who have been noticed under the reign of Edward III. had equally increased with the men, and engrossed many of the trades connected with the dress of their sex. For carrying on these they had their peculiar districts, the Bond-streets and Cranborn-alleys of antiquity, and similarly associated in gilds. The "silk women of London" were probably one of the most consequential of these societies, and will be found noticed in the account of the Mercers' Company. In the 5th of Henry IV., the absolute control the mayor had acquired over the companies was remarkably exemplified in some proceedings which took place on a dispute between the goldsmiths and cutlers; when the former, having petitioned the king to confirm their right of search, granted by Edw. III. and which they extended to the oversight of the cutlers, the latter, in a counter-petition, denied such right of oversight of cutlers' work to reside any where but with the four wardens "de artifice de cotellerie." Both these petitions being considered by parliament, it was directed that a writ should be sent to the mayor of London, and that he should be empowered, by authority of parliament, to summon the folks of both the goldsmiths' and cutlers' mysteries, who should produce their ancient evidences and usages on both sides before him; and which said mayor should, if needful, certify the result without delay, to the king in council, in order that the king, on deliberation, and with the advice of the lords spiritual and temporal, might act as the case should require. The writs to the mayor on this occasion, as well on behalf of the goldsmiths as the cutlers, command, that in consequence of certain petitions which had been presented to the king, in his present parliament, by the goldsmiths and the cutlers, and which petitions were inclosed, he should, on reading the same, do what was right on the behalf of each, and make return thereof, under his seal, to the king in his then parliament, who would determine thereupon. The return of the mayor specified "that by virtue of two writs of the lord the king, directed to him, William Ascham, mayor of London, he had inspected the inclosed petitions of the goldsmiths and cutlers, and had caused to appear before him, at the guildhall of the said city, as well the sufficient men of the said mysteries, as several other good and sufficient aged men of each ward of the city, and had had exhibited to him, by the said goldsmiths and cutlers, their charters, inrolments, and evidences, as well written as not written, concerning the rules, usage, assaying, and government of the said mysteries; and by which it appeared to him, the mayor, that the cutlers had of old times occupied their works of gold and silver within the city, as the change of times and fashion demanded; and that the wardens of the mystery of goldsmiths, for the time being, subject to the oversight of the mayor and aldermen of the same city, had from old times been accustomed to have the assay of the gold and silver work of the said cutlers within the city of London.* Henry V. is not mentioned to have incorporated any company except the above one, the cutlers; though, from the many now extinct companies we read of in his reign, it seems probable that he must have incorporated and confirmed several which we are not acquainted with. An important improvement in the keeping of the companies' books is ascribed to this king. The account is in an entry, in Latin, amongst the brewers' records, of which the following is a translation. We should previously remark, that all the old court books, and others of the early fraternities, are in Norman French, sometimes intermixed with abbreviated Latin, or the old English of Chaucer's day. This will have been observed in the extracts we have made. The discontinuance of these languages, unless for legal instruments, is evinced by the grocers' and other companies having their ordinances translated, and adopting English in keeping their books about this time; but the cause has been left for the above-mentioned curious records to develope. • Petitions in Parl. vol 2. + The brewers' records have two lists about this time, one headed "The titles of divers crafts of old accustomed and long continuing, this 9th year of Henry V." (1422) the other, "The names of divers crafts and fraternities that did hire our ball during two years (1422-3), with the sums of money which they did pay." After naming the Twelve Companies in the following order,-mercers, grocers, drapers, fishmongers, goldsmiths, vintners, skinners, tailors, saddlers, ferrones, [ironmongers,] girdlers, allutarij, hab'dashers,-they enumerate most of the minor ones given in the preceding lists of 38 and 50 Edw. III.; together with the following additional companies; the galoch-makers, linen-weavers, paynters, cementarij, sheremen, hatters, coffres, pointmakers, leatherdyers, bellmakers, chariotmakers, brochemakers, carvers, bookbinders, textwriters, chapemakers, net makers, and masterclerks. "Whereas our mother tongue, to wit, the English tongue, hath in modern days began to be honourably enlarged and adorned; for that our most excellent lord king Henry the Fifth hath, in his letters missive, and divers affairs touching his own person, more willingly chosen to declare the secrets of his will; and for the better understanding of his people, hath, with a diligent mind, procured the common idiom (setting aside others) to be commended by the exercise of writing; and there are many of our craft of brewers who have the knowledge of writing and reading in the said English idiom, but in others, to wit, the Latin and French, before these times used, they do not in anywise understand; for which causes, with many others, it being considered how that the greater part of the lords and trusty commons have begun to make their matters to be noted down in our mother tongue, so we also in our craft, following in some manner their steps, have decreed in future to commit to memory the needful things which concern us, as appeareth in the following:" The entries then proceed to notice, in English, other of what they call "the extraordinary and arbitrary proceedings of Richard Whittington against the Brewers' Company," in addition to those already detailed, and the succeeding entries are chiefly found in English. Henry VI. confirmed almost the whole of the twelve companies, besides chartering or confirming many of the lesser ones; viz. the dyers, brewers, armourers, girdlers, cordwainers, and the masons. His confirmations of the great companies, included the mercers, grocers, drapers, fishmongers, merchant tailors, salters, haberdashers, and the vintners. The following important legal regulation took place in the 15th of this reign: The commons petitioned the king, "that whereas the masters, wardens, and commonalty of several gilds, fraternities, and other companies incorporate in various parts of the kingdom, frequently, under colour of rule and government, and other terms, in general words to them granted and confirmed by charters and letters patent of the progenitors of our lord the king, made amongst themselves several disloyal and little reasonable ordinances, as well as corrected offences, whereof the cognizance and punishment solely appertained to the king, the lords of liberties, and other persons, and by which the said lord the king and others were disinherited of their franchises and profits, confederating things for their own single profit, and to the common damage of the people." That he would ordain, "That the masters, wardens, and commonalty of each such incorporated gild, fraternity, or company, should, between then and the ensuing Michalmas-day, bring and cause to be registered of record, before the justices of the peace, or governors of cities, burghs, and towns, in which such gilds are situated, all their letters patent and charters; and that they should not make or use any ordinance in disparity or diminution of the franchises of the king or others, or against the common profit of the people, nor allow any other ordinances without their being first approved and inrolled before such justices; and that the same should be by them afterwards revoked and recalled, if not found to be wholly loyal and reasonable; and this under penalty of losing and forfeiting the power and effect of all articles comprised in their said letters patent and charters, which allowed them to make amongst themselves such ordinances; and moreover of forfeiting to the king the sum of 10l. for every ordinance made contrary, as often as they should be convicted thereof by due process." The statute 15 Henry IV. c. 6, 7, grants this petition in precisely the same words.* Edward IV. confirmed the drapers, goldsmiths, merchant tailors, salters, ironmongers, and clothworkers; and of minor companies, the pewterers, barber-surgeons, tallow-chandlers, and cooks. The reign of this prince was remarkable for the further enlargement of the power of the companies, by associating the liverymen at large of the trading companies with the electors at common hall. In his seventh year it was enacted by the Common Council, "that the election of mayor and sheriffs should be in the Common Council, together with the masters and wardens of each mystery. The number of voters, however, appearing by this regulation to be too much narrowed, it was at last established by act of Common Council, of 15th of Edward IV., that the master and wardens should Rol. Parl. iv. p. 507. associate with themselves the honest men of their mysteries, and to come in their best liveries to the elections of the mayor and sheriffs and moreover, that none but themselves and the members of Common Council should be present." These City elections were finally regulated as above by the act 2. George I. The statute of the 8th of this king, c. 11. against the old grievance of promiscuously giving liveries, again excepts from its operation "gilds, fraternities, or mysteries corporate." These frequent prohibitions on the same subject would seem strange to modern readers, if the reason had not been just explained. The evil of these party distinctions had reached its height in the preceding war between the "Roses," and again called forth legislative enactments on Edward's becoming secured on the throne. Henry VII., who resorted to the same measure at the beginning of his reign, finally destroyed the practice by the heavy fine he is known to have inflicted on his father-in-law, Lord Stanley. At the coronation of Richard III. the example first occurs of the heads of the great livery companies being chosen by the Common Council to attend the mayor of London to West minster as cup-bearer. The persons so chosen were the un der-written, viz. "Henry Cole, goldsmith William Sandes, grocer John Swann, cissor William Mariner, salter John Pasmer, pellipar John Tate, mercer William Sparke, clothworker Richard Knight, fishmonger (blank of two names here.) who went in great state; and their claim in this particular was formally allowed, and still remains on record at the Town Clerk's Office.* In this same reign the twelve companies also gave a proof of their civic importance and liberality, by contributing, with the mayor, Ralph Josceline, towards the repair of the city walls, each company taking his respective portion. The skinners made that part thereof on the east, between Aldgate aud Bevis Marks, towards Bishopsgate, and had their arms put up there in three places. The mayor, with his company of drapers, made all that part betwixt Bishopsgate and All Lib. L. fol. 191. a. and b. |