After the town of Newcastle upon Tyne had been taken by the Scottish army, the houfe of commons took the management of the coal-trade, as well as the government of that town, into their own hands.

The committee of the parliament at Newcastle fent up on this occafion a great quantity of coals for the relief of the poor of London, of which the commons gave notice to the lord mayor, with orders for the diftribution of them. Coals had before this time been raised in London to the enormous price of four pounds per chaldron.

November 14th, 1644, an ordinance was published by both houses of parliament, for opening the trade to Newcastle upon Tyne, and for annulling the former ordinance that prohibited the trade to that town.

On the 18th following, the commiffioners of the parliament at Newcastle, with the concurrence of the hoftmen of that town, made many regulations concerning the coal-trade.

On the 21st of December following, the commons in parliament made an order, that it fhould be referred to the confideration of the committee at goldfmiths's hall, whether any proportion might be raised out of the revenue of the coals, towards the monthly pay affigned to the Scottish army, without violating or weakening the engagement already raifed upon the credit of that commodity; as alfo how that fuel might be best managed to the public advantage.

January 4, 1645, there was an order of parliament, that the committee of goldfnith's hall fhould appoint agents at Newcastle, Sunderland, &c. to manage the coals and collieries of the delinquents, &c. and pay over fuch monies as fhould arife from thence to the treasurer of the Scottish army, for the space of four months or longer, if neceffary.

March

March 20, 1645, it was refolved in parliament, that the five fhillings impofed upon every chaldron of coals, by the commiffioners of both kingdoms, at Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland, fhould be taken off.

April 3, 1645, the hoftmen of Newcastle petitioned the above commiffioners to take off the threepence paid by them out of every chaldron of coals they fold, as they had done the last-mentioned five fhillings.

June 9, 1645, there was an order of parliament for the speedy granting of five hundred tons of the coals of delinquents, to the mayor and town of Newcastle upon Tyne, for the ufe of the poor and infected of that place, and among other purposes to repair the walls thereof.

Sept. 29, 1645, it was ordered by the parliament that Sir John Trevor, &c. fhould be put into the collection of the twelvepence per chaldron upon coals at Newcastle, payable to the king, according to their leafe from his majefty of that duty.

January 4th, 1646, the hostmen of Newcastle set afide their orders of the 7th of Sept. 1643, and the 20th of Auguft, 1644, for the payment of threepence per chaldron on coals.

Whitelock, under the date of February 8, 1646, informs us, that four fhillings per chaldron upon Newcastle coals were continued for the maintenance of that garrifon.

November 4th, 1646, the mayor and burgeffes of Newcastle had an opportunity (and embraced it) of teftifying their loyalty, as it were in kind, to their unfortunate fovereign, at that time a prifoner within their walls, by defraying one half of the expence of the coals ufed by his majesty and his retinue.

Feb

February 8th, 1647, there was an order of parliament to continue the impofition of four fhillings per chaldron on coals fhipped coaft ways, till the 25th of March following: this was entirely taken off on the 13th of April that fame year.

There was an order of the common council of Newcastle, dated January 27th, 1648, that the coalcuftom of ftrangers fhould be fo reduced that they might be induced to trade thither as formerly.

July 17, 1748, the commons in parliament confirmed an impoft of four fhillings per chaldron on coals and grindstones, and on every weigh of falt from Newcastle, Sunderland, and Blyth.

In the winter of 1648, coals were fo exceffively dear in London, that many of the poor died for want of firing. Sir Arthur Hafilrigge, the governor of Newcastle, was blamed on this occafion, for laying a tax of four fhillings per chaldron on the coals at that town, eftimated, fays Walker, at 50,000l. per annum. May 16, 1649, the houfe of commons referred an inquiry into this matter to the council of state; recommending it at the fame time to a committee of the navy, to inquire into the twelvepence per chaldron on coals, and how it might be taken off,

The impofition of four fhillings per chaldron was entirely fet afide by a refolution of the houfe of commons, made on the 11th of September following

Grey's account, in his Chorographia, of the coaltrade of Newcastle, about A. D. 1649, is well worth tranfcribing :

"There come fometimes into this river for coales, three hundred fayles of fhips.

Many thousand people are imployed in this trade of coales many live by working of them in the pits:

many

many live by conveying them in waggons and waines to the river Tyne: many men are employed in conveying the coales in keeles from the ftathes aboard the fhips one coal merchant imployeth five hundred or a thousand in his works of coals: yet, for all of his labour, care, and coft, can fcarce live of his trade nay, many of them hath confumed and spent great eftates, and dyed beggars. I can remember one of many that rayfed his eftate by coale trade: many I remember that hath wafted great estates.

:

"Some fouth gentlemen have upon great hope of benefit come into this country to hazard their monies in coale-pits.---Master Beaumont, a gentleman of great ingenuity and rare parts, adventured into our mines with his thirty thoufand pounds; who brought with him many rare engines not known then in these parts; as the art to boore with iron rodds, to try the deepneffe and thickneffe of the coale; rare engines to draw water out of the pits; waggons with one horfe to carry down coales from the pits to the stathes to the river, &c. Within few years he confumed all his money, and rode home upon his light horfe."

The coale trade began not paft four-fcore years fince coales in former times was only used by fmiths, and for burning of lime: woods in the fouth parts of England decaying, and the city of London, and other cities and townes growing populous, made the trade for increafe yearely, and many great fhips of burthen built, fo that there was more coales vented in one yeare, then was in feven yeares, forty yeares by paft: This great trade hath made this towne to flourish in all trades."

February

February 12, 1650, there was an order of the common-council of Newcastle to enforce the payment of an impoft of threepence per chaldron received on all coals in the chamber of that town.

March 3d following, the Trinity-houfe of Newcaftle made a refolution to maintain their claim to threepence per chaldron, received by them from time immemorial, of the hoftmen, for their free parts of fhips; and which the mayor and common-council, by the above order, were for taking away from them, to add to the revenue of the corporation.

In the year 1653, the coal-trade appears to have been greatly annoyed by the Dutch men of war.

November 14, 1653, articles appear to have been exhibited againit the town of Newcastle concerning the coal-trade.

Augult 25, 1654, mention occurs of a mutiny among the keelmen at Newcaftle, for the increase of wages.

The port of Sunderland by the fea occurs at this time as beginning to be of great importance.

In the year 1655, coals are faid to have been fold at London for above twenty fhillings per chaldron.About three hundred and twenty keels appear to have been employed at this time in the coal-trade upon the river Tyne, each of which carried eight hundred chaldrons, Newcastle measure, on board the fhips. To adjuft the difference of meafures, it must be noted, that one hundred and thirty-fix chaldrons, Newcastle measure, are equal to two hundred and feventeen, London measure.

March 27th of the fame year, the hoftmen made an act for taking one fhilling lighterage for every chalder of coals put on board of any fhip below a