Pitman's Bond - 1770

Bond for pitmen at Hartley Colliery, Northumberland, November 1770. (Northumberland County Record Office - 2DE 7/6/10) Transcribed by Stafford M Linsley.

This indenture Made ['Concluded and fully agreed upon, third day of November' is crossed out] in the tenth year of Our Sovering Lord Geo the Third, By the Grace of God of Great Britain france & Ireland King Defender of the faith and so forth, and in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy; Between ['Thomas Delaval Esqr' crossed out] Sir John Hussey Delaval of Ford in ye Co of Northland Bart Proprietor of the Collieries & Coalmines of Seaton Delaval in the County of Northumberland of the one Part And all and singular the parsons [sic] whose Names or Marks are Under Written And seal fixed Being Hewers & putters of coal and Drivers of Horses UnderGround of the other part, Wittnesseth the said Hewers putters and Drivers of Horses Underground do by these presents Hire and Detain Themselves & Each and Every of them Doth Acknowledge Themselves Hierd and Detained by the Acceptance of one Shilling Each and for other Conciderations Here in After Mentioned unto the said Thomas Delaval Esq His Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for and Until the third of Oct'r Next insuing Which will be in the year of Our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred An Seventy one to Hew work And fill Coals in Heartley Colliery in the County of Northumberland and at such of the Pitt or Pitts therein and in such Manner or form as the said Thomas Delaval Esqr his Heirs Executors or Assigns or His Viewer or Overman shall appoint & Direct / And the said Hewers and putters and Drivers of Horses Underground do Covenant promise & agree to begin their work And from time to time and at all Times Deligently Preform the same without sticking combining Neglecting ['Absenting' crossed out] themselves from their Respective Work And if any shall absent or Neglect his said work without Good and sufficient Reason to the satisfaction of the said Thomas Delaval Esqr or his Agent shall for Every Such offences Forfeit and pay one shilling and the Hewer of any Corf Not Wood full When sent to bank shall forfiet the Corf And the Hewer that Keeps not his Coal Clean from stones or any other Refuse shall forfiet sixpence and any Hewer turning His Board above Three yards in the yard Coal & Three and a Half in the Main Coal Wide an [sic]drives the Board in the Main Coal above four yards wide the yard Coal as Thomas Delaval Esqr His Viewer or Overman shall Order, and the Headways above two yards in the Main Coal And Six Quarters in the yard Coal in any part there of for every such Offence shall Forfiet one shilling All such Forfiters shall be made and paied without Any Deduction or abatement The first pay after Every or any such offence / and the said Thomas Delaval Esqr dorth for himself & his Executors Administrators & Assigns Covenant promise and gree to and with the Hewers in Manner and form following that the said Thomas Delaval Esqr his heirs or Assigns Shall will and Truly pay or Cause to be paid unto the said Hewers for every corf of Rund Coals in the Main Coal two pence p Corf And Every Corf of small in the main Coal one penny Each Corf to be and Consist of Eighteen Pecks Usual Coal Measure & so in proportion for what the Corf may happen to be Lessor or larger than Eighteen Pecks And when wrought in the yard Coal seam for every Corf Round Coals two pence pr Corf and Every Corf of small one penny each corf to be and Consist of Sixteen Pecks Usual Coal Measure; so in proportion for what the Corf may happen to Lessor or Larger than Sixteen Pecks and When wrought in the Broken for Every Corf of Round Coals Three Halfpence And for Every Corf small one penny Each Corf to be And Consist of Eighteen Pecks Usual Coal measure so in proportion for what the Corf may happen to be Lessor or Larger [than] Eighteen Pecks and Every Hewer that Keeps Round Clean from small to Forfiet and pay sixpence And for Every yard of winning Headway sixpence pr yard and for walls in the Whole mined [sic] sixpence p Yard in Each of the above seams And when Wrought in the Broken and not in the Whole Sixpence p yard when the walls is cut through at half the pillars and nothing Holeing Gincking [jenkins?] Walls in the above Seams When Wrought in the Broken and the said Hewers further Covenant and agree to pay one shilling every four weeks for house Rent and fire Coals to have a Cart of Coals Every Fourteen Days & to be paid Double work fivevence [sic] p score and the Hewers do covenant and agree to drive ['the' crossed out] Underground Horses &c when Drivers is Wanted to sate a Corves &c at the Rate and price of one shilling p day & to Drive such Quantities of Corfs of Coal as shall be Thought to a mount to a Reasonable days work by the viewer or overman and Horse Drivers Do Covenant and agree to Drive ['and' crossed out] the underground horses etc at the Rate of one shilling p Day and to drive such Quantities of Corves of Coal and at such Distance as shall be thought to amount to Reasonable Days work by the Viewer or Overman and the Hewer and Drivers do Covenant promise and agree a sixteen Peck Corf at Sixpence p score the first Eighty yards and a penny p score for Every Twenty Yards further and for the True preformance [sic] of all and Singular the covenant & Agreement Hear Before Mentioned they the said Workmen Each man for himself & Note one for another Have bound Himself in the Penal Sum of Twenty Pound of Lawfull Money of Great Britain and in the Like Mannener He the said Thomas Delaval Esqr Doth Bind Himself His Executors Administrators & Assigns in the aforesaid penalty of Twenty pounds & for the true preformance the said Penalty to be paid by the Party or parties Breakin all or any of the afore mentioned Covenant & Agreement to the Party or Parties Keeping the same In Witness Where of We have set our Hands & seals the Day and year above Written.