ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 203 



for ever, to be lent to four merchant-cloathiers for ten years with- 

 out intereft (c). It firft received that bounty in the year 159^, 

 and ever fince in its turn. The merchant adventurers have a 

 governor, twelve affiftants, and a fecretary. They have a (lately 

 court, to the eaft of the town-chamber, built upon part of the 

 antient hofpital of St. Catharine. Great and generous c.Tcn:; 

 have been lately made by the corporation to give life and vigour 

 to the commercial arts. A bank has been eltablilhed. A fund 

 has been raifed for carrying on the herring andGmvz/W/fiflieries. 

 But the chief trade of Ntivcaftle is derived from the coal-min^ 



J ' ' T 



the Pot-yl of Northumberland^ and Durham. This give 1 : bread to 

 fome thoufands, and enriches individuals. The vail cx-cnt oi : 

 it may be partly gueffcd at, from the i s. per chaldron granted 

 by the corporation to (^Elizabeth, in the lieu of an arrear of 2 d. 

 per chaldron, fince given to the noble family of the Duke of 

 Richmond, which amounts to about 14,0007. per annum. The 

 coal-fleets fomctimcs amount to 500 fail. Their ilation is at 

 Shields, and at the keys of Girivy or J arrow, and IVillington ; the 

 former on the fouth, and the latter on the north fide, of the 

 Tyne. All that parcel of ground within the liberty of Willing ton, 

 between high and low-water-mark, in length from cafl to weft 

 1245 yards, and in breadth 120 yards, was granted by the corpo- 

 ration to Sir Francis ZnJerfon, Knt. on a Icafe for 1000 years, with 

 leave to erect keys, and call ballad, on payment [of 2 d. per ton, 

 9th Sept. 1665. Ships take in their loading of coals by the help 

 of keels. It was enacted, 9 K. Hen. V. 1421, that the keels fliould 

 be of the burthen of 20 chaldrons, and no more, according to 

 cuftom ; (fome being of the burthen of 22, and fome of 24 chal- 

 drons, to defraud the king of his cuiloms;) and that they fliould 



(c) H:L Chron. vol. ii. p. 1092. 



Dd 2 be 



