1672 Abraham Redhead 1673 Abraham Dixon 1674 Richard Elbrough 1675 Edward Nixon 1676 Richard Righe 1677 John Wetwang 1678 Thomas Aubone 1679 Edward Carr 1680 Edward Atkinson 1681 Anthony White 1682 William Leak 1683 John Wetwang 1684 Thomas Richardfon 1685 John Bee 1686 William Hyndmer 1687 Richard Hutton 1688 Thomas Rewcastle 1689 Jofeph Swaddell 1690 John Wilkinson 1691 John Vaughan 1692 Thomas Watfon 1693 Thomas Brown 1694 Edward Carr 1695 Francis Partis 1696 John Bee 1697 Abraham Dixon 1698 Charles Newton 1699 Robert Reed 1700 Nicholas Burdon 1701 William Hyndmer 1702 Robert Procter 1703 John Hyndmer 1704 Henry Shadforth 1712 Robert Bailiff 1713 John Welford 1714 Jofeph Milburn 1715 John Binks 1716 John Hewbank 1717 James Liddell 1718 Nicholas Burden 1719 Henry Shadforth 1720 Robert Bailiff 1721 John Welford 1722 Jofeph Milburn 1723 Thomas Simpson 1724 Thomas Peighin 1725 James Carr 1726 Sir Chaloner Ogle 1727 Peregrine Henzell 1728 Jofeph Marshall 1729 Henry Towart 1730 Matthew Proctor 1731 Henry Fisher 1732 Matthias Giles 1733 John Thompson 1734 Francis Pemberton 1735 William Errington 1736 Richard Baxter 1737 William Harrison 1738 Charles Liddell 1739-40 William Errington 1741 Matthew Harrison 1742 Thomas Procter 1743 Nicholas Burdon 1744 James Carr 1745 Robert Hudfon 1746 Francis Heath 1747 George Stephenson 1748 John Cole 1749 Charles Liddell 1750 William Errington 1751 Henry Shadforth 1752 Matthias Giles 1753 Francis Pemberton 1754 William Harrison 1755 Jonathan Blagdon 1756 Thomas Procter 1757 Robert Hudfon 1758 Francis Heath 1759 George Stephenfon 1760 John Cole 1761 Richard Armstrong 1762 Purvis Siffon 1763 John Scaife 1764 Thomas Southan 1765 Jonathan Airey 1766 Thomas Maude 1767 William Hedley 1768 Henry Shadforth 1769 Robert Hedley 1770 Chriftopher Ord 1771 Jonathan Blagdon 1772 Matthew Hunter 1773 Henry Shadforth, jun. 1774 John Marshall 1781 James Hume 1787 Thomas Hogg 1788 Ifaac Nicholfon 1789 Matthew Hedley 1790 Jon. Airey 1791 John Atkinfon 1792 John Anderfon 1793 John Cram 1794 Henry Shadforth 1795 Cuthbert Adamfon 1796 John Reay 1797 Thompfon Chapman 1798 William Brown 1799 John Oftle 1800 Thomas Shadforth 1801 William Harle We have given an account of the three great trading companies, viz. merchant-adventurers, the hoaftmen's company, and the mafter and mariner's company, or the Trinity-houfe. We fhall now proceed to the TWELVE TWELVE COMPANIES, called MYSTERIES. Before we mention thefe in order, we would fhortly obferve, that the word mystery does not imply intricacy, or any thing involved in obfcurity, difficult to be comprehended; but is an old French word, meftiere, for metier, a trade or business. "In the fweat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread, till thou return into the ground," was the doon pronounced upon the first man, for the violation of the law of his nature. And yet labour, with moderation, is certainly, in the prefent ftate of fociety, not only his duty, but agreeable to his nature, and the fource of his happiness. "All is the gift of industry; whatever exalts, embellishes, or renders life delightful,” fays the poet of the feafons; the truth of which may be amply illustrated from the objects which furround us. To the industry of her inhabitants is our ifland, in a peculiar manner, indebted for her opulence and: confequence among the nations of Europe. Hence the commands "the exalted ftores of every brighter clime" and hence Britain has long been the feat of commerce, fcience, and the arts. Indeed, wherever focial man is found, induftry, in fome degree, muft be his duty and his interest; for no where does nature amply provide for her children independently of their exertions, But the Supreme Being has wifely implanted in the minds of men a vaft diverfity of propenfities, in the various pursuits of life, inclining fome to cultivate the earth, others to ply the mechanic tool," to hew the wood, to chip the ftone, till by degrees the finished fabrics role;" while others purfue trade, in all its various branches and ramifications. Nor has any 3 E 2 municipal municipal town in the kingdom, of its dimensions, reared a greater number of active and ingenious ar tifts, laborious and useful tradesmen, than Newcastle, the fubject of our prefent hiftory. We fhall, therefore, give a fuccinct account of the twelve incorpo. rated companies, in their order, according to the dates of their refpective charters. I. MERCHANTS OF WOOLLEN CLOTH, otherwife called DRAPER 3. The first notices which we have of this fociety are fo very ancient, as in the reign of king Edward III. in the ordinances for the government of Newcastle upon Tyne, October 20, 1342. The oldeft ordinary of this fociety, the original of which having affixed to it many feals, fkin-marks, &c. with names of the brethren, dated June ift, 1512, is ftill preferved in their archives. It enacts, that two men fhould be chofen annually, by most voices of the fociety, for the election of the mayor and officers of the town, at the Spital; i. e. St. Mary's hospital: that no apprentice shall be taken under the term of feven years; that, on the Wednesday after the election of the mayor, they fhould meet at the Maison-Dieu, on the Sandhill, to choose their Stew-` ards, two auditors, and for the election of the mayor for the enfuing year; and that whofoever of the fel lowship should be chofen mayor, fheriff, chamberlain, or clerk of the chamber, fhould be exempted that year from the office of auditor. About 1650, a violent diffenfion took place be. tween fome of the merchant-adventurers of Newcaftle and this fraternity; the former claiming the fole privilege of being ftyled merchant-drapers, and of fending fending two members to the election of the mayor and other officers. This feems to have ended in the exclufion of the true fociety, or at least of that part of them by whom the unquestionable records of that fraternity have been tranfmitted. A. D. 1652, an ordinary was granted to this fociety by the mayor, aldermen, and fheriff of this town, under the feal of the corporation, prescribing an oath on admiffion that they should meet at their ancient meeting-house, called the Maifon de Dieu, every Wednesday before Michaelmas, to choose new wardens and pass their accounts; to choose two new auditors on the Monday after St. Bartholomew's day, in St. George's porch, in St. Nicholas' church; that whofoever of the fraternity fhould be chofen to the first election, or ftanding election of the mayor, &c. fhould preferve the dignity and priority of the company, as being first named in the charter, claiming their meeting-place for the company in the fouth corner at the east end of the election-house; and their chairs for the former election next to the mayor's chair and on the right hand; as alfo their place in St. Nicholas' church, which was the north fide of St. George's porch, under a penalty of forty fhillings. That thofe of the company who were aldermen fhould have priority of place at their meetings, and be received as justices of the peace. That apprentices should ferve eight years, and that no fecond one fhould be taken till the firft had ferved four years; and that none fhould be taken whofe father was not a freeholder, to the value of forty fhillings a-year. Records of the Draper's Company. II. MERCERS, |