No.1 'Colliers' in the online Kent County Archive Individual analysis - James Ansley of Bromley, 1606

James Ansley of Bromley, collier– “To keep the peace” – July to August 1606

Finding Nos (copy and paste references into search box) -  QM/SRc/1606/162, QM/SRc/1606/207, QM/SRc/1606/208

James seems to have had an ongoing dispute with the Arthur and William Wright, both labourers,  also of Bromley; it starts with James being subject to a recognizance to Keep the peace on 7th July 1606, Just over a month later on the 11th August both William and Arthur Wright have a recognizance against them to ‘keep the peace towards James Ansley’.  

It would seem there was no love lost between James and the Wrights.  

The most interesting aspect of James’ appearance in the records is that he is described as Collier in the original July entry and also in one of the two entries for the 11th August but, in the second is described as a labourer.  This is on the same day in the same court.  This may point to the fluid nature of being a collier: perhaps James had to supplement his charcoal making with other general labouring?  Or, the clerk of the court could have been a bit sloppy in recording occupations, as one would assume it is the same magistrate and recording staff sitting?  

There is a clue to the potential dual career possibility in the late Jos Kingston’s amazing analysis of Norton (Sheffield) ‘Life & Death in Elizabethan Norton’ at http://www.joskingston.org/LDEN/CHAP3.html#Item8 (scroll down to Charcoal Makers).  In this she finds Colliers who are recorded in official documents as both Husbandmen and a Charcoal Makers.