The influence and development of English gilds : $b as illustrated by the history of the craft gilds of ShrewsburyHibbert, Francis Aidan
History
The influence and development of English gilds : $b as illustrated by the history of the craft gilds of Shrewsbury
Hibbert, Francis Aidan
Guilds -- England -- History; Guilds -- England -- Shrewsbury (England) -- History
In the latter case the effect was to create two distinct classes of
traders within the town. The burgesses may be divided into two classes,
those of them who were gildsmen and those who were not. We now see that
the tradesmen dwelling in the towns may similarly be divided into two
classes, (i) those who were free of the town or of one of the Gilds (or
free both of the town and one of its Gilds), and (ii) those who were
neither burgesses nor gildsmen. Thus another has been added to the classes
into which the inhabitants of towns are usually divided. Mention of these
_unfree_ tradesmen is found in the records of many towns in England and
Wales: in Norwich, Winchester, Lincoln, Leicester, Andover, Yarmouth,
Canterbury, Henley-on-Thames, Malmesbury, Bury S. Edmunds, Totnes, Wigan,
Chester, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Clun, Brecknock, Neath, Bishops' Castle,
and others.
The designation of these unfree tradesmen varies. At Andover they were
known as _custumarii_ (in opposition to the _hansarii_--the full members
of the Gild). At Canterbury a similar body appears under the name of
_intrants_. In Scotland and the north of England they were called
_stallingers_. The most usual name for them is however _censer_,
_chencer_, _tenser_, and variations of these.
_Censer_ is apparently the name applied to one who pays a _cense_ or
_cess_. In Domesday mention is made of _censarius_--"Ibi sunt nunc 14
censarii habentes septem carucatas"--and the _censarius_ is described as
"qui terram ad censum annuum tenet." The connection of the word is here
purely territorial. It becomes more personal later in the history as is
seen in the "Compotus Civitatis Wyntoniae" of the third year of Edward I.,
which contains the following entry:--"Et de xliiij_s._ ij_d._ _ob._ de
hominibus habitacionibus in civitate Wynton' qui non sunt de libertate,
qui dicuntur Censarii, per idem tempus." Here the _censarii_ are evidently
considered in their capacity not as possible landowners, but solely as
tradesmen. The _census_ has changed from the land rent of Domesday to a
distinctly personal payment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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