This petition, by the North Shields brewer, Ralph Gardiner, provides an interesting insight into local grievances in the North East of England in the mid-seventeenth century. In 1653, Gardiner was imprisoned by the Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne for refusing to close his brewery in North Shields, a small town to the east of Newcastle. The Hostmen were a corporation of influential local merchants who held a practical monopoly over all trade, particularly coal, on the River Tyne. They also extended their influence over other ports in the North East of England, despite restrictions issued by the House of Commons.

Gardiner's petition to Oliver Cromwell, published in 1655, demanded that the Hostmen had abused their powers, and that trade ought to be opened up on the Tyne and elsewhere. He suggested that North Shields gain a market to facilitate trade, and to help the garrison at nearby Tynemouth. Gardiner's pleas were ultimately unsuccessful. However, the Hostmen's influence did begin to diminish. This was primarily due to the increased production of coal and other goods in the region, as well as Parliamentary support for competition from other local ports such as Sunderland and Blyth.

Originally, the petition was published with a map of the River Tyne by Wenceslaus Hollar. This volume contains a tracing of the map, explained in a note, written in 1800, as coming from another copy in the library of Lord Stamford (1737-1819).