IN the Year 1605, after deliberate Consideration of the then Lord High Admiral of England, and the Principal Offi­cers and Commissioners of the Navy, and the then Master-Builders, and other Skillful Master-Shipwrights, all Persons, being English Shipwrights and Calkers, were by Charter Incor­porated by the Name of Shipwrights of England, and for the bet­ter Accommodation of English Navigation, and Safety Ship­ping, were Impowered to practise their Trade in all Rivers and Ports of England and Wales. And in the Year 1612, at the Desire of the said Company, that Charter was Renewed to them with Amendments, by the Name of The Company of Ship­wrights of Rederiff, in the County of Surry, and had the same Power of Practising their Trade in all Rivers and Ports of England and Wales, Continued to them: And for their better Government, Forty four Rules and Ordinances were by them Prepared and Approved of, and Signed by the then Lord Chan­cellor, and Lord Chief Justice of either Bench, agreeable to a Statute of the 19th. of Henry VII. in that behalf.

I. The first Intent of Incorporating the Shipwrights of England was for a Nursery, to Encourage a Number of Able and Skillful Workmen in that Art and Mystery, on whom Relies the Performance of Workmanship in Building, Repairing, and Fitting out of Ships and other Vessels (and more especially their Majesties Royal Navy) at times of the greatest Exigency.

II. The said Company was Impowered from time to time to Advise, Consult and Settle General Rules in Marine Architecture, wherein the Consideration of Surveys chiefly depend.

III. That at the Renewing the aforesaid Charter in Anno 1612, it was observed, that many Abuses and Frauds had been Com­mitted in the Admeasurement of Ships, and other Vessels, when it was left to the single Opinion of Private Persons; and there­fore the Admeasurement of the Ships and other Vessels was Re­posed in the Company of Shipwrights of England, and their Deputies, in the Out-Ports, and Successors for ever, to Deter­mine the Length of the Keel, and all other Points of Dis­cretion, in Order to Cast up their Burthen of Tuns, nearest the Truth.

IV. A Regular Company of Shipwrights of England was also Intended for the Encouragement of the Breed of that Trade, To Relieve and Maintain their Disabled Cripples and Superannuated Members, of which Number, some in their Youths, and others in their Old Age, by Falls and Bruises, with other Ac­cidents that often happen (since the Encrease of Ships of great Burthen) as well in the Royal Navy Service, for the Defence and Security of these their Majesties Kingdoms, as in Merchants Ser­vice, for the Benefit of Trade, and Encrease of Navigation, are Objects of Pity.

BUT SO IT IS,

The said Company of Shipwrights of England for many years (at their great Cost) have endeavoured to put the Powers Granted to them in Execution, but have continually been Impeded by Persons of the same Profession, who, on pretence of Privilege Claimed by Shopkeepers and other Inland Trades, shelter them­selves in Sea-Port Towns, and particularly New-Castle, on the River Tyne, which River is Described by this Map, shewing how the Masters of Ships, and the Members of the Company of Shipwrights of England are Used and Treated by the Shipwrights of New-Castle, on pretence of Custom.

North and South Sheelds being the usual Places where Ships of great Burthen Ride, and Five or Six Hundred Sail are often there at Anchor together, who have all, or most of them, one or more Shipwrights on board, yet on Extraordinary Occasions (or in case a Ship happens to become a Wreck) the Free-Shipwrights of England are not admitted to Work in that River, nor to Help or assist each other, out of their own respective Ships; but the Masters of Ships are oftentimes Compelled to send to New-Castle (Six or eight Miles distance) for Shipwrights Free of that Trade, and are Fined and Imprisoned if they act to the contrary.

All which, on Behalf of the said Company, as also the great Decay, and almost Total Loss of the Breed of Able and Skillful Workmen, to the Art and Mystery of a Shipwright, at this time so much wanting, is humbly submitted to Conside­ration.