if they be two or three then Comes the first marchant that first maketh his Costage, and he shall have the third stone till he have receaved his costage, and the other marchants shall have the two partes because there myne was found on his Costage. Also the minors and marchants shall have entrie and issue through all the Lordshipp to Carie their myne and berne it whither they will without lett of the Lord or any of his officers geving to the lord for every loade iiijd. for ever for issue in his lordshipp which is called the lott, and if any minor or marchant dye by any adventure vnder the earth, or be slayne by medlinge, The Baremayster shall see his bodie as Coroner, and lett his bodie be buried without any other Coroners, and the minors shall haue for their lott and Coppe sufficient tymber for their workes of the next founder within the kings Lordshipp. Also they shall have water to washe their myne without any lett for the said lott and Coppe, and if the lord will buye their myne, and doe as well as another to their price, he shalbe before another, and if he will not, then shall they sell their myne where they like best without lett of the lord or any of his officers. This verdict of the greate enquest of the xxiiij minors was geven and presented to the Steward at Workesworth the xth daye of Januarie in the xvjth yeare of the Raigne of Kinge Henry the Eight [A.D. 1525], and he did Confirme theise articles sett downe. WARKESWORTH WAPINTAGE. Curia1 magna Bermot' tenta apud Workesworth coram Francisco Comite Salopie vicesimo die Septembris anno Regni Edwardi Sexti Tertio. [A.D. 1549.] Inquisitio magna pro domino Rege minira infra Wapentagium predictum per Sacramentum. Nicholas Hyddes Robert Cotton Richard Wigley 1 Printed by Glover, but incorrectly. Jurymen vary. 2 Glover, whose notice ends with the list of these jurymen, states that "the report of the jurors was similar to the former made at Wee doe present ordeyne and sett paynes for the minors as followeth : 1.-Two able dishes. First wee will that the lorde of the field shall make an able dishe1 from this day foorthe, betweene marchant buyer and the seller, and against everie good tyme, as Christmas, Easter, Whittsontide two able dishes vpon paine for every tyme wantinge if it be Called for, to forfeit for every time iijs. iiijd. to the Kinge. 2.-Goinge over ye mine. And that the lord of the fieldes deputie and the Beremaster or his deputie shall goe everie week once or twise over the fieldes, and where they finde any ground wrought wrongfully by any man Contrary to right Custom of the myne, then they shall take them vp vntill such tyme as the law of the Bermott hath determined yt, or els the Beremaster or his deputie accordinge to the ould Custome shall putt four or six indifferent men, among the xxiiij that they may haue the hearinge of the matter betweene the parties for to sett an order for the same ground so wrought wrongfullie, that the field be not stopped, and whosoever disturbeth this article to forfeitt for every tyme so doinge iijs. iiijd. or els to goe to the stockes if he be a light person, and the xxiiij miners, and all other miners shall aide the officers in so doinge accordinge to the oould Custom of the myne. 3.-Next waye to the highe waye. Also that the Beremaster or his deputie shall able vs the next waye to the Kinges hyewaye, to the water with our ewre, yf any man stopp vs accordinge to the oould Custom of the myne. 4.-Delivery of Ewre vnder a loade. Also yf there be any poore man that have any ewre vnder a loade to mete and geve the Beremaster warninge according to the Custom of the myne, and Cannott have the dishe, then yt shalbe lawful for such poore man to take two honest neighbours and deliver his ewre to whom it please hym paying the Church and the King their dietes. Ashbourn," and gives no account of it. It will be seen that he is incorrect in this, as the following laws contain important differences from what has gone before. 1 See the wood engravings of the "Miners' Standard Dish," in the Moot Hall, Wirksworth, with inscription recording its being made on "4 October 4 Henry VIII," i.e., A.D. 1512, in Glover's History, vol. i, p. 69, 5.-Stealing of Ewre. Also if the Beremaster attach any ewre or his deputie which is stolne, he shall attach the steler thereof that he may have the lawe of the myne according to the Charter. 6.- Wrongfully clayminge any groundes. Also if there be any man that make any title or clayme to any mans groundes contrary to right and it be tried at the law, he that is cast shall pay two shillinges for the twelve mens dinners, and if he will not paye it, then the Beremaster shall take so much ewre of hym as Cometh to ijs. or els some other distress if he be worth so much. 7.-Lawfull warninge. Also no myner shalbe amerced by the Beremaster without lawfull warninge. 8.-No man is to mete without the dishe. Also that no man shall mete no Ewer without the kinges dishe, for if he doe and be so taken, if it be aboue a loade of Ewer, the lord of the field shall have, and if it be vnder a loade, or a loade the Beremaster shall have it, if it be taken metinge besides the dishe, if he doe not Call for the Kinges dishe according to ould Custom. 9.-The Suite out of the Bermott for ewer debt. Also that no man shall sue any myner for any ewer debt foorth of the Beremot Court, nor no officer shall serue any warrant or writt vpon no myner when he is at his worke vpon the myne, nor when the miner Cometh to the greate leetes of the Beremottes, but the Beremaster or his deputie, and if any man sue for ewer debt forth of the Beremott courte he shall loose the debt and paye the Costes. 10.-Two greate Courtes every yeare. Also the Beremaster shall keepe two greate Courtes every yeare, and yf neede require everie three weekes a Court vpon payne of iijs. iiijd. 11.-The finding of a newe veine. Also if any myner by the grace of God doe finde any newe Rake or vayne, the first finder shall have two meares, and the next meare after, the Beremaster shall have for the Kinge according to the ould Custom of the myne, and every taker after but one meare, and so the field to be occupied according to right Custom. 12.-Wood of the Kinges woodes. Also by the ould Custom myners ought to have wood of the kinges wood to stowe and tymber their groves vnder the earth and above, and therefore they paye lott to the kinge, for the which they ought to have sufficient wood of the kinges ground that is next therto. 13.-Miners killed in the grounds. Also if there be any man slayne or murthered vpon the myne within any grove, neither Escheator nor Coroner nor no other officer shall medle thereof But onelie the Beremaster. 14. Crosses and holes. Three daies standinge. Also all newe groundes as Crosses and holes that be not stowed nor yoked lawfully from the first daye of Julie or within three weekes and a daye next after, that then it shalbe lawfull for any man to take them and worke them lawfully, and no Crosses nor holes shall stand no longer then a man may goe home, and fetch his tooles to worke with, and tymber to stowe with, the furthest day so standinge to be three daies, and after the third daye, any Crosse or hole shalbe lawful for any man to worke them lawfullie. 15. No measure of ground before Ewer be gotten therin. Alsoe wee saie that the Beremaster shall measure no man his ground vntill such time as the miner haue ewer gotten within the same ground, to ffree it with, or els it shall not be measured. 16.-No man shall touche the Kinges Dishe. Alsoe that no marchant buyer of Ewer shall touche the kinges dishe, nor putt his handes therin to make his measure, but the Beremaster or his deputie shalbe indifferent betweene the marchant buyer and the seller. 17.-The first workman shall worke. Also that no man that is a workman that doeth worke his ground truelie, there shall no man Come and Clayme his ground and take hym vp to topp the field but the first workman shall worke, and the Claymer shall take the law, and the Beremaster shall doe hym the law truelie. 18.-No dishe but the Kinges vsed. Also no Beremaster nor any other deputie shall keepe no Counterfaite Dishe nor gages in their Cowes nor houses but every man shall buye by the kinges dishe and no other to be vsed vpon payne of every dishe or gage so knowne or taken to forfeit for everie time vjs. viijd. and the sellour to forfeit his ewer. 19.-Ground to be kept with stowes and tymber. Also if any gentleman or other haue any ground lyinge in the myne Called the kinges field of the mine, they shall keepe them lawfully with stowes and tymber openly in all mens sight betweene this and Michelmas next Cominge or els it shalbe lawful for any man to take and worke them for their owne. 20.—No man shall sell or geve groves in varience. Also wee laye a payne that no person or persons shall at any tyme from henceforth goe to any gentleman or any other man for to geve or sell any groves or groundes in varience for maintenaunce vpon payne for every person so doinge to loose his said grove or groves, and the taker of any such groves in variance as aforesaid to forfait xls. to the Kinge. 21.-No man shall Counterfait the Kinges dish. Also if any person or persons from hence furth doe make any gage or Counterfait the kinges measure to mete Ewer with if it be above a loade, every such person or persons so taken shall forfait for every time xls. and his ewer to the Kinge. 22.—No ewer in variaunce to be measured. Also wee sett a paine that no person nor persons shall mete no ewer in variance neither by the kinges dishe nor gage except this ewer be putt into an indifferent mans handes vntill such time as booth the parties be agreed vpon payne for euery time so doinge to forfaite xls. 23.-No man shall take away stowes or timber. Also if any maner of person or persons doe take any mans stowes or his tymber or any thinge belonginge to the Myne, and so taken to forfeit for every time iijs. iiijd. to the kinge. 24. Also that no light nor suspected person shall Carie no Ewer after daye light vpon payne of forfeiting the Ewer to the Kinge and his bodie to prison. Finis, 1620. A metrical account of the Liberties and Customs of the Lead Mines within the Wapentake of Wirksworth, composed by Edward Manlove, and printed at London in 1657, is reprinted by Glover, vol. i, Appendix, No. I. There is a MS. copy in the British Museum, Add. MS. 26,749, fol. 34. It embodies some of the preceding regulations or laws, and is provided with marginal notes of reference to precedents and governing cases, |