Pitman's Bond - 1766

Articles of Agreement had made and fully agreed upon this Tenth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Six between George Silvertop of Stella in the County of Durham, Esq., of the one part, and the several and respective workmen and persons who have hereunto put their hands and seals of the other part, as follows / viz. /

The said several workmen and persons who have hereunto subscribed their names, in consideration of one pound two shillings to them severally and respectively in hand, paid by the said George Silvertop for their several and respective Binding Money the receipt whereof they hereby acknowledge and also in further consideration of the respective wages or salaries hereafter covenanted to be paid them by the said George Silvertop his heirs or assigns do hereby severally and respectively hire and bind themselves to and with the said George Silvertop to be his hewers, workmen, horse-drivers, banksmen, sinkers and drifters in and at Bushblades Colliery in the said County of Durham from the Date and Year aforesaid to and until the Tenth Day of November, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Seven, inclusive, and the said workmen and persons do separately covenant, promise and agree to and with the said George Silvertop his heirs or assigns, as his, or their workmen or servants at the said Colliery for the time aforesaid and with no other person whatsoever, and the said hewers, &c., agree to pay and consent, that the said George Silvertop from time to time in the payment of their wages respectively, shall have liberty to deduct one shilling for every day any of them refuseth to work, or disturbeth the work, or puts any other person so to do, or insists on more wages than what is hereafter covenanted to be paid them respectively, whereby the said Colliery shall be obstructed or laid in ; and also shall and will during the said term, fill all the corves of coal by them respectively hewed so, that the same shall come to bank more than wood-full, and if he or they shall refuse shall pay one shilling for every corf that is not so, or else shall send another corf to bank more than wood-full, and no hewers shall come to bank until there is only two scores of the day's working undrawn and for the true performance of all and every of the covenants on the part and behalf of the said hewers and workmen, they do hereby severally and respectively bind themselves in the sum of ten pounds lawful money, and the said George Silvertop doth hereby for himself, his heirs, &c., agree to and with the said hewers and workmen who have hereunto put their hands and seals in manner following (that is to say) at the end of every fourteen days to pay the rates and prices hereinafter mentioned (to wit) for every score of clean coals hewed in the Hutton Seam at the North pitt in the whole mine, the hewer thereof shall receive one shilling and eight pence and for every yard of headways in the said Pitt and Seam eight pence in the whole mine, for every score of clean coals hewed in the Hutton Seam at the Prosperous Pitt in the whole mine, the hewer thereof shall receive one shilling and eight pence and for every yard of headways in the said Pitt and Seam shall receive eight pence in the whole mine ; for every score of clean coals hewed in the Hutton Seam at the Hopewell Pitt, in the whole mine, the hewer thereof shall receive one shilling and eleven pence ; and for every yard of headways in the said Pitt and Seam, eight pence in the whole mine. The corves made use of in the said three Pitts and Seam above mentioned to be made and kept twenty four pecks. For every score of clean coals hewed in the top or hard coal seam at the Walker Pitt in the whole mine, the hewer thereof shall receive one shilling and eleven pence, and for every yard of headways in the said Pitt and Seam, eight pence in the whole mine the corves made use of in the said Pitts and Seam to be made and kept twenty pecks ; for every score of clean coals hewed in the top or hard coal seam in the South and Success pitts in the whole mine, the hewer thereof shall receive two shillings and two pence, and for every yard of headways in the said Pitts and Seam, in the whole mine eight pence, the corves to be made and kept sixteen pecks, and if any Pitt or Pitts are sunk or set on in the said Coll'y, and any of the above said seams of coal wrought therein during ye said term, the respective prices for hewing, headways, &c., to be proportioned as the above prices. All we who have hereunto put our names agree to be subject to such orders as shall from time to time be given by our Viewers or Overmen and Inspectors and it is further agreed that for every corf of coals that is deemed foul coals the hewer thereof to pay two pence per corf for every such offence, and he or they refusing to do so shall pay one shilling the first pay alter such offence. The horse-drivers to have one shilling for every day by them respectively wrought during the above mentioned term. The banksmen to have for sleddling out three pence per score and twelve pence per week odds, and it is further agreed that for every score of coals hewed out of the walls or broken mine to have two pence less than in the whole mine and for every yard of headways, hewed in any of the aforesaid Pitts and Seams in the broken mine, the hewer thereof to have two pence less than in the whole mine, and the hewers of each respective Pitt to send to bank at the end of every pay, a stick of bye-work, gratis. In Witness whereof; we have hereunto put our Hands and Seals the Day and Year first above written.