The Incorporated Company of Hostmen of the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne Membership and Governors of the Company From 22nd March 1600 to 8th January 2018 AD 1 The Incorporated Company of Hostmen of the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne Membership and Governors of the Company From 22nd March 1600 to 8th January 2018 AD 2 Foreword This record has been compiled by: Mr. T. R. Charlton. LCGI, DMS, Dip. Nebbs. and Miss Olivia Redpath, a Design and Research Student at Tyneside Metropolitan College. The record contains an extract of the charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1600 AD that created the Incorporated Company of Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne and thereby the rules for the good governance of the company. There follows the lists of members, apprentices and governors of the company covering 418 years and 1,304 members; i.e. from the original officers and members to the present day. Every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the records but there may be some errors due to changing spellings over time and the reading of old records that were not as legible as one would have hoped for. The records from between 1901 to 1912 AD are not available, this consists of 15 records numbered from 1070 to 1085. Finally, there is a copy of the updated rules of the company that were adopted in January 2017 when it was decided that the rules from 1600 AD had become inappropriate, especially the powers to fine or imprison members for minor infractions. The compilers of this record wish to acknowledge the use of records of several other bodies to confirm the accuracy of our research and that of the records held by the company. Sources of information have included the records of Tyne Wear Archives and the previous work carried out by officers of the company. The records included in the book “ Extracts of the Records of the Company of Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne” by Frederick Walter Dendy, a past member of the Company of Hostmen were especially useful, the book was written prior to 1923, it is in the public domain and not subject to copyright. T. R. Charlton, Governor of the Hostmen’s Company, 2018 AD. 3 Hostmen’s Company of Newcastle upon Tyne The Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne were a cartel of businessmen who formed a monopoly to control the export of coal from the River Tyne in North East England. They were so known from the medieval practice of "hosting", whereby local businessmen provided visiting merchants with accommodation and introduced them to local traders. The Hostmen acted as middlemen with whom the coal producers and those who shipped the coal to London and elsewhere were forced to deal. From the time in the mid-13th century when coal began to be exported from the River Tyne, the burgesses of Newcastle tried to gain a monopoly over its export. In 1216, King John granted Newcastle the right to elect a mayor and also to form trade guilds. These guilds sought to ensure that trade in various commodities was concentrated in Newcastle. The desire of the Newcastle burgesses to monopolise trade on the Tyne led to a dispute with the Prior of Tynemouth regarding the shipment of coal from nearby settlement of North Shields, which was owned by the priory. In 1267 the mayor of Newcastle, Nicholas Scott attacked North Shields with a band of merchants, setting fire to several buildings. In 1290 the burgesses petitioned the King regarding North Shields and succeeded in suspending the export of coal, as well as other trade, from the new settlement. Henceforth, North Shields remained solely as a fishing port. In 1350 Edward III granted a license to the Newcastle burgesses to excavate coal from Forth Banks and the Town Moor area. From 1446, shipments of coal from North Shields were permitted, but in 1530 a royal act confined all shipments of coal to Newcastle quayside, thereby giving the Newcastle burgesses the monopoly, they desired. This reinforced a medieval monopoly granted by Henry I, which was still in place Hostmen in Newcastle This society appears to have existed as a guild or fraternity in Newcastle upon Tyne from time immemorial; and by a clause in the Great Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth to that town, they were incorporated as a free and distinct fraternity. Forty-eight persons are named therein for the better loading and disposing of pit-coals and stones upon the Tyne, and for their own better support as a society, with the title of Governor, Stewards, and Brethren of the Fraternity of Hostmen in the Town of Newcastle upon Tyne and a common seal is granted them. The governor and stewards are to be annually elected on 4 the 4th of January. Power is given them to load and unload anywhere on the Tyne between Newcastle and Sparhawk, yet as near to Newcastle as they can. In return for these privileges, the Hostmen granted to her majesty and her heirs forever, one shilling for every caldron of coals shipped in the port of Tyne for home consumption. In 1602, there were 28 acting Fitters or Hostmen; but in the next year, in consequence of a complaint made by the Twelve Mysteries, a number of persons belonging to these fraternities were, by an order of council, admitted Free Hosts. On May 6, 1618, an information was made in the Star Chamber against several Hostmen and Skippers of Newcastle upon Tyne, for adulterating coals. Judgment was given on this occasion against R. Bewick, J. Cole, R. Hodgson, W. Jennison, T. Hall, and H. Maddison, to be committed to the Fleet, and pay a fine of £20 each, to his majesty's use: the decree to be read in the open market at Newcastle upon Tyne, on two/several market-days. During the reign of Charles I. great abuses and extortions crept into the coal trade, chiefly under royal authority. The civil war also injured this trade and inflicted great calamities upon the city of London. The Hostmen paid 3d. per caldron towards the support of the royal cause; and when the king was a prisoner in Newcastle, they defrayed one-half of the expense of the coals used by his majesty and his retinue. The Hostmen, on June 21, 1659, were called upon, by order of the committee for preventing abuses in monopolies, to answer the complaints exhibited against them by Ralph Gardiner, Esq. In 1674, the Hostmen endeavoured to procure an act of parliament, to regulate the great abuses an and exactions upon the collieries for their way- leaves and staith-rooms. A design of renewing the Hostmen's charter was opposed by the Twelve Mysteries of Newcastle, and nothing was affected. In 1682, the Hostmen of Newcastle made an order, that no one in future who was free of any of the Mysteries of that town, otherwise than by patrimony or servitude, should be admitted to the freedom of their society, unless by particular favour. The Hostmen, in 1690, made an order, that the custom of gift coals at London should be wholly laid aside. In 1697, the mayor of Newcastle granted a warrant to four persons to seize on coals, grind- stones, and rub-stones, sold by foreigners, i.e. those not free of the town and Hostmen's Company . February 4, 1706, a fruitless attempt was made to rid the Hostmen of Newcastle of the duty of 12d. per chaldron, which had been granted by that society to Queen Elizabeth, and her successors, kings and queens of England, for ever. 5 November 20, 1749, this fraternity made an order to repeal a former one, dated July 2, 1742, resolving thenceforth to admit any person free of the Mysteries according to the charter of James I. By another order on the same subject, dated May 22, 1751, it was enacted that each Mystery man, coming to be admitted a Free Hostman, should bring a certificate under the hands of the clerk or stewards of such Mystery. The company grew considerably in numbers and importance over the following 150 years in line with the coal trade and industry in general throughout Newcastle and Tyneside. However, with the demise of those industries the role of the Hostmen in their traditional role ceased as well. The growth in the numbers of Hostmen has continued but they have continued to celebrate important events in British history and have continued to host freemen from other cities including the London Livery Companies and they maintain the tradition of helping local charities and descendants of members who are in need. The Hostmen play an active part in the management of The Town Moor and other Freemen activities. Members of the company are drawn from almost every other company of Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Stewards Committee is the main management committee of the freemen and has a statutory compliment of twelve members, at the time of writing, ten Hostmen are members of the committee. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 The Incorporated Company of Hostmen Admissions Register Date of No. Admission Name of Member Other particulars from the records 1 22 Mar 1600 William Jennison the elder The first 48 names are those Hostmen which are set out 2 William Selbie in the Charter of Queen Elizabeth, dated 22nd 3 Henry Anderson March 1599-1600 4 William Riddell 5 Henrie Chapman 6 George Farnabie 7 Lionell Maddison 8 Thomas Liddell 9 Robert Dudley 10 George Selbie 11 Frauncis Anderson 12 George Briggs 13 Adrian Hedworth 14 William Huntlie 15 Nicholas Tempest 16 William Hodgson 17 George Dent 18 Robert Anderson 19 Frauncis Liddell 20 Edwarde Bartram 15 21 Christopher Elmer 22 John Watson 23 John Barker 24 Rowland Tempest 25 Anthonie Morpeth 26 Nicholas Punder 27 Robert Shafto 28 Christopher Mytforde 29 Mathew Chapman 30 Henrie Maddison 31 Robert Dent 32 William Sympson 33 Bartram Andersen the elder 34 Isaac Andersen 35 Robert Gibson 36 Thomas Bowmer 37 Percyvell Ayre 38 Edward Hall 39 John Greenwell 40 Thomas Hall 41 William Jennison the younger 42 Henry Lawe 43 Edward Crome 44 Tymothie Draper 45 William Bonner 46 John Rande 47 John Strangwich 48 William Jackson 16 49 John Moore The persons numbered 49 to 56 inclusive, 50 John Butler are named in a list of Hostmen contemporary 51 George Bowmer with the charter, and were presumably 52 James Blunt members or widows of members of the 53 Elinor Mitford, widow previous prescriptive unincorporated Company.