the return of the ships lately arrived from Newcastle, such as were ready might go sufficiently wafted by the Greenland fleet, now ready to depart. For the rest, seeing it was a work that concerned all the maritime parts of England in rateable proportion, they prayed the Council to mediate with the King in the business as fittest to be carried on by a Royal undertaking.
Dated in margin 18th May, 1630.

Annexed is an estimate of six ships, of 240 or 250 tons each, or thereabouts, furnished with munition and ordnance, for the guard and convoy of the Newcastle trade:—

VII. 42. Letter from the King to the Lord Mayor, &c., stating that he had been informed that ships laden with coals from Newcastle were cleared without certificates from the collectors of the subsidy of tonnage and poundage outwards, and without certificate for the payment of the duties for lights at Wintertonness, (fn. 12) according to the Letters Patent granted by King Charles the First to Sir William Earskin and Sir John Mildrum, and requiring them, upon sight of the letter, to pay to the former collectors or their assigns whatever had been omitted since the 21st of April inst. In future no entry of such ships should be taken without a certificate from the collectors. The letter should also be published in the Court of Aldermen, and there registered, and then returned to the assignees aforesaid to be shown to the collector of the subsidies of tonnage or poundage in the Port of London inwards, that he might suffer no ship-master or merchant liable to pay for the said lights to pass an entry till the dues were paid.
Whitehall, 30th April, 1630.

VII. 193. Petition of the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London to the King, reciting that by Letters Patent of the 29th April, 20th James I., they were authorized to buy yearly, for ever, for the relief of the poor of the City of London and Borough of Southwark, 4,000 chaldrons of sea-coals, stone-coals, or pit-coals, of the water measure of Newcastle-on-Tyne, at Newcastle, or elsewhere, and bring them to London free of toll, tallage, or any charge whatever; that of late a new charge had been demanded of every chaldron, which would tend to prejudice the poor. The petitioners, therefore, pray that they may enjoy the benefit of the said Letters Patent.

A note is appended that the King had referred the Petition to the Lord Treasurer and Lord Cottington, to consider and order as they should think fit.

Note in Margin.—Delivered to the King, 20th April, 1637.

VII. 194. Letter from William, (fn. 13) Lord Bishop of London, Lord Treasurer, to the Bishop, the Governor, and the rest of the Society of Oastmen (fn. 14) of Newcastle-on-Tyne, reciting the foregoing Petition and reference, and directing them to permit the petitioners to bring in the said 4,000 chaldrons of coals, free of all duties and impositions whatsoever.
Fulham House, 9th August, 1637.

VII. 200. Warrant from the Lord Treasurer to the Farmers of the Customs, authorizing the 4,000 chaldrons of coals for the poor of the City to be brought in free of all charges, till further order.
London House, 12th July, 1637.

VIII. 215. Order in Council, reciting certain Orders made by the Governor, Deputy-Governor, Wardens, and Assistants of the Society of Coal Merchants, with respect to the vend and delivery of coal within the City, and for regulating the discharge of coal vessels in the river, and suspending the said orders which tended to the private profit of those of the said Corporation, and to the keeping up of the price of coal, and directing that, for better observance of the Order of Council, copies should be sent to the Lord Mayor, to be published in such ports and places as he should think fit, and a copy to the Governor of the said Corporation.
15th May, 1639.

IX. 48. Letter from Edward Nicholas, by command of the King, to the Lord Mayor and Common Council, directing that, on account of the increased consumption of sea-coal, three additional coal meters should be appointed, upon the nomination of Sir John Robinson, (fn. 15) Knight and Baronet, Lieutenant of the Tower, increasing the number to fifteen.
2nd August, 1662.

IX. 61. Order in Council (signed Robert Southwell (fn. 16) ), directing the Lord Mayor to consider the petition of John Grey and Edward Dorsell, masters of ships trading for coals to Newcastle, who had been committed to the Fleet Prison, for refusing to sell coals at the rates set down by Act of Parliament, and if he conceived it reasonable, to enlarge the petitioners. His warrant to the Warden of the Fleet would be a sufficient discharge for their release.
19th April, 1663.

IX. 105. Order from the Lords of the Council to the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, requesting their attendance, with some of the Justices of the Peace of Middlesex, Westminister, and Southwark, at the Council on the 13th of March ensuing, to give an account of their proceedings under the late Act of Parliament, entitled "An Act for regulating the measures and price of coals." (fn. 17)
10th March, 1664.