Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George IIIReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George III
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
The Knights' Guild was composed of thirteen military persons to
whom King Edgar granted certain waste land in the east of London,
toward Aldgate, and also Portsoken, which ran outside the eastern
wall of the city to the Thames, for prescribed services performed,
probably defense of the vulnerable east side of the city. This
concession was confirmed by King Edward the Confessor in a charter
at the suit of certain citizens of London, the successors of these
knights. Edward granted them sac and soke [cause and suit]
jurisdiction over their men.
Edward the Confessor made these rules for London:
1. Be it known that within the space of three miles from
all parts outside of the city a man ought not to hold or
hinder another, and also should not do business with him if
he wish to come to the city under its peace. But when he
arrives in the city, then let the market be the same to the
rich man as to the poor.
2. Be it also known that a man who is from the court of the
king or the barons ought not to lodge in the house of any
citizen of London for three nights, either by privilege or
by custom, except by consent of the host. For if he force
the host to lodge him in his house and there be killed by
the host, let the host choose six from his relatives and let
him as the seventh swear that he killed him for the said
cause. And thus he will remain quit of the murder of the
deceased towards the king and relatives and lords of the
deceased.
3. And after he has entered the city, let a foreign
merchant be lodged wherever it please him. But if he bring
dyed cloth, let him see to it that he does not sell his
merchandise at retail, but that he sell not less than a
dozen pieces at a time. And if he bring pepper, or cumin, or
ginger, or alum, or brasil wood, or resin, or incense, let
him sell not less than fifteen pounds at a time. But if he
bring belts, let him sell not less than a thousand at a
time. And if he bring cloths of silk, or wool or linen, let
him see that he cut them not, but sell them whole. But if he
bring wax, let him sell not less than one quartanum. Also a
foreign merchant may not buy dyed cloth, nor make the dye in
the city, nor do any work which belongs by right to the
citizens.
4. Also no foreign merchant with his partner may set up any
market within the city for reselling goods in the city, nor
may he approach a citizen for making a bargain, nor may he
stop longer in the City.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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