Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
As economic activity in London became more complex and on a larger
scale in the 1200s, some craftsmen were brought under the control
of other crafts or merchants. The bakers fell under the control of
the wholesale grain dealers; the weavers became pieceworkers for
rich cloth merchants; the blademakers and shearers were employed
by cutlers; coppersmiths were controlled by girdlers; fullers were
controlled by entrepreneurial dyers; and the painters, joiners,
and lorimers were controlled by the saddlers. Guilds moved their
meeting places from churches, which were now too small, to guild
halls. The controlling officers of the large guilds met at the
Guildhall, which became the seat of mayoral authority. London
streets in existence by this time include Cordwainer, Silver,
Cannon (Candlewick), and Roper. Lanes included Ironmonger, Soper,
Spurrier, Lad (ladles), Distaff, Needles, Mede, Limeburner, and
Hosier. Fighting among groups was common in London. There was a
street fight on a large scale in 1327 between the saddlers and a
coalition of joiners, painters, and lorimers (makers of metal work
of saddles). Much blood was shed in the street battle between the
skinners and the fishmongers in 1340. There was a city ordinance
that no one except royal attendants, baronial valets, and city
officials were to go about armed. Disputes among neighbors that
were brought to court included the use and upkeep of party walls,
blocked and overflowing gutters, cesspits too close to a
neighbor's property, noisy tenants, loss of light, and dangerous
or overhanging structures.
In 1275, a goldsmith was chief assay-master of the King's mint and
keeper of the exchange at London. The king gave the Goldsmiths'
Company the right of assay [determination of the quantity of gold
or silver in an object] and required that no vessels of gold or
silver should leave the maker's hands until they had been tested
by the wardens and stamped appropriately. In 1279, goldsmith
William Farrington bought the soke of the ward containing the
goldsmiths' shops. It remained in his family for 80 years. A
patent of 1327 empowered the guild to elect a properly qualified
governing body to superintend its affairs, and reform subjects of
just complaint. It also prescribed, as a safeguard against a
prevailing fraud and abuse, that all members of the trade should
have their standing in Cheapside or in the King's exchange, and
that no gold or silver should be manufactured for export, except
that which had been bought at the exchange or of the trade openly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account