The History of Lynn, Vol. 1 [of 2]Richards, William
History
The History of Lynn, Vol. 1 [of 2]
Richards, William
Fens, The (England); King's Lynn (England)
What now remains, before we dismiss this tedious subject, is to say a few
words respecting the three remaining gilds mentioned in the catalogue.
The next, or 29th in that list, is _the gild of the Shoemakers_, which
consisted, probably, of persons of that occupation, or the brethren of
the _gentle craft_, as it has been sometimes called. They might be
pretty numerous then at Lynn; and yet it would seem rather odd if they
were so, when most of the inhabitants, those of the better sort as well
as others, seem to have been pretty much in the habit of going about
_barefooted_; unless it might be supposed that shoes were then made here
for exportation, as is now the case in many places, where a great many
more hands are employed, of course, than is necessary for furnishing the
population of those places with that article. This point, however, must
be left undetermined: all we know is, that, among the numerous Lynn
Gilds, one was called the _gild of the Shoemakers_, who, whether very
numerous or otherwise, seem to have been then a thoughtful, provident,
and brotherly set of people.
The 30th Gild was called the _Red Gild_. The reason for giving it that
name we are utterly unable to discover, or even to conjecture. Nor do we
know whether it was rich or poor—consisted of many, or of but few
members—managed its affairs wisely or unwisely:—We just learn, that it
was called _the red gild_; and there our knowledge of it begins and
ends.—Some may, perhaps, be apt to suspect, that both this and the
preceding gild were no better than they ought to be, in point of piety,
or what in those days was so denominated, as they did not assume the name
of any saint, or angel, or sacred object, like the other gilds, but went
each of them, by a plain, simple name, that had nothing in it
sanctimonious, venerable, or prepossessing. As the times went, it cannot
be thought that these two gilds could be in favour with the friars and
the other orders of religious functionaries: nor are we sure that they
were at all solicitous about it, or thought proper to employ a single
chaplain in their service. They might, however, not be the worse for
that, if they were duly attentive to those moral obligations which they
owed to one another, and to the rest of their fellow-citizens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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