1699. Jealousies arose in the Company in consequence of the more frequent election of Surgeons than Barbers, as Governors. The By-Laws required that every year there should be two Barbers and two Surgeons chosen (a Barber being defined to be any member who did not practise Surgery). The Surgeons disregarding the law and the old custom, seem to have been able to procure the election of an undue number of members of their own craft to the offices of Master and Wardens, whereupon certain of the Company filed an information in the King’s Bench against the Masters or Governors; the Barbers were successful, and having obtained a Mandamus, a fresh election took place. This altercation between the Barbers and Surgeons was never forgotten, and, indeed, helped to pave the way to further estrangement and the absolute separation in 1745. The following Minutes relate to these proceedings: 14th December, 1699. Ordered Mr. S{r}geant Wright Mr. S{r}geant Darnell Mr. Com̃on S{r}geant & Mr. Dee bee advised with upon the Informac͠on ag{t} the Govern{rs.} 25th January, 1700. Ordered that the Cause ag{t} the Govern{rs} at the prosecuc͠on of the Barbers bee referred to S{r}geant Darnell & his opinion to bee taken & to pˀceed thereupon, Mr. Oades Mr. Pleahill & Mr. Barnard to meet tomorrow at the raine bow to attend him by five in the afternoone. 2nd May, 1700. Ordered Mr. Dee bee consulted concerning the Rule of Court of King’s Bench for a copy of the by laws &c. & to follow his advice &c. He advised to give Copyes if required & not to oppose it. 11th May, 1700. Ordered that Mr. S{r}geant Darnell have three guineys Mr. Com̃on S{r}geant & Mr. Dee have two a peece given them for the Tryall of the Informac͠on on Tuesday next & that all the Court of Assistants bee desired to bee there. 28th June, 1700. Ordered that nothing bee done in the Cause ag{t} the Company untill the Mandamus be served & then the Comittee to meete. 4th July, 1700. A pˀemtory Mandamus being served the last Court, Ordered that on Tuesday next by two of the Clock in the afternoon there bee an elecc͠on of two Wardens Expert in Barbery for the remainder of this yeare. 9th July, 1700. An election took place, with the result that Mr. John Pinke and Mr. Richard Marks, both being Barbers, were elected Wardens. Mr. Pinke was already a Warden, but the Mandamus required two Barbers to be elected, and he was simply re-elected. Mr. Marks took the place of Mr. Bartholomew King, Surgeon. The Master, Mr. Lichfield, and the second Warden, Mr. James Wall, were both Surgeons. 13th January, 1709. It was agreed that a new set of By-Laws which had been settled by the Common Serjeant and Sir Edward Northey should be presented to the Lord Chancellor, etc., for confirmation, it being considered that the existing By-Laws were defective in many parts, and that “good & wholesome Lawes were the life strength & support of this Company.”