Middlemen in English Business 231 



act^ was passed in 1703 requiring the master to "keep, and once a 

 Year render to such Owner or Owners, if required, a true, plain, just 

 and perfect Account in Writing of the Produce and Expence of every 

 respective Voyage . . . made within such Year in such Ship." 

 As a matter of insurance by division of risks the ow'nership was 

 usually cut up into eighths, sixteenths, or thirty-seconds parts, and 

 the ship-owner held interests in several ships. 



The ship-master w^as a sea-faring merchant, shipping to and fro 

 between Newcastle and London, buying from the Hostmen or fitters 

 at the former and seUing through crimps at the latter. As has been 

 shown, the fitter made out a certificate and cocquet of the loading and 

 sale at Newcastle and gave them to the ship-master. The master 

 carried them to London, turned them over to a crimp whose clerk 

 carried them to the Custom-house, paid the duty, brought the proper 

 papers from the Custom-house to the Coal Exchange, and then the 

 crimp was at liberty to sell the coal. Any person had free recourse 

 to the register of these certificates at the Custom-house.- The owners 

 soon devised means through the delivery of the cocquets of efi'ecting 

 "turns" in the discharge of their coals. The masters delivered the 

 papers into the hands of particular agents employed by the owners, 

 and were disabled from delivering their coals until permitted by such 

 agents. The agents held up the cocquets and turned them in in 

 order. The statute of 1730' sought to correct the evils of "turns" by 

 requiring that the cocquets be delivered within four days after the 

 arrival of the ship, and penalized the owner for ordering the master 

 to do anything that would relate to keeping "turns" in selling or 

 delivering in the Thames. At Newcastle, also, it was the practice 

 among the masters to take "turns" at loading and to hold up large 

 numbers of ships so as to regulate the supply at London. In 1710 

 prohibition w^as laid on holding up more than fifty ships for more than 

 seven days."* 



Besides carrying the fitter's certificate to London, the ship-master 

 was also required to carry away from London a copy of the contract 

 between the buyer and the master, attested by the crimp, by whom the 

 cargo was sold. This copy was delivered to the ship-owner or owners 

 (when required) after every respective voyage.^ This was a further 

 means used by the ship-owner for the control of the ship-master. 



' 3 Geo. II, Cap. 26, Sec. 9. 



-9 Anne, Cap. 28, Sec. 2; Rc]). from Com. H. C, X, 541. 



^4 Geo. II, Cap. 30, Sec. 2. 



* 9 Anne, Cap. 28; Sec. 5. 



5 U Geo. II, Cap. 15, Sec. 7. 



