faw, or heard of, which had been been built by the poor. It is a great pity, it has been faid, that the defign of this building is not thoroughly answered; but there are fome miscreants, who would rather starve in fickness, or old age, than not guzzle a penny in their health and youth.

This obfervation we must allow to be true in part; for it is generally obferved, that, in a large body of men, fuch as the keelmen, whofe employment in life is laborious and hazardous, many of them are not over much concerned for futurity. But it was fhrewdly faid, that if there was thoughtleffness below ftairs, there was artifice above; and that the fitters and coal-owners dreaded the independency of fuch a vast body of men, fhould they, by economy, grow opulent, and fo become turbulent and ungovernable; and therefore counteracted and undermined this laudable fcheme. We hope, however, that this infinuation against gentlemen of fo much honour and humanity, is not correct, and is only founded on mifreprefentation.

We cannot omit inferting here a note respecting the Keelmen's Hofpital, left in the manufcript of our deceased friend, from whom we have derived much original information.

The late alderman Simpfon having bequeathed one hundred pounds to this hofpital, the following very beautiful acknowledgment of his bounty was affixed on the fouth fide of the hofpital, fronting the Shields turnpike-road.

In the year 1786,

The intereft of 100l. at 5 per cent. for ever,

to be annually diftributed,

on the twenty-third day of December,

among

among the ten oldest keelmen
refident in the hospital,
was left by

JOHN SIMPSON, Efq. of Bradley,
alderman of the town,

and forty years governor of the hoastmen's company.
The grateful objects of his remembrance
have caufed this ftone to be erected,
that pofterity may know

the donor's worth,

and be ftimulated to follow

an example fo benevolent.

Various attempts were made to reduce the propofed penny a tide by each keelman, to fome confiftent and effectual plan, during many years, but all proved abortive; so that the real keelmen who belonged to that fociety, finding their number inadequate to fupply the exigencies of their fick and aged members, were obliged to extend their plan, and to permit land men as well as watermen to become members. But very few keelmen, belonging to the many fitters and coal-owners on the river Tyne, chufing to join this mixed fociety, feveral of the more intelligent fkippers and keelmen fet about drawing up a scheme for a permanent refource for the wants and neceflities of their members. This scheme obtaining the approbation of the magiftrates and fitters, an application was made to parliament; and, after due deliberation of that body, an act was paffed, sanctioning the scheme, with fome judicious improvements.

Gratitude prompts us, on this occafion, to tender our acknowledgments to Mr. Tinwell, for his readinefs in accommodating us with a copy of the act and by-laws, with whatever other information we wished to be poffeffed of, refpecting the keelmen's fociety.

The

The by-laws, which are fubjoined to the act, embrace fo much wisdom and humanity, that the refources for the fick and infirm of that body promife to be of a duration equal to that of the coal-trade itself.

The law for this benevolent purpofe is intituled, "An act for eftablishing a permanent fund, for the relief and fupport of skippers and keelmen employed on the river Tyne, who by fickness, or other accidental misfortunes, or by old age, fhall not be able to maintain themselves and their families; and alfo for the relief of the widows and children of fuch fkippers and keelmen."-This act was paffed in the year 1788.

By the by-laws fubjoined to the act, the weekly allowances to fick or fuperannuated members are follow:

To those who are disabled by temporary lameness £. s. d. or fickness

To those who are fuperannuated or difabled by age

To widows without children

To widows having two children

To widows having more than two children

0360

5

3 3

I

2

6

Superannuated members, unable to work at the keels, are allowed to obtain any other employment; but if they can thereby earn at the rate of four fhillings per week or upwards, their allowance from the fund is then reduced according to the following table.

If 8s. or more, they are to contribute 6d. per week to the fund.

THE