A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



appointment of the new official, the ' Monopoli- 

 taine Measurer,' would lead to further diminution 

 of profits, for he was to be paid 8^. for measuring 

 each wey, the owner to pay for each pan 

 28*. 8d., it is easily credible that the suggestion 

 was not received with favour. Even the salt- 

 worker did not escape 'and which were more 

 lamentable, he should receive 6s. 8d. per annum 

 out of the poor salt makers waiges.' Incidentally 

 the document throws much light on the northern 

 salt trade as a whole. 



The greatest number of salt pannes in these coun- 

 ties lye partly on the mouth of the River Weare, 

 where the Bishopp of Durham hath the Mannor and 

 jura regalia, and cheeflie in the mouth of the River 

 Tyne, where on the south side the Deane and Cha- 

 piter of Durham hath the Mannor and the Bishop 

 hath/an; regalia. In these manners are yearly chosen 

 8 persons or a competent number of sworne men of 

 the most substantial! and expert to see to the measures 

 and measuring of salt, who make due execution thereof. 



The Halmote Court Roll for 1 667 gives a list of 

 the names of these measurers, fifteen in number. 

 Three of them had to be present at the measur- 

 ing, it was also their duty to see that all new 

 bowls or tubs for measuring salt corresponded 

 to the brazen pattern measure and were duly 

 sealed with the seal of the town. In case the 

 cooper delivered the bowls or tubs to the owners 

 before they were certified as correct by the mea- 

 surers, he was fined 3*. 4^. 28 The petitioners 

 point out with reason that when a fleet arrived 

 in the Tyne anxious to buy salt and get away 

 within the shortest possible time, the trade would 

 be greatly hampered by their having to wait for 

 the measurer, who single-handed could not cope 

 with the emergency ; the direct result would be 

 to discourage the English and encourage the 

 Scotch trade. But the local market did not take 

 up all the salt : the owners of salt-pans sent quan- 

 tities by sea along the coast to seek a wider 

 market, and the absurdity of the measurer measur- 

 ing the salt to the owner of the salt was manifest. 

 But the greatest sufferers would be the poorer 

 class of salt-makers, 



who have nothing else to live on, they sell and utter 

 it usually to the cuntry and in the markets there- 

 aboutes by small quantities as they can wynn it. The 

 cuntry are well pleased, and when they come to their 

 markets within the land at Durham, Newcastle, Alne- 

 wick, Barwick, Morpeth, Hexham and such places, 

 the Lords and Maiors of these marketts have the Rule 

 of their measures. 



But Tobias Matthew writes on 3 1 May, 1605, 

 in still more condemnatory manner of the scheme : 



That devised monopolie of salt measuring, an office 

 absurde in itselfe, inconvenient to that trade of Salting, 

 injurious to the makers, more chargeable to the buyers, 



83 Unfortunately this roll is now missing from the 

 treasury at Durham ; I am indebted to Mr. Robert 

 Blair, F.S.A., for a transcription made some years ago. 



and much more subject to diverse corrupcons and 

 abuses in those new measurers and their servants then 

 the auncient accustomed maner of measuring heertofore 

 alwaies used can justly be charged withall. " 



In another account given in a letter dated 

 30 May, 1605, to the earl of Northumberland, 

 the salt owners of the neighbourhood point out 

 that whereas in London, Lynn, Yarmouth, 

 Hull, Norwich, and other port towns, the bowl 

 only contained sixteen gallons, their bowl con- 

 tained nineteen. As for the officers at other 

 ports, who measure the salt, ' who will bribe 

 them most, buyer or seller, so shall he fynde his 

 measure skant or full.' Another correspondent, 

 Mr. Robert Beckwith, meets the charge that 

 those who traded with the north-country salt 

 owners were cheated at all points and their trade 

 ruined with an emphatic denial, and even evokes 

 the supernatural to prove his case : 



Whereas they hazard stock and life to losse, if some 

 of them doe soe by reason of their newfanglenesse that 

 they will be of all trades and lavish expences, yet verie 

 manie trade therein and live honestly in that trade not 

 overstudying to overthrowe it as these men doe, 

 knowing that the salt making is made by the Industrie 

 of manie poore men, and by God's providence of the 

 two elements of fier and water. And for such like 

 lycence (for measuring salt) granted in Germanic, the 

 water refused to yield salt untill the people prayed, the 

 lycence being taken awaie, and then and untill this 

 daie God is pleased to afford salt of the fires and 

 elements. 



Thomas Riddell, mayor of Newcastle, was 

 appointed by the Privy Council to get together 

 evidence either to substantiate or rebut the 

 charges brought against the Shields Salters, and 

 in a long letter he successfully disposes of the 

 charges. 30 



Unfortunately there is no description of the 

 working of salt at Shields as early as 1605, but 

 probably the circumstantial account given by Sir 

 William Brereton, written thirty years later, 

 applies to the earlier salt-works. 



I took a boat about twelve o'clock and went to 

 Tinemouth and to Sheeldes and returned about seven 

 o'clock ; Here I viewed the salt works, wherein is 

 more salt works and more salt made than in any part 

 of England that I know, and all the salt here made is 

 made of salt water ; these pans which are not to be 

 numbered, placed in the river mouths and wrought 

 with coals brought by water from Newcastle pits. A 

 most dainty new salt work lately here erected, which 

 is absolutely the most complete work that I ever saw ; 

 in the breadth thereof is placed six ranks of pans, four 

 pans in a rank ; at either outside the furnaces are placed 

 in the same manner as are my brother Boothes, under 

 the grate of which furnaces the ashes fall and there is 

 a lid or cover for both ; and by the heat of these 



>9 Duke of Northumberland's MSS. Collectanea 

 Warburtoniana, Syon House. 



30 Ibid. Letter of mayor of Newcastle, 30 May, 

 1605. 



296 



