“The mark of X Wm Thomas.
“The mark of X Thos Worgan.”
The following is a specimen of an official “Forbid:”—
“Thomas Hobbs. I do hereby, in his Majesty King George the Third’s name, being owner and chief gaveller of his Majesty’s Forest of Dean, in the county of Gloucester, and of the coal and mines therein, forbid you, your verns, your servants, agents, or workmen, for getting, diging, or raising any more stone coal out of any fire pitt or pitts, or water pitt or pitts, a deep the Majors suff level gutter in the said Forest, or to permit or suffer any stone coal to be got, dug, or raised out of any such pitt or pitts, untill you have satisfied and paid me his Majesty’s gale and dues for working and getting coal in such pitts for two years last past, and untill you agree with me for the gale and dues of such pitt and pitts for the future. If you break this forbid, you will incur the penalty of an Order made by forty-eight free miners.
“Dated this 22d day of } John Robinson, &c.,
May, 1775. } deputy gaveller.”
In the terms of a Memorandum, apparently of this date, or perhaps earlier, it is said:—
“The place of gaveler within the Forest of Dean is
held by patent from the Crown, & by vertue of his office the gaveler hath a right to put a man to work in every coalwork or work for iron mine within the limitts of the Forest, or within any private person’s property in the hundred of St Briavels (but not in any stone quarry that is belonging to Ld Berkeley). This right the gaveler never makes use of by setting his man to work in the mine pitt or coalwork, but lets it out to the partners of the work at such price as he can agree for, which is from twenty shillings to three pounds a work.”
