David king of Scots had his refidence in Newcastle most part of king Stephen's reign, and gave them many lands, fabricated borough laws for the burgesses, built churches and religious houses for their worship. Edward 1. extended these privileges, by granting by patent, permiffion to the free burgeffes to bequeath. their lands and tenements to whom they pleased; as also in the year 1209, by a fresh charter granted to that body the lands and tenements in Pampedon, or Pandon, in the manor of Byker, with all customs and liberties there, to constitute henceforth one town and borough. And in the reign of Henry IV. Newcastle was separated from the county of Northumberland, and made a town and county of itself.

CORPORATION OF NEWCASTLE.

Having thus given a succinct account of the charters, grants, and privileges, by which the rights and municipal franchises of the freemen of this ancient town are faid to be held, we proceed to defcribe its civil government.

The power of administration is vested in the mayor, who is chief magistrate; a sheriff, a recorder, a townclerk, ten aldermen, and a common-council of twenty-four.

The gentlemen who at present fill these stations, are the following:

1

R. S. Hedley
Francis Johnfon
William Cramlington
Anthony Hood
Robert Clayton
Archibald Reed, and
Thomas Clennell, efqs.
Mr. Thomas Smith
Mr. Henry Cramlington

Matthew Hedley, efq. Sheriff.

R. H. Williamson, efq. Recorder.

Mr William Potter, and Mr. Richard Chambers, Coroners.

H. Shadforth, efq. Clerk of the Chambers.

Robert Pinkney, Sword-bearer.

Joseph Forster, efq. mayor

Sir M. W. Ridley, bart.

J. E. Blackett

ELECTORS.

Mr. Brough Pow
Mr. Ifaac Cookfon

Mr. Robert Yelloley
Mr. Robert Harrison
Mr. Richard Chambers
Mr. Robert Widdrington
William Harle, efq.
Mr. Lionel Robfon
Mr. Hugh Johnfon
Mr. Edward Milburn

Mr. James Archbold
Mr. Thomas Coulfon.

The MAYOR'S COURT is held every Monday, in the mayor's chamber, at the west end of the Guildhall, in the Exchange. It is a court of record, and of great importance. It preserves the rights, laws, franchises, and customs of the corporation. In it are tried all actions for debt, trefpaffes, accounts, covenants, broken attachments, sequestrations, or other matters, arifing within the town and liberties, to any value whatsoever, against the free burgesses only. No attornies are allowed to plead in it, but such as are free of the courts of the corporation, who are fworn at their admiffion. It hath eight ferjeants at mace to attend it, one of which is alio water-bailiff, or clerk of the water.

Newcastle being a place of vaft business, the mayor's or town-court, is commonly crowded with numbers who have complaints to make, &c. which are heard with patience and decided with equity. On this account, fewer caufes are removed to the higher courts than would otherwise happen, the parties commonly refting with his decifion.

The SHERIFF'S COURT is also a court of record, held on Wednesidays and Fridays, in the fame chamber, for trials and entering proceedings, as rules, appear.. ances, judgments, pleas, &c.

COURT OF CONSCIENCE. This court was first inftituted in Newcastle, by an act of Parliament, anno 1689, in the fift year of William and Mary; and confirmed by another act, anno 1755, being the 27th of George II.

The preamble states, that the intention of this court is to prevent vexatious fuits for small fums in courts of law, which are often hurtful and not feldom ruinous to both parties. To prevent which this court was inftituted, whereby the plaintiff, upon oath, may recover any debt under forty shillings.

It is termed a court of confcience, (not supposing furely, that confcience is a stranger in other courts) because all debts under the above fum may be recovered in this upon the creditor making oath that the same is a just debt to him. The mayor and commiffioner are the judges. They administer oatns and commit offenders to prifon. They proceed first by summons. This costs three-pence. If the defendant appear, there is no further charge. If he does not, they proceed to attachment and execution. All perfons, whether freemen or not, may present and be presented in this court, if within the liberties of the town. Freemen may be presented though they live out of the liberty.

It is to be remarked however, that an attachment is feldom granted unless the plaintiff give some collateral evidence, at least, befides his fimple oath, and the court and spectators who generally know something of the plaintiff, are affured that the oath is founded on truth; and he is affured from the bench, that wilful perjury should it be detected, will be attended with very ferious consequences, and for which the robbery of his neighbour of a few shillings by a false oath, will be a poor recompence!

COURT

COURT OF ADMIRALTY. This is held before the mayor for the preservation of the river Tyne, at fuch times as he shall direct. His deputy, the waterbailiff, gives notice of all offences committed con. trary to the orders made for the prefervation of the brood of fishes, and takes effectual care that offenders may be proceeded against according to law.

The COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. This is after the model of the fupreme court of the nation. It confifts of two houses; one is for the mayor and aldermen, the other is for the commoners. They make all bye-laws for the benefit of the corporation. In this court are recorded all deeds and evidences. The mayor can call and adjourn it at pleasure.

The COURT OF GUILD is holden thrice a year, and the principal business is for the apprentices and fons of freemen to petition for their freedom; they are called by the style of the company that their masters or fathers were: this is what is termed " calling their guilds." The wardens and flewards of each company attend there to put a stop to, or prevent any person from obtaining his freedom, who they apprehend is not entitled to it. An apprentice is called thrice in guild, or rather at three different guild days; the fon of a freeman only once. And if an objection be made, or a stop put to his guild, the perfon making the objection is fummoned before the common-council, to give his reason for stopping the guild; and if he shew good cause for making the objection, then the perfon applying cannot be fworn a freeman till the objection be removed. But if no stop be put, or objection made at the guild, then the perfon applying may at any time afterwards be sworn a free burgess before the mayor or any other magiftrate.

The