We whose hands are hereunto subscribed and set, being journeymen Feltmakers in and about the city of London and borough of Southwark, do hereby acknowledge:—that we with other journeymen of the said trade have held several meetings wherein we have conspired and combined together to enhance the prices for making of hats, for which several of us now stand indicted, and being now greatly sensible and fully convinced of the unlawfulness of such conspiracies do hereby declare our hearty and unfeigned sorrow for the same, and we and every one of us do hereby promise and agree to and with the Master, Wardens and Commonalty of the Company of Feltmakers, London, that neither we nor any of us (nor any other journeyman of the trade with our or any of our privity or consent) shall or will at any time hereafter do any act or thing whatsoever that may in any wise tend to the promoting or encouraging of such conspiracies or combinations. But that we and every of us shall and will do all that in us lieth to discourage and prevent such conspiracies and combinations for the future, and also will endeavour to raise and collect money among the journeymen Feltmakers what they shall freely contribute and pay towards prosecuting the French or any other unlawful workers in the said Trade. And for that purpose shall and will truly pay such money that shall be raised by such contributions into the hands of the Master of the said Company for the time being. And we do further promise that we will for the time to come behave and demean ourselves tractable and conformable to the government and bye-laws of the said Company.
July 3rd,1699. The Masters reported to this Court that on Tuesday last he attended, with others of the Company, on the Parliament Members for the County of Surrey, according to a Rule of the Court made by the Lord Chief Justice Holt at the last Assizes at Kingston. And after hearing them and the defendants and other journeymen of the trade, they made an award and therein made no other alteration of the rates than 2d. allowance on a Beaver, a penny on a 14s. hat, and a penny allowance on an 8s., and so on to a 10s. hat, and they directed the indictment to be discharged and bill in Chancery to be dismissed.
[364] Quoted in Unwin, Industrial Organization in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, App. A. pp. 248-52.
2. A Petition of Master Tailors Against Combination Among the Journeymen[365] [British Museum, f. 816 m., 14 (II)],1721.
"The case of the Master Tailors residing within the Cities of London and Westminster, in relation to the great Abuses committed by their Journeymen. Humbly offered to the consideration of Parliament.
The Journeymen Tailors in and about the cities of London and Westminster, to the number of seven thousand and upwards, have lately entered into a combination to raise their wages, and leave off working an hour sooner than they used to do; and for the better carrying on their design, have subscribed their respective names in books prepared for that purpose, at the several houses of call or resort (being public houses in and about London and Westminster) where they use; and collect several considerable sums of money to defend any prosecutions against them.
At this time there are but few of them come to work at all, and most of those that do, insist upon, and have, twelve shillings and ninepence per week (instead of ten shillings and ninepence per week, the usual wages), and leave off work at eight of the clock at night (instead of nine, their usual hour, time out of mind), and very great numbers of them go loitering about the town, and seduce and corrupt all they can meet: to the great hindrance and prejudice of trade.
Upon complaint made to some of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, they have issued out their warrants against these offenders as loiterers; by virtue whereof some of them have been bound over to the Sessions, and others have been taken up, and bound over to appear in His Majesty's Court of King's Bench at Westminster, and the subscription books seized by virtue of the Secretary of State's warrant: Yet they still continue obstinate, and persist not only in putting the abovesaid difficulties upon their masters, to the great prejudice of trade in general; but also in collecting great sums of money to support their unlawful combinations and confederacies.
This combination of the Journeymen Tailors is and may be attended with many evil consequences: inasmuch as the public is deprived of the benefit of the labour of a considerable number of the subjects of this kingdom, and the families of several of these journeymen thereby impoverished, and likely to become a charge and burden to the public: And the very persons themselves who are under this unlawful combination, choosing rather to live in idleness, than to work at their usual rates and hours, will not only become useless and burdensome, but also very dangerous to the public; and are of very ill example to journeymen in all other trades; as is sufficiently seen in the Journeymen Curriers, Smiths, Farriers, Sail-makers, Coach-makers, and artificers of divers other arts and misteries, who have actually entered into confederacies of the like nature; and the Journeymen Carpenters, Bricklayers and Joiners have taken some steps for that purpose, and only wait to see the event of others.
These Journeymen Tailors, when there is a hurry of business against the King's Birth-day, or for making of mourning or wedding garments (as often happens) or other holidays, and always the summer seasons, are not content with the unreasonable rates they at present insist upon; but have demanded, and have had three or four shillings a day, and sometimes more; otherwise they will not work; and at such times some will not work at all; which is a great disappointment to gentlemen, and an imposition to the masters; and, if suffered to go on, must increase the charge of making clothes considerably.