Part 17 (1/2)
These city guilds were also of a distinctly religious character, and prescribed rules for the attendance of es, and the celebration of masses for the dead
Each company had its patron saint, and maintained a chantry priest or chaplain They founded altars in churches in honour of their patron saint, as usually selected on account of his e in souild Thus, St
Dunstan, as a worker in precious metals, becaers selected St Peter, a fisherman, and held their services at St Peter's Church; the Merchant Taylors venerated St John Baptist, whose synus Dei_ In several cases, the saint to whom the church where they attended was dedicated, was adopted as their own patron Thus, the Grocers called themselves ”the fraternity of St Anthony,” because they had their altar in St
Anthony's Church; the Vintners, ”the fraternity of St Martin,” from the like connection with St Martin's Vintry Church Indeed, it has been truly observed that the es was blended with so many customs and observances, that it was not till the times subsequent to the Reforarded as strictly secular On election days, when the master and wardens were chosen, the company marched in solemn procession to the church to hear Mass Stow tells of the Skinners going to the church of St Lawrence, Poultry, on Corpus Christi day, with arnished, burning bright, and about 200 clerks and priests in surplices and copes, singing The brethren were clad in their new liveries, the mayor and alderreat feast On the Sunday following the election day the brethren attended a mass of requiem for their deceased members, when the Bede Roll was read and prayers offered for the souls of the departed members, as well as for those who still survived, each brother being mentioned by name
THE PROMOTION OF TRADE
But the chief object of the existence of the companies was the promotion of the prosperity of the trades hich they were associated They were appointed by charter ”to settle and govern their mysteries,” to elect officers ”to inquire of the concerns of their trades,” and to correct and ah their respective trades, in order that each of theht detect dishonest practices in his own craft and punish offenders, and to keep out and suppress all ”foreigners” who dared to carry on a trade and yet did not belong to the particular coulated it To preserve the secrets of the craft and to regulate apprenticeshi+ps were also souilds Each fraternity had its own duties to perfors, and their officers were ordered ”to go and assay weights, powders, confeccions, plasters, oynt to the same craft”; the Goldsht and rejection of fish brought to London which they did not dee and gauging of wines Many curious and obsolete trades are disclosed in the records of the companies The Mercers were the _Mercatores_, or Merchants, no simple pedlars or small tradesoods, such as linen cloths, buckralish cloths, drugs, cotton, thread and wool, silk, wood, oil, copper, wine, lead, and salt
The Grocer was one who dealt _en gros_--wholesale, as opposed to retail uild was ”the Company of Pepperers of Soper's Lane” The Drapers were ers united into one body the two ancient guilds of the Salt-fishers The title of the Merchant Taylors in the time of Edward I was ”the Fraternity of the Taylors and Linen Ar pertaining to ars, surcoats, caparisons and accoutrements, Royal pavilions and robes of state, tents for soldiers, as well as ordinary garments and wardrobe requirements, except only the actual metal work It may be observed how minutely the work of the trades was divided and subdivided, and how zealously each craft was guarded, lest one tradesman or craftsman should interfere with the work of another The whole system of the companies was to form an absolute monopoly for each craft A Universal Provider, or a ,” was unknown in the palmy days of the City Companies
[Illustration: THE CHAIR OF THE MASTER OF THE SALTERS' COMPANY]
The Skinners, or _Pelliparii_, naturally dealt in skins and furs, which, before the days of soreat request, and were the distinguishi+ng badge of rank and high estate The Haberdashers united into one guild the Hat Merchants; the Haberdashers of Hats including the crafts of the Hurriers or Cappers, and the Millianers or Milliners, who derived their naoods chiefly from Milan The Salters naturally dealt in that necessary article of consuers The Irone warehouses and yards whence they exported and sold bar iron and iron rods, and also had shops for the retail of oods The Vintners, or Merchant Wine-Tonners of Gascoyne, were divided into two classes--the Vinetarii, or i the wharves; and the Tabernarii, or keepers of taverns, inns, or cook-houses The Clothworkers couilds of the Fullers and Sheermen
The above twelve companies are styled the Great Companies, and in addition to these there are sixty-two minor coreater brethren In point of nureat companies
The Armourers, Carpenters, Leather-sellers, and Saddlers are especially wealthy corporations, and have fine halls, which are scarcely surpassed by any in the city Some have no halls and small incomes, but there is scarcely a co history, or which does not have so historical associations
[Illustration: BELL (CAST 1463) FROM ALL HALLOWS', STAINING, BELONGING TO THE GROCERS' COMPANY]
THE MINOR COMPANIES
The Apothecaries have a chared war against unsound norant quacks
They would not allow anyone to ”use or exercise any drugs, simples, or compounds, or any kynde or sorte of poticarie wares, but such as shall be pure and perfyt good” Their good work continues The Armourers' and Braziers' Company perforhts and warriors depended on the good and true work of theood collection of their wares The Bakers' Company is an ancient corporation, and received its charter in 1307 The Barbers, or Barber Surgeons, were incorporated in 1461, but they existed at least a century earlier They co wounds, blows, and other infir teeth,” with that of shaving, and no one was allowed to perform these duties unless he were a member of the co Henry VIII granting a charter to Barber Surgeons in 1512, but more probably it represents the union of the Barbers' Coeons in 1540 The Blacks back to their incorporation by Edward III in 1325 They combined the trade of makers of ironith that of Dentists and Clockmakers, and were by Queen Elizabeth united with the Spurriers, or makers of spurs The incourt,” tells of the prowess of our English archers when archery was the national pastilishmen, as well as their support in war Other allied crafts were connected with the bowyers' art, including the Stringers, or long-bow string uild of the latter still exists, and forms one of our minor companies The Breere in existence in 1418, and were incorporated by Henry VI The Broderers, or makers of embroidery, flourished in the fourteenth century, and with them were united the Tapissers, or tapestry makers; their artistic skill was remarkable, and the funeral palls, still in the possession of the Merchant Taylors, the Vintners, and Fishers, are evidences of their excellent work its fellows, and has a very interesting history Its first charter was granted by Edward IV in 1477, but it existed years before, as Chaucer witnesses--
”An Haberdasher and a Carpenter, A Webbe, a Deyer and a Tapiser, Were alle y clothed in a livere Of a solerete fraternitie”
In the days of half-tireat request, and they had a large and flourishi+ng guild, which failed not to take part in all the pageants, processions, and ”ridings in the Chepe,” and in all the State functions of the city They have a noble rets the disappearance in 1876 of the old mansion house of the Carpenters, which survived the Great Fire and recalled many memories of the past In order to ”seek for and destroy faulty and deceitful work of clock and watchmakers or mathematical instrument makers,” the Clockmakers' Company was formed in 1631 Some of the members wanted a hall, and objected to ement of them all”; but this dream has not been realised, and the couilds The Coach and Coach-Harnessthe place where the Gordon riots were organized The company was for defective wheels and axle-trees and in the construction of coaches The Cooks, formerly known as pastelers or piebakers, are a very ancient fraternity, but most of their documents were destroyed in the Great Fire An _inspexie III, however, informs us that it was incorporated by Edward IV, but their history has been uneventful The Coopers can date back their existence to the reign of Edward II, but were not incorporated until 1501, one of their duties being to pray for the health of King Henry VII and his Royal consort Elizabeth while they lived, and for their souls when they shall have ”e all casks in the city of London, and to ed Breere not allowed to use vessels which did not bear the Coopers'history, upon which we should like to dwell if space perulated the trades connected with the leather industry, and included the flaying, tanning, and currying of hides, and the oloshes, and other articles of leather The Curriers have a hall, and at one time were associated with the Cordwainers Their documents were burnt in the Great Fire, but their records are coreatly thinned at the close of the sixteenth century, as we gather froether dead of the late plague” The Cutlers date back to the time of Edward III, and their trade eers, wood-knives, pen-knives, razors, surgeons' instruments, skeynes, hilts, pommels, battle-axes, halberds, and many other weapons They have abeen destroyed by the erection of the Cannon Street railway station
The Distillers' Company was founded by Sir Theodore de Mayerne, Court physician to Charles I, for the regulation of the trade of distillers and vinegar ed in the preparation of artificial and strong waters, and of ar The Dyers have an ancient and honourable co the first twelve Theirs was a very flourishi+ng industry in uilds and the brilliant hues of the garments of both male and female city-folk testified to the extent of the Dyers' industry A charter was granted to thereat events of civic and national history They, with the Vintners, have the right to keep a ”game of swans” on the Thames The Dyers' mark was formerly four bars and one nick; now it has been simplified, and one nick denotes the ownershi+p of the swan by the coood Queen Anne, their coe the production of a female weapon, which is often used with ue The Farriers were incorporated by the Merry Monarch, in order to prevent unexpert and unskilful persons destroying horses by bad shoeing, and have extended their good work to the present day by devising an adistration of shoeing suild existed as early as 1356, and we read of one Walter de Brun, farrier, in the Strand, in the tie in the parish of St Cle six horse-shoes
The Feltulated the manufacture of felt hats Of the Fletchers, or arrow makers, whose motto is ”True and sure” we have already written The Founders extended their jurisdiction over the manufacture of candlesticks, buckles, spurs, stirrups, straps, lavers, pots, ewers and basinshistory They had a guild in 1472, when they began their career with ”twenty-four poor, honest men” Their ancient ordinances contain directions aboutof wares to fairs, hawking the men caused much difficulty They loved riots and sport, and one of the ordinances of 1608 prohibited the playing of bowls, betting at cards, dice, table and shovel-board One of the principal duties of the cohts within the city, which were ordered to be brought to Founders' Hall and there ”sized and land,” and thenthe for the ancient allowance for sizing This was a very ie
The Fraenious curate, one Willia-loom in 1589 We should like, if space permitted, to dwell on his romantic story, but in this brief sketch it is i in the tiing in expensive poe band of old-lace liveries, and banners emblazoned with their ared But their glory waned and their trade passed from London to the Midlands, and little of their ancient state remains
The Fruiterers have an active little company incorporated by Ja the cultivation of hoers and small holders of land The Girdlers' Company is an ancient fraternity, once styled the ”Zonars,” and forirdles of silk or wool, or linen and garters Though the use of girdles has died out more than two centuries, the co hall and soin to a lay brotherhood of the Order of St Laurence, the irdles, and the guild was in existence in the days of Edward III, who addressed them as ”Les ceincturiers de notre Citee de Loundres”
The Glass-sellers have a charter granted by Charles II to his ”well-beloved subjects the glass-sellers and looking-glass lasses, looking-glasses, hour-glasses and stone pots, or bottles, shall be made, showed, or put to sale” The ordinances are very severe on apprentices, who, if guilty of haunting taverns, alehouses, bowling alleys, or other ht to the hall and stripped and whipped by persons appointed for that purpose Another company connected with the same substance, the Glaziers, has little history, and we pass on to the Glovers, who existed in 1349, and have had an honourable career Gloves have played such a notable part in our national life, that it would be a pleasant task to record their history, but we must confine ourselves to their makers
These had many allies and were united with the Pursers, and later on with the Leather-sellers In 1638 they recovered their independence, and their charter states that 400 faed in the trade, and were impoverished by the confluence of persons of the sa in chaloves Queen Victoria confirmed the charter of the Glovers, whose corporation was the only guild so honoured during her late Majesty's long reign
The Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers have an ancient guild incorporated by Ja in 1461 They were concerned in fashi+oning the gold and silver embroidered finery of our forefathers, who loved to ear resplendent with gold and silver The Gun our countryuns, and their coround that divers blacks had taken upon theuns after their unskilful hereby the trade was not only dah such unskilfulness had happened to his Majesty's subjects They had the power of destroying all false hand-guns, dogs, and pistols--to staood work is still carried on by the co horns, were a prosperous community, and their coht of search at the fairs of ”Stirbridge and Elie,” their fortunes declining when glass vessels were used instead of the old horn cups The Innholders remind us of the old-time inns of London, which Mr Philip Norman in these volumes so well describes At one tieours, and objected to the former title, inasmuch as their servants were really called hostillers, the hostlers or ostlers of modern time St Julian was their patron saint, for he reat peril Very curious regulations were ordained for their government, and no one was allowed to reht unless the innholder illing to answer for hiood portraits
In no as the a subdivision of labour so marked as in that which related to wood Carpenters, joiners, sawyers, and planers had each their own separate work and organization The joiners' as concerned with cupboards, bedsteads, tables and chairs, and ”rayles, sealinge boards, wainscott, chappboards and bedd timber” were their raw materials Their company was in existence in 1309, and they have a hall in the Vintry The Leather-sellers have an active and flourishi+ng guild, which is first entz_ petitioned for soulations for the prevention of the sale of fraudulent leather By the charter of Jaht of ”skins and felts called buff leather, shas, bucks, calves, sheep, larained, dressed in oil, allum, shoemack, or bark or rawed”