You had to be a Miner first, then once you were old enough , born /living in the right area you could apply to the Gaveller ( Gale Giver) to be a Free Miner. Then you could claim a Gale - essentially mining rights - and once granted you could extract !

I expect the records would have been at the Gavellers Office, Bank House, Bank St, Coleford but I suspect they were all moved, probably to the Glos Records Office.

To be registered, a man must be born and living within the Hundred of St Briavels, be over the age of 21 years and to have worked for a year and a day in a mine within the Hundred. (A Hundred was a subdivision of a County which had its own court and it has been suggested to be an area where the medieval king could demand the services of a hundred fighting men, in the case of the St Briavels Hundred the king would frequently demand the services of skilled miners. Today the Hundred of St. Briavels is an area slightly larger than, but encompassing, all of the statutory Forest of Dean.

Once registered as a Free Miner by the Deputy Gaveller, a Free Miner may claim up to three gales from the Crown (if they are not already being worked) and may make applications for any gales he thinks may become vacant. Once granted to him, he becomes the mineral owner in fee simple and has the right to work the specified minerals within the area defined by the gale. A galee may mortgage, sell or dispose of the gale as he wishes. A Royalty is paid to the Crown for each ton of mineral raised, or a 'dead rent' is paid if the gale is idle. The 'dead rent' or composition, is equivalent to an agreed minimum tonnage output. If no dead rent is paid the gale, can be reclaimed by the Crown, to be applied for and re-granted to other Free Miners.