220 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
following extract from the " Miners' Customs," first framed in the 
reign of Edward III., and reprinted at various times up to 1800, will 
illustrate some of the royalties and rights exercised by the crown. 
The notes I have added will explain the local terms, many of which 
are still in use : — 
" Clause 15. — And at all times the king's man shall come into the 
mines without any costs asked of him, and shall be the third better 
man of the fellowship in maintenance and helping of the mine and of 
the fellowship ; but the king's man, neither the lords, ought not to 
enter within the mine till the pit is gavelled, {^') (that is to say) for 
every dole (f) a penny to the king at the first time, and after, if the 
fellowship do make anew any other dole of which the mine (|) of every 
minor travelling (§) within the said mine, the king shall have every 
week a penny; if so be that the miner win (||) three seams of mine 
measured by the standard of the kings of old time used at the least 
and be it the king shall have no more. 
" Clause 16. — And the king shall have every quarter of the year, of 
every miner travelling within the mine, a seam (^) of mine, the which 
is called law-oare ; and every week the gaveller {^'''-) shall visit on 
Tuesday the whole mine, or, at the least, within two weeks, to receive 
the customs due to the king aforesaid ; and, if not, the miner for the 
said time shall not be accountable. But if the gaveller come in the 
quarter to visit the mine, as is aforesaid, and find not the miner at that 
time, the gaveller shall receive so much of the mine as is due to the 
king, without leave of any. 
" Clause 30. — Also, that no stranger, of what degree soever he be, but 
only that have been born and abiding within the Castle of St. Briavells and 
bonds of the Forest (that is, from Chepstow to Gloucester Bridge) as is 
aforesaid, shall come within the mine to see and to know the privities 
of our Sovereign Lord the King, in his said mine." 
The last clause, relating to the privileges of the free miners, has still 
a modified existence under the rules and regulations appointed to be 
observed by the Act at present in force (1 and 2 Vic. cap. 43), which 
provides that free miners shall have the exclusive right of having gales 
(*) {{. e.) Levied of rent or royalty, (f) A share. {%) Ore. (§) Working. 
(II) Reach and work. 
(IT) Bag. (**), This office is still retained under the present Act of Parliament 
relating to the Forest (1 and 2 Vic. Cap. 4:1), and the duties are the same. 
