The Story of LondonWheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
History
The Story of London
Wheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
London (England) -- History
(_b_) 'The Sheriffs of London [and of every shire in England] shall, by
authority of the Parliament that lately met at Cambridge, make
proclamation calling on the masters, wardens and overlookers of all
gilds of crafts holding any charter or letters-patent to send up before
the second day of February 1388-9 copies of such charters and letters
upon penalty of forfeiture.'
The original writs were returned by the London sheriffs with this
endorsement: 'When and by whom proclamation was made in London and the
suburbs--Fleet Street in the suburbs; the Standard, in Westcheap; the
Ledenhall, Cornhill; St. Magnus Church, Bridge Street; St. Martin's
Church, Vintry; Southwark.'
In Mr. Toulmin Smith's book only three of the returns relate to London,
and these are not from craft gilds. They are the Gild of Garlekhith, the
Gild of St. Katherine, Aldersgate, and the Gild of SS. Fabian and
Sebastian, Aldersgate. It is not necessary to give extracts from these
returns, but we can obtain a good idea of the objects of these gilds
from Mr. Toulmin Smith's side-notes, which are as follows:--
_Garlekhith._--'The gild was begun in 1375 to nourish good fellowship.
All bretheren must be of good repute. Each shall pay 6s. 8d. on entry.
There shall be wardens, who shall gather in the payments and yield an
account thereof yearly. A livery suit shall be worn. The bretheren and
sisteren shall hold a yearly feast. Two shillings a year shall be paid
by each. Four meetings touching the gild's welfare shall be held in each
year. Free gifts by the bretheren. Ill-behaved bretheren shall be put
out of the gild. No livery-suit shall be sold within a year. On death of
any, all the rest shall join in the burial service and make offerings
under penalty. In case of quarrel, the matter shall be laid before the
wardens. Whoever disobeys their award shall be put out of the gild and
the other shall be helped. Weekly help to all seven-year bretheren in
old age and in sickness, and to those wrongfully imprisoned. Newcomers
shall swear to keep the ordinances. Every brother chosen warden must
serve or pay 40s.'
_St. Katherine._--'These are the ordinances of the gild: Oath on entry,
and a kiss of love, charity and peace. Weekly help in poverty, old age,
sickness, or loss by fire or water, etc. Payments by bretheren and
sisteren. Members of the gild shall go to church and afterwards choose
officers. Burials shall be attended. The gild shall bear charge of
burials. Any brother dying within ten miles round London shall have
worshipful burial. All costs thereof shall be made good by the gild.
Loans to gild-bretheren out of the gild stock on pledge or surety. Wax
lights to be found and used at times named. Further services after
death. Newcomers by assent only. Four men shall keep the goods of the
gild, and render an account yearly. Assent of all the gild to new
ordinances. The goods of the gild are a "vestement, a chalys and a
mass-book, pris of x marks."'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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