eprived of the benefit of their labour and charge, to
their very great loss and damage: To remedie whereof, it is now ordered
that after a surffe is made, noe myner shall come to work within 100
yards of that surffe to the prejudice of the undertakers without their
consents, and without being contributory to the making of the said
surffe, upon payne of forfeiting 100 dozen of good fire coale, the one
moiety to the King's Matie, and the other to the myner that shall sue for
the same." The fourth "Order" of the same Court, issued on the 27th
April, 1680, directs "that no fire cole, smith's cole, or lyme cole shall
be delivered upon the bankes of the Wye between Monmouth Bridge and
Huntsame Ferry for less than 8s. a dozen bushels for the two former
sorts, and 4s. 6d. for lyme cole, or if between Huntsame Ferry and Wilton
Bridge for less than 3s. 6d. a dozen."

On the 19th September, 1682, a fifth "Order" forbade "the transport of
lime coal to Hereford and Monmouthshire at lower rates than heretofore
have been set and agreed upon," and ordained that "whensoever any
collyers have fully wrought out a cole pitt through wch the gout water
must necessarily run for drayning of the worke, in such case the said
collyers shall secure the said pitt, upon payne to forfeite 100 dozen of
good fire cole." In the ensuing "Order," dated 1st December, 1685, the
jury agreed that, in raising money for any public purpose, "one half of
those who served should be cole myners, and the other half myners at iron
oare," both classes of operatives having at length become equally
numerous, in consequence of the rapid increase of the coal-works. The
next Court of the Mine, held on 5th April, 1687, decided that "all cole
pitts and dangerous mine pitts which are not in working, or wch
thereafter shall not be wrought in for one whole month together, shall be
sufficiently secured by a wall of stone, or by railing the same with
posts and railes placed above two feet distant from the mouth of such
pitt by the proprietor thereof, and likewise all pitts left open for a
grout way, upon paine of 10s. to be forfeited for every omission and
neglect."

According to the eighth verdict of the miners' jury, declared on the 13th
of January, 1692, the former space of 100 yards, within which all
colliers were prohibited from coming to work another pit, was now
extended to 300 yards. The next "Order," being that of the 25th of
April, 1694, directs that "the price of