A by-law of this fociety, dated 1554, concerning the apprentices of the fellowship, exhibits an interesting picture of the then drefs and manners; it is entitled an act for the apparel of apprentices, November 1, 1554. After inveighing against the vices and exceffes of the times, it adds, "What dyfeng, carding, and mumming, what typling, dauncing, and brafenge of harlots! what garded coats, jagged hofe lyned with filk and cut fhoes! what ufe of gitterns by night, what wereing of berds! what daggers is by them worn croffe over thwarte their backs that this theire doings are more cumlye and decent for rageng ruffians than feemlie for honeft apprentizes!" We wonder what our beaux efprits, our bloods would say to all this. Anno 1603, it was alfo ordered by a by-law of this fraternity, that "their apprentices fhould be forbidden to daunce, dice, card, mum, or ufe any mufic, either by nyght or by day in the ftreets. They are not to wear any velvat or lace on their apparell, neither any filk garters, filk or velvat girdles, filk points, worfted or jerfey flockings, fhoe-ftrings of filk, pumps, pantofles, or cork fhoes, hats lyned with velvat, nor clokes and daggers, neither fhall they wear their haire longe, nor locks at their ears like ruffians!" Anno 1649, a by-law of this fociety ordered,, that every apprentice fhould cutt his haire from the crown of his head, keep his foreheade bare, his lockes, if any, fhall not reatch below the lap of his eare, and the fame length to be obferved behind. And if in cafe any be ficke, he fhall weare a linnen cap and no other, and that without lace. And they fhall weare no beaver hatts, nor caftors, if their hatts be blacke, they fhall have blacke bands, if grey hatts, their bands fuitable. fuitable. They fhall weare no filke, ftuffe, or camell haire, &c." In the year 1656, refpecting apprentices, there is this curious preamble, "Whereas in thefe late times, wherein iniquity abounds, we find, by woeful experience, a great apoftacy and falling off from the truth to popery, quakerism, and all manner of beresy, and and unheard-of blafphemy and profanenefs. Enacted, that no popish recufant, quaker, or any who fhall not attend duly on his mafter at the public ordinances; or any who is bafe.begotten, crook-backed, or lame, or any other way deformed, be taken an apprentice, on pain of being fined one hundred marks. And every apprentice convicted of fornication fhould pay a fine of one hundred pounds." This fociety agreed, 1671, to pay the duty of pri mage, for goods imported within the port of Tyne. The imports are wainscots, great balks, boom fpars, &c. &c. Mr. Thomas Davifon, merchant-adventurer, devifed to this fociety certain lands in the Leazes, of the yearly value of ten pounds. The fociety, anno 1681, fold ninety-four ridges of land in the Leazes, devifed to them by Thomas Davifon, to the corporation for ever, at the annual rent of thirteen pounds. Mr John Rumney bequeathed, 1694, to this fraternity of merchants, the fum of one hundred pounds, to be lent out to a yo ung brother, without intereft, for three years. Mr. Timothy Davidfon, merchant-adventurer and boothman, by his will, dated February 7, 1694, gave the fum of three hundred pounds to this fraternity, on condition that two-thirds of the interest thereof fhould be paid to the poor brethren and widows of the company, in the month of December every year, and the remaining third part to the four churches of NewcaЛlle. Jofeph Atkinson, merchant-adventurer and boothman, bequeathed to this fociety one hundred pounds, to be lent to a young trading brother for five years; dated March 13, 1712. Thomas Davifon, efq. of Ferry-hill, in the county of Durham, by his declaration of truft, dated Auguft 19, 1755, acknowledged his having funk five hundred pounds in the corporation of Newcastle, upon trust, that they should pay the yearly intereft of the said fum, at four per cent, whenever it fhould amount to fifty pounds, to a fon of a merchant of this fociety, or to any young man who, by fervitude, fhould obtain his franchise thereof, to affift him in beginning bufinefs for himself; deputing firft Sir Walter Blackett, bart. Moiton and Thomas Davifon, efqrs. to appoint fuch young merchants: and, after the respective deaths of thefe gentlemen, the mayor, aldermen, fheriff, and common-council of Newcastle, for the time being, in common-council affembled. With feveral other bequefts, which our limits will not allow us to infert. Thus it appears, that the merchants' company is of very high antiquity; as they themselves fet forth, in an application to parliament, 1644, that they have been a company of merchants ever fince king John's time, and have been confirmed in their privileges by many royal grants and charters; and that they have been a guild of merchants ever fince the 17th year of king John, (they add) which is a year before the grant to the merchants of London. They They poffefs, by charter, several exclufive privileges, and are regulated by a code of by-laws, judicious and falutary, for promoting the common interest of this opulent fraternity, and of the town. The hall in which they hold their public meetings is in the east end of the town-court; an elegant and fpacious room, commanding a fine view of the river. The particulars of a fubject (fays Brand, with great propriety) which is found of such moment in the general confideration, cannot be thought trivial; nor will that labour feem unimportant which had collected the scattered memorials of thofe inhabitants of this place, who, devoting themfelves to the profeflion of merchandize, have, in a long and uninterrupted fucceffion, with the gradual improvement of their town, aggrandized their respective families, and contributed in no fmall degree, to the advancement of the state. Governors of the Merchants' Company. 1480 March 23, Thomas Penreth, clerk 1490 October 13, Peter Be wick, mafter 1513 John Blaxton, master 1516 John Brandling 1517 Edward Baxter 1518 The fame 1519 Thomas Horsley 1519 The fame 1528 Edward Swinburn 1533 Thomas Horfley 1536 Robert Brandling 1546 Henry Anderfon 1547 Robert Brandling 1548 Mark Shaftoe 1549 Cuthbert Ellifon 1550 Robert Briham 1551 Bertram Anderfon 1554 Cuthbert Ellifon 1587 Edward Lewen 1588 Roger Nicholfon 1589 William Selby 1590 Robert Atkinfon 1591 George Farneby 1592 Roger Raw 1593 Lionel Maddifon 1594 Henry Anderson 1595 William Riddle 1596 Ralph Jennifon 1597 Henry Chapman 1598 George Farneby 1599 William Jennifon 1600 Sir George Selby, knt. 1601 Francis Anderfon 1602 Robert Dudley 1603 William Warmouth 1604 Thomas Riddle 1605 Lionel Maddison 1606 Sir George Selby, knt. 1607 James Clavering 1608 Henry Chapman 1609 Thomas Liddel 1610 William Jennifon 1611 Sir George Selby, knt. 1612 William Warmouth 1622 Sir George Selby, knt. 1640 Alexander Davifon 1648 Christopher Nicholfon 1670 Thomas Davifon 1676 Robert Ellifon 1739 Matthew Ridley Sir Mathew White Ridley, bart. the prefent governor. SOCIETY OF HOASTMEN. The coal-trade being, of all other branches of commerce, of the greatest confequence, not only to the inhabitants of Newcastle, but, as it extends its influence to the nation at large, conftituting one of the principal conveniences of life, opulence to the mer. cantile branches, and fecurity and dignity to the state, whatever, therefore, refpects this fource of national greatnefs claims, in a particular manner, our attention. We will not, however, in the prefent ftage of our hiftory, when defcribing the conftitution and regulations |