There shall be three copies of the seal. Two of the Twenty four shall keep two and one of the Commonalty the third. All shall be kept in a coffer, set in a larger coffer having two locks; the keys of one lock being kept by one of the Twenty-four, and that of the other lock by one of the Commonalty.
[Rules of pleading in the courts of the city of Winchester follow.]
BRISTOL [later regulations]
GILD MASTERS SANCTIONED BY THE MAYOR
(Toulmin Smith, p. 420)
It hath been used, the Mayor to let summon all the masters of the Bakers, Brewers, Butchers, and of all other crafts of the town, to come before him, and then to go and assemble them at their halls and places accustomed, to the election of their masters for the year following, and thereupon to bring their said masters and present them before the Mayor, there to take their oaths in the Mayor’s presence.
It hath been used, that within a month after Michaelmas Day, the Mayor, Sheriff and Bailiffs of Bristol, to hold their Lawday in the Guildhall, by the town clerk of the same town, there to call, first the whole Council of Bristol, without any fines accepted for absence, and after that to call all freeholders and common suitors upon pain of fines, and then to call the constables of every Ward. And so to proceed to his inquests.
PETITION OF THE GILD OF FULLERS OF BRISTOL TO THE TOWN AUTHORITIES (p. 284)
To the honourable and discreet sirs, the Mayor, sheriff, and all other honourable burgesses of the Common Council of the same town, humbly pray the Masters of the craft of Fullers of the said town: Whereas the said craft has, of old time, had divers ordinances enrolled before you of record in the Gihald of Bristol, in order to put out and do away with all kinds of bad work and deceits which divers people, not knowing the craft, from time to time do, as well in fulling cloths as in “pleityng” and “rekkyng” and many other defects in the said cloths; by which defects the town and craft are fallen into bad repute in many places where the said cloths are put to sale, to the great reproach and hindrance of the said craft.
Wherefore may it please your very wise discretions and honourable wisdom, to grant to the said suppliants that all their good ordinances of old time entered of record, and not repealed, be firmly held and kept and duly put in execution; and that four good men of the said craft be chosen by them every year, and sworn before the Mayor loyally to present all manner of defects which hereafter shall be found touching the said craft, with power, twice a week, to oversee such defects, and, likewise to keep watch over the servants and workmen of the same craft, within the franchise of Bristol, so that the said servants and workmen should not take more wages than of old time is accustomed and ordained.