A petition was presented to the council by the Masters, Wardens, Assistants, and Company of Woodmongers, Chandlers, and others, traders in coals in London, to take cognizance of their former petitions relative to the frauds committed by the oastmen of Newcastle in mixing their coals, and to grant them speedy redress, the answers of the oastmen tending only to delay, for their own private enrichment.

Other complaints came from the collectors of the coal taxes regarding the covert lading of great quantities of coals, and false and short entries of the same, as well as of the lading of ships by the bulk and not by the due measure of keels and lighters.

Enjoined by Government, the hostmen bestirred themselves, and held a court May 20, 1622, at which they passed a series of orders for the reformation of the abuses which had crept into the trade; and appointed a few of the principal members - consisting of Sir Peter Riddell, Mr. Thomas Tempest, Mr. Thos. Liddell, Mr. Robert Shaftoe, Mr. Alex. Davison, Mr. Wm. Bonner, and Mr. Robert Anderson - to superintend the loading of all the coals.

Source: Annals of Coal Mining and the Coal Trade by Robert L. Galloway. Published in 1898.

At a Court holden the 20th day of May Ano Dm 1622.

Forasmuch as since the late grant made by the fellowship of Hoastmen unto our late Sovereign Lady of famous Memory Queene Elizabeth for the payment of 12d for every Chaldron of Coals to be vented and carried out of the River of Tyne to be spent within this Realme of England divers great abuses have arisen and grown by the secrett and disorderly loadeinge of the said Coals to the great prejudice of his Majesties Revenues and the farmers of the said 12d and of the Imposiзon of such Coals as are transported beyented the seas as namely in the Covert lading of great quantities of Coals and false and shorte enteries of the same and by the ladinge of divers ships by the Bulke and in gross and not by the due measure of keeles and lighters whereby the due and just measure of the same might the more certainly appear of which and of divers other great abuses complaynte hath been made by the farmers and collectors of the aforesaid twelvepence and impositions both to his Majesty and to the Right Honorable the Lords of his Majesties most Honorable Privy Council of which abuses it hath pleased his most excellent Majesty and the Lords of His Most Honorable Privy Council to take notice and by their letters at several times to enjoine and command the said fellowshipp to call their courts, and according to their authority to enjoyne and compel reformation of the said abuses that the said collectors and farmers should have no further cause to complain of such indirect proceedings in which their Lordships letters they have declared that the said fellowship stands answerable to his Majesty for the payment of the twelvepence of every chaldron of coals so vented as aforesaid by whomsoever the said coals were sold and delivered, which might in tyme tend to the great damage and prejudice of the said fellowshipp whereupon we the said fellowshipp have heretofore according unto our duties and the tenor of the aforesaid letters by divers ways and means attempted and endeavoured to perform his Majesties and their Lordships commands which having not taken that good effect we expected and desired and being now again by process forth of exchequer Chamber retornable in Easter Term next against the Governor stewards and some of the fellowshipp for the defaults before mentioned, summoned to answere have thought fit to refer the management of the Vent of coals to certain choyce and principal men of the company who we assure ourselves will be careful both of his Majesties benefit and their own Creditts in the faithful disposing of the business committed into them And to that end the Governor Stewards and fellowshipp of Hoastmen have ordered in manner and form following Viz.

Imprimis. We do order that Sir Peter Riddell Mr. Thomas Tempest Mr. Thos. Liddell Mr. Robert Shaftoe Mr. Alex. Davidson, Mr. Wm. Bonner and Mr. Robert Anderson shall loade and lay aboard by such servants as shall be by them appointed any coals belonging to any brother of this fellowship and shall contract with the Master of shipps for the same at such prices as they can agree and shall think the coales shall be worth and the money which shall be received for the same at the end of every week shall be delivered to the owner the necessary charge being first deducted.

Item. It is ordered that they shall see all mens coals loaden with indifferency that is to say in due proportion for times and numbers as conveniently as may be done according to the numbers hereafter set down.

Item. That they have a Special regard to their servants and Book keepers that the entries made for all such coals as shall be by them laden aboard of any ship or other Vessell within the River Tyne either to be spent within the Realme or else transported beyond the seas.

Item. That the Book keepers give their continual attendance in the Hoastmen House for the speedy dispatching of Ships.

Item. That all the Hoastmen under named make sufficient provision of keeles according to the proportion of his number and shall keep them at all times in readiness and good repair And to the end there be no default in any of the said keeles for want of measure to the prejudice of the buyer And that all such keeles as have not been already measured this year shall be forthwith duly measured according to the statute in that case provided.

Item. To the end that this may the better continue if all men be equally and alike delt withall, it is likewise ordered that Sir Peter Riddell, Mr. Thomas Tempest, Mr. Thomas Liddell, Mr. Robert Shaftoe, Mr. Alexander Davison, Mr. William Bonner and Mr. Robert Anderson shall weekly see the accompt of their Book keepers and give to every one his due proportion of money which shall be due for his coals sould, laden and vented that week And at the end of every two Months at the least every man shall be made even in his delivery of coales according to his proportion unless the fault do appear to be in himself.

Item. That they do not sell any mans coales for this present year at any greater price than the same hath been sold for heretofore.

Item. That they go to Pits and Steaths as often as conveniently they can and there take order that all sorts of coals shall be clean wrought and Wayled and made Merchantable.

The number of coals which every brother of the fellowshipp hath to Vent this year as follows:—

The order to take beginning from the present 20th April and to continue until the fifth of January next.

And these persons hereunder mentioned in this first division are content that Mr. Robert Anderson and his servants shall load all their coals.

And those persons hereunder named in the second division are contented Mr. Alex. Davidson by himself and his servants shall lade all their coals.

And these persons hereunder named in the third division are contented Sir Peter Riddle Knight and his servants shall load all their coals.

And these persons hereunder named in the fourth division are contented Mr. Thos. Liddle and his servants shall load all their coals.

And these persons hereunder named in the fifth division are contented that Mr. Robt. Shaftoe and his servants shall lade all their coals.

And these persons hereunder named in the sixth division are contented that Mr. Thos. Tempest and his servants shall loade all their coales.

And these persons hereunder named in the seventh division are contented that Mr. Wm. Bonner shall lade all their coals.

Subscribed by

Source: The Archaeology of the Coal Trade by T. John Taylor, a paper read at Newcastle on 25th August 1852 and subsequently published in 1858.