

HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 179 



consequent discharge of workmen, a number of colliers determined 

 amongst themselves to make their case known to Government, and 

 adopted the novel plan of yoking themselves to several waggons 

 laden with coal, having previously drawn up a Petition signed by 

 several Magistrates, which they intended to present to the Prince 

 Regent, together with the coal. Accordingly, three teams of this 

 description set out for the metropolis, each waggon having about 

 50 men yoked to it ; whilst others took different directions. One 

 of the waggons proceeded by the route of Worcester, another by 

 Coventry and Birmingham, and a third by Stourbridge. They 

 proceeded at the rate pf about 12 miles a-day, and received volun- 

 tary gifts of money, &c. on the road as they passed along, declining 

 to ask alms : their motto, as placarded on the carts, being 

 " Rather work than beg." To prevent their progress to the 

 metropolis, police magistrates were sent from the Home-De- 

 partment Office, who met two of the parties, one at St. Alban's 

 and another near Maidenhead, and told the men that they had 

 adopted wrong means to procure relief, and persuaded them quietly 

 to return. They were allowed the value of their coals, which 

 were left to be distributed to the poor, and sufficient means were 

 given them to reach their homes. The conduct of these dis- 

 tressed men was most exemplary : they listened with the greatest 

 attention and respect to the advice of the Magistrates, and after 

 obtaining a certificate of their good behaviour, returned with the 

 waggons to their families and friends. A similar proceeding took 

 place a few miles from Chester: the Magistrates of that city met 

 the third team, dissuaded the men from further persisting in their 

 ill-advised undertaking, anjl gave them o^SO. for the coal, with 

 which they were perfectly satisfied, and immediately returned to 

 their own neighbourhood. The novelty of this affair created some 

 sensation in London. 



In 1811, Bilston contained 1,848 houses and 9,646 inhabitants. 



A particular species of sand is found at Bilston, of an orange 

 colour, and so extremely fine as to be scarcely palpable: it is much 

 used in the casting of metals. Here is also dug an excellent grit- 

 stone, in great repute for setting the finer sorts of edge-tools. 



The quarry-stone lies in beds one above another (according to 

 Plott) twelve beds deep, " every bed being thicker than that above 

 it: the lower bed is about a yard thick, of which they make troughs, 

 cisterns, &c. Some of the tables rise so large and even, that Mr. 

 Hoo got one eight yards long, and not varying an inch in thickness : 



