Edition, with full notes and introduction, of documents fundamental for our understanding of a major group of workers. "There is in Newcastle upon Tyne of keelmen, watermen, and other labourers, above 1800 able men, the most of them being Scottish men and Borderers which came out of the Tynedale and Reddesdale." Thus begins a report of 1638 lamenting yet another "strike", which opens this volume. For hundreds of years, the coal of the north-east of England was transported down the River Tyne by keels - shallow-drafted barges, with a large sail, and a single giant oar. The work of manning such vessels from the point at which coal reached the river, to where the crew of the keel loaded it into sea-going ships bound for the east coast, for London, and further afield, was hazardous, unpleasant, very physically demanding, yet poorly rewarded. The struggles of the keelmen to improve their lot, retain their livelihoods, and maintain themselves and their families in sickness and old age gained them a reputation as unruly, even dangerous. Yet they also demonstrated a close working solidarity years before trade unionism was established, as well as providing independent charitable support for themselves. This volume brings together much varied primary source material relating to the keelmen from many local and national archives. Letters from the city of Newcastle's local authorities to Cabinet Ministers from Robert Harley, through the duke of Newcastle, to Robert Peel, complaining of the keelmen's behaviour, and demanding government support in dealing with them, are a constant theme. But the keelmen also had their supporters, including the writer Daniel Defoe. Covering over 200 years of keelmen's activity, the volume covers strikes, riots, prosecutions (of rioting keelmen but also those who proclaimed "Bonnie" Prince Charles king of England in 1750), impressment by the Navy - keelmen were in high demand - and the efforts to establish charitable foundations for the men and their families, concluding with the decay of their "hospital" in 1852. A full introduction to the volume sets all these documents in the context of their times.

About the Author
The late JOSEPH M. FEWSTER had an almost life-long interest in the keelmen of Tyneside, culminating in his definitive monograph The Keelmen of Tyneside; Labour Organisation in the North-East Coal Industry, 1600-1830 (2011), to which the present volume provides a valuable supplement.

Reviews
The work stands as a testament to [the editor's] diligent scholarship [...] Clearly this is highly relevant to anyone specifically studying the history of Newcastle and the North East, but the interest engendered by the approach could be much wider. The editorial method (including the expansion of abbreviations, addition of punctuation and supply of omitted words) makes the source evidence easily accessible to those without paleographic experience and the introduction could stand alone as a brief, informative survey. As a result, the readership could include those interested in various areas of history: industrial (especially industrial relations, and the role of local and central government), economic, class, charity, legal and maritime amongst them. * FACHRS *
Joseph Fewster's skilfully edited collection draws from far and wide to document a single subject from various perspectives. * Hexham Local History Society *
This book with its numerous and important transcribed documents will be of great value to current and future researchers exploring both local industrial and labour history. It is rare indeed that a historical researcher of some note leaves us such a legacy. -- Peter D. Wright * Northern History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780854440818
Author Joseph Fewster
Format Hardback
Page Count 439
Imprint Surtees Society
Publisher Surtees Society
Weight(grams) 1g