226 Mineral Trades 



Several fitters contracted with the coal-owner for the whole output of 

 the colliery during the year, at a certain price, and each took such a 

 share as he thought he could sell. They accounted severally to the 

 coal-owner at that stated regular price, and were understood to guar- 

 antee that price to him. If the fitter was on a salary basis no such 

 guarantee was understood.' The fitter was the agent for selling and 

 for furnishing keels for conveying the coals from staith to ship, and 

 for making out the required certificate; these things done, his concern 

 ceased.- 



Hostmen. 



The Hostmen of Newcastle early gained a monopoly of this town's 

 trade in coal and grindstones. It appears that the Company was a 

 branch of the Newcastle Merchant Adventurers Company, in the 

 sixteenth century at least.^ But owing to the paramount place which 

 coal acquired among Newcastle's exports, the Hostmen's Company 

 attained a like prominence, and controlled the magistracy of the 

 town.'* 



In the medieval town economy a foreign merchant was required to 

 go to "Host" with a freeman of the town during his stay. The host 

 jealously watched his actions, his buying and selling, and protected 

 the freemen against illegal dealings. Few towns of England had a 

 coal trade, and as the gilds in Newcastle arose on fines somewhat 

 similar to those in other towns no special place was found among 

 them for the coal trade. The host naturally had the earhest oppor- 

 tunity of furnishing his guest with the coals and came naturally into 

 this sphere. The Hostmen's Company strengthened itself by admit- 

 ting to membership such freemen of the town as owned coal-mines 

 and thus anticipated all opposition to their assumption of exclusive 

 rights.^ 



Another common artifice of gaining and maintaining a monopoly 

 used b>' the medie\'al towns was the custom of " foreign bought and 

 foreign sold." By it, goods brought into a town by a foreigner, i.e., 

 non-freemen, could be sold only to a freeman; Hkewise goods bought 



' See the testimonies as reported in Rep. from Com. H. C, X, 541, 543. 



-In 1799 there were 29 firms or individuals who acted as fitters at Newcastle 

 and 48 at Sunderland. Rep. from Com. H. C, X, 63, 1-2. 



3 Brand, II, 270. 



■•"England's Grievance discovered, etc.." 1655, quoted in Anderson, Origin, 

 II, 431. 



'" For this theory see Surtees, 105: XXXI, XXXIT. 



