English Economic History: Select Documents

by Unknown

Where in the parliament begun at London the third of November in the 21st year of the reign of our most dread Lord King Henry the eight, and from thence adjourned and prorogued to Westminster the 16 day of January in the 22 year of the reign of our said Sovereign Lord and there then also holden, it was and it is recited, that where before that time it was established and enacted in the 19 year of our late Sovereign Lord King Henry the VIIth, that no masters, warden and fellowship of crafts, or any of them, nor any rulers of guilds or fraternities, should take upon them any acts or ordinances nor to execute any acts or ordinances by them before that time made or then hereafter to be made, in disheritance or diminution of the prerogative of the King nor of other nor against the common profit of the people, but if the same acts or ordinances were examined or approved by the chancellor, treasurer of England or chief justice of either bench or 3 of them, or before the justices of assize in their circuit or progress in the shire where such acts or ordinances be made, upon pain of forfeiture of £40 for every time that they do the contrary, as more plainly in the said act doth appear; since which time divers wardens and fellowships have made acts and ordinances, that every apprentice should pay at his first entry in their common hall to the wardens of the same fellowship some of them 40s., some 30s., some 20s., some 13s. 4d., some 6s. 8d., some 3s. 4d. after their own sinister minds and pleasure, contrary to the meaning of the said act made in the said 19 year of the reign of the said late King Henry the VIIth and to the great hurt of the King's true subjects putting their children to be apprentices: It was therefore in the said parliament holden at Westminster in the said 22 year of the reign of King Henry the eight, established and enacted by the King our Sovereign Lord by the advice of his Lords, Spiritual and Temporal, and of the Commons in the same parliament assembled and by the authority of the same, that no master, wardens or fellowships of crafts or masters or any of them, nor any rulers of fraternities should take from thenceforth of any apprentice or of any other person or persons for the entry of any apprentice into their said fellowship above the sum of 2s. 6d., nor for his entry when his years and term is expired and ended, above 3s. 4d. upon pain of forfeiture of £40 for every time that they do to the contrary.... Since which said several acts established and made (as is aforesaid), divers masters, wardens and fellowships of crafts have by cautell and subtil means compassed and practised to defraud and delude the said good and wholesome statutes, causing divers apprentices or young men immediately after their years be expired, or that they may be made free of their occupation or fellowship, to be sworn upon the Holy Evangelist at their first entry that they nor any of them after their years or term expired shall not set up or open any shop, house nor [cellar] nor occupy as free men, without the assent and licence of the master, wardens or fellowships of their occupations, upon pain of forfeiting their freedom or other like penalty; by reason whereof the said apprentices and journeymen be put to as much or more charges thereby than they beforetime were put unto for the obtaining and entering of their freedom, to the great hurt and impoverishment of the said apprentices and journeymen and other their friends; For remedy whereof be it now by the authority of this present parliament established, ordained and enacted, that no master, wardens or fellowships of crafts nor any of them, nor any rulers of guilds fraternities or brotherhoods, from henceforth compel or cause any apprentice or journeyman, by oath or bond heretofore made or hereafter to be made or otherwise, that he after his apprenticeship or term expired, shall not set up nor keep any shop house nor cellar, nor occupy as a freeman without licence of the masters, wardens or fellowships of his or their occupation for and concerning the same; nor by any means exact or take of any such apprentices or journeyman nor any other occupying for themselves, nor of any other persons for them, after his or their said years expired, any sum of money or other things for or concerning his or their freedom or occupation, otherwise or in any other manner than before is recited limited and appointed in the said former act made in the said 22 year of the reign of King Henry the eight; upon the pain to forfeit for every time that they or any of them shall offend contrary to this act £40....

7. An Act Whereby Certain Chantries, Colleges, Free Chapels, and the Possessions of the Same be Given to the King's Majesty [1 Ed. VI, c. 14. Statutes of the Realm, Vol. IV, Part I, p. 24], 1547.

The King's most loving subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present parliament assembled, considering that a great part of superstition and errors in Christian religion hath been brought into the minds and estimation of men, by reason of the ignorance of their very true and perfect salvation through the death of Jesus Christ, and by devising and phantasing vain opinions of purgatory and masses satisfactory to be done for them which be departed, the which doctrine and vain opinion by nothing more is maintained and upholden than by the abuse of trentalls, chantries and other provisions made for the continuance of the said blindness and ignorance; and further considering and understanding that the alteration, change and amendment of the same, and converting to good and godly uses, as in erecting of grammar schools to the education of youth in virtue and godliness, the further augmenting of the universities and better provision for the poor and needy, cannot in this present parliament be provided and conveniently done, nor cannot nor ought to any other manner person be committed than to the King's Highness, whose Majesty with and by the advice of his Highness most prudent council can and will most wisely and beneficially both for the honour of God and the weal of this his Majesty's realm, order, alter, convert and dispose the same....

[Clause reciting 37 Hen. VIII, c. 4.][270]

... It is now ordained and enacted by the King our Sovereign Lord, with the assent of the Lords and Commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that all manner of colleges, free chapels and chantries, having been or in esse within five years next before the first day of this present parliament, which were not in actual and real possession of the said late king, nor in the actual and real possession of the king our sovereign lord that now is, nor excepted in the said former act in form abovesaid, other than such as by the king's commissions in form hereafter mentioned shall be altered, transposed or changed, and all manors, lands, tenements, rents, tythes, pensions, portions and other hereditaments and things above-mentioned belonging to them or any of them, and also all manors, lands, tenements, rents and other hereditaments and things above-mentioned, by any manner of assurance, conveyance, will, devise or otherwise had, made, suffered, acknowledged or declared, given, assigned, limited or appointed to the finding of any priest to have continuance for ever, and wherewith or whereby any priest was sustained, maintained or found, within five years next before the first day of this present parliament, which were not in the actual and real possession of the said late King, nor in the actual and real possession of our Sovereign Lord the King that now is, and also all annual rents, profits, and emoluments, at any time within five years next before the beginning of this present parliament employed, paid or bestowed toward or for the maintenance, supportation or finding of any stipendiary priest intended by any act or writing to have continuance for ever, shall by the authority of this present parliament, immediately after the feast of Easter next coming, be adjudged and deemed and also be in very actual and real possession and seisin of the King our Sovereign Lord and his heirs and successors for ever; without any office or other inquisition thereof to be had or found, and in as large and ample manner and form as the priests, wardens, masters, ministers, governors, rulers or other incumbents of them or any of them at any time within five years next before the beginning of this present parliament had occupied or enjoyed, or now hath, occupieth or enjoyeth the same; and as though all and singular the said colleges, free chapels, chantries, stipends, salaries of priests and the said manors, lands, tenements and other the premises whatsoever they be, and every of them, were in this present act specially, particularly, and certainly rehearsed, named and expressed, by express words, names and surnames, corporations, titles and faculties, and in their natures, kinds and qualities....

And over that be it ordained and enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that where any manors, lands, tenements, tythes, pensions, portions, rents, profits, or other hereditaments, by any manner of assurance, conveyance, will, devise or otherwise at any time heretofore had, made, suffered, acknowledged or declared, were given assigned or appointed to or for the maintenance, sustentation or finding of any priest or divers priests for term of certain years yet continuing, and that any priest hath been maintained, sustained or found with the same or with the revenues or profits thereof within five years last past, that the king from the said feast of Easter next coming shall have and enjoy in every behalf for and during all such time to come every such and like things, tenements, hereditaments, profits and emoluments as the priest or priests ought or should have had for or toward his or their maintenance, sustenance or finding, and for no longer or further time, nor for any other profit, advantage or commodity thereof to be taken....

... And be it ordained and enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that the King our Sovereign Lord, his heirs and successors, from the said feast of Easter next coming, shall have hold, perceive and enjoy for ever, all lands, tenements, rents and other hereditaments which, by any manner of assurance, conveyance, wills, will, devise or otherwise at any time heretofore had made suffered, acknowledged, or declared, were given, assigned or appointed to go or be employed wholly to the finding or maintenance of any anniversary or obit or other like thing, intent, or purpose, or of any light or lamp in any church or chapel to have continuance for ever, which hath been kept or maintained within five years next before the said first day of this present parliament.

... And furthermore be it ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the King our Sovereign Lord shall from the said feast of Easter next coming have and enjoy to him, his heirs and successors for ever, all fraternities, brotherhoods and guilds being within the realm of England and Wales and other the king's dominions, and all manors, lands, tenements and other hereditaments belonging to them or any of them, other than such corporations, guilds, fraternities, companies and fellowships of mysteries or crafts, and the manors, lands, tenements, and other hereditaments pertaining to the said corporations, guilds, fraternities, companies and fellowships of mysteries or crafts above mentioned, and shall by virtue of this act be judged and deemed in actual and real possession of our said Sovereign Lord the King, his heirs and successors from the said feast of Easter next coming for ever, without any inquisitions or office thereof to be had or found....

And also be it ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that our said Sovereign Lord the King, his heirs and successors, at his and their will and pleasure, may direct his and their commission and commissions under the great seal of England to such persons as it shall please him, and that the same commissioners, or two of them at the least, shall have full power and authority by virtue of this Act and of the said commission, as well to survey all and singular lay corporations, guilds, fraternities, companies and fellowships of mysteries or crafts incorporate, and every of them, as all other the said fraternities, brotherhoods and guilds within the limit of their commission to them directed, and all the evidences, compositions, books of accounts and other writings of every of them, to the intent thereby to know what money and other things was paid or bestowed to the finding or maintenance of any priest or priests, anniversary, or obit or other like thing, light or lamp, by them or any of them; as also to enquire, search and try, by all such ways and means as to them shall be thought meet and convenient, what manors, lands, tenements, rents and other hereditaments, profits, commodities, emoluments and other things be given, limited, or appointed to our said Lord the King by this act, within the limits of their commission: and also that the same commissioners or two of them at the least, by virtue of this act and of the commission to them directed, shall have full power and authority to assign and shall appoint, in every such place where guild, fraternity, the priest or incumbent of any chantry in esse the first day of this present parliament, by the foundation, ordinance, [the] first institution thereof should or ought to have kept a grammar school or a preacher, and so hath done since the feast of St. Michael the Archangel last past, lands, tenements and other hereditaments of every such chantry, guild and fraternity to remain and continue in succession to a schoolmaster or preacher for ever, for and toward the keeping of a grammar school or preaching, and for such godly intents and purposes and in such manner and form as the same commissioners or two of them at the least shall assign or appoint: and also to make and ordain a vicar to have perpetuity for ever in every parish church, the first day of this present parliament being a college, free chapel, or chantry, or appropriated and annexed or united to any college, free chapel, or chantry that shall come to the king's hands by virtue of this act, and to endow every such vicar sufficiently, having respect to his cure and charge; the same endowment to be to every vicar and to his successors for ever, without any other license or grant of the King, the bishop, or other officers of the diocese: ...

... And also be it ordained and enacted by the authority of this present parliament that our Sovereign Lord the King shall have and enjoy all such goods, chattels, jewels, plate, ornaments and other moveables, as were or be the common goods of every such college, chantry, free chapel, or stipendiary priest belonging or annexed to the furniture or service of their several foundations, or abused of any of the said corporations in the abuses aforesaid, the property whereof was not altered nor changed before the 8 day of December in the year of our Lord God 1547....