The watermens case, in relation to the bill for increase and encouragement of seamen Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames (Guild) 1700 Approx. 4 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A96076 Wing W1055 ESTC R232340 99900104 99900104 137642 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A96076) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 137642) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2522:8) The watermens case, in relation to the bill for increase and encouragement of seamen Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames (Guild) 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1700] Imprint from Wing CD-ROM, 1996. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO. EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor. The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines. Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sailors -- England -- Early works to 1800. 2007-06 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-08 Robyn Anspach Sampled and proofread 2007-08 Robyn Anspach Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion The Watermens Case , In Relation to the BILL for Increase and Encouragement of Seamen . IN the Bill for Encouragement of Seamen , the Register for them is made Voluntary , as fearing that an Act to force them into a Register would be so great an Infringement of Liberty , as might discourage and obviate the future Breeding of Seamen , and cause many of the present , either to decline going to Sea , or betake themselves to the Service of some Foreign State. For which Reasons 't is Humbly hoped , That the said Register may be made Voluntary to the Watermen as well as others ; since the forcing them thereinto , will much Discourage , and be the Ruine of many of the present Company of Watermen , That are more subject to , and have suffered more by the Sea-Service , than any other Society , and may put a great stop to the future Breeding of Watermen . Whereas the said Company now is one of the best Seminaries for Breeding up Youth to the Sea , and is computed to have afforded above 4000 Voluntiers and Pressed Men for the Navy , since His Majesty's Happy Accession to the Crown . It 's therefore Humbly submitted to the great Wisdom of this present Parliament , Whether it might not highly conduce towards the Furnishing the Navy with great Numbers of Able Men , and thereby better promote the good purposes of the designed Registring of Seamen . 1. If the Watermen were allowed to continue their being Registred in their own Company as they now all are . 2. And all Lightermen , Bargemen , and others employed in Rowing on the River Thames ( Fishermen and Trinitymen excepted ) be Incorporated with the Watermen into one Body Politique , and be Registred in the same Manner , and under the same Penalties , as the Watermen now are ; which Register may from time to time ( as required ) be transmitted unto the Admiralty . Whereby a more Exact and full List of all Watermen may be more speedily had , and with less Charge than others can procure , that do not know or are conversant amongst the Watermen . 3. And several Thousands of Stout and Able Men , as Lightermen , Bargemen , &c. will be added , and made forth coming , more than the Registring Bill comprehends , or seems to have any notice of . Which Persons being now subject to no Order or Regulation , withdraw and absent themselves in times of Pressing , and commit many other Irregularities on the River , which cannot by any means be so certainly and readily prevented , as by Uniting such persons unto , and bringing them under the same Orders and Regulations with the Watermen . For the Barges now leave their lusty and able Men at Kingston , &c. and are brought from thence to London with Old Men only . And the Young and Able Lightermen hide and withdraw from their Employments , until the Press is over , which makes Wages very dear , obstructs Trade , and raises the price of Provision , Fewel , &c. which tends to the prejudice of all , especially the poorer sort . 4. A great many more Substantial and considerable Persons will be then added to the Watermens Company ; for want whereof , and good By-Laws , with reasonable Penalties , for punishing Offenders , many Abuses have formerly been committed , the Company 's Stock misapplyed and embezelled , ( none being qualified to Sue for the same ) and the Charities of several discouraged or diverted . Which then it 's hoped will be effectually prevented , and the Income thereby considerably increased , and duly applyed for Relief and Support of the Decayed and Disabled Members of the said Company , and the Widows of such , and in Educating and Breeding up their poor and helpless Children in the Art of Navigation , to the great Increase and Encouragement of Seamen , Advantage of Trade , and Security of the Kingdom .