As to the said houses of call, or public-houses, there are a great number of them in London and the suburbs, where these journeymen tailors frequently meet and use, and spend all or the greatest part of the moneys they receive for their wages; and the masters of these houses of call, support, encourage and abet these journeymen in their unlawful combinations for raising their wages, and lessening their hours.
The laws now in being for regulating of artificers, labourers, and servants, were made in the fifth of Queen Elizabeth, and might well be adapted for these times; but not altogether so proper for the trade of London and Westminster, &c., as it is now carried on.
Therefore, the masters humbly hope this honourable house will take such measures, by passing of a law for redress of the public grievances aforesaid, or grant such other relief, as in their great wisdom shall seem meet.[366]
[365] Quoted in F.W. Galton, The Tailoring Trade, pp. 1-4.
[366] A Committee of the House of Commons reported on this petition "that the petitioners have fully proved the allegations," February 16, 1721. The Journeymen petitioned in reply. Stat. 7 Geo. I, 1 c. 3 (1721) declared combinations among the journeymen tailors unlawful in London, Westminster, and the Bills of Mortality, and fixed the hours of labour, thirteen, and the maximum wages, two shillings a day, from the end of March to the end of June, and one and eightpence for the rest of the year. Justices were given power to alter the rates at Quarter Sessions.
3. A Dispute in the Northhumberland and Durham Coal Industry [Newcastle Chronicle, September 21, 1765], 1765.
Whereas several scandalous and false reports have been and still continue to be spread abroad in the country concerning the Pitmen in the Counties of Durham and Northumberland absenting from their respective employments before the expiration of their Bonds: This is therefore to inform the Public that most of the Pitmen in the aforesaid Counties of Durham and Northumberland were bound the latter end of August, and the remainder of them were bound the beginning of September, 1764, and they served till the 24th or 25th of August, 1765, which they expect is the due time of their servitude; but the honourable Gentlemen in the Coal Trade will not let them be free till the 11th of November, 1765, which, instead of 11 months and 15 days, the respective time of their Bonds, is upwards of 14 months. So they leave the most censorious to judge whether they be right or wrong. For they are of opinion that they are free from any Bond wherein they were bound.—And an advertisement appearing in the newspapers last week commanding all persons not to employ any Pitmen whatever for the support of themselves and families, it is confidently believed that they who were the authors of the said advertisement are designed to reduce the industrious poor of the aforesaid counties to the greatest misery: as all the necessaries of Life are at such exorbitant prices, that it is impossible for them to support their families without using some other lawful means, which they will and are determined to do, as the said advertisement has caused the people whom they were employed under to discharge them from their service:—Likewise the said honourable Gentlemen have agreed and signed an Article, not to employ any Pitmen that has served in any other colliery the year before; which will reduce them to still greater hardships, as they will be obliged to serve in the same colliery for life; which they conjecture will take away the ancient character of this Kingdom as being a free nation.—So the Pitmen are not designed to work for or serve any of the said Gentlemen, in any of their collieries, till they be fully satisfied that the said Article is dissolved, and new Bonds and Agreements made and entered into for the year ensuing.
4. Sickness and Unemployment Benefit Clubs among the Woolcombers [House of Commons Journals, Vol. XLIX, pp. 323-4], 1794.
March 13, 1794. Report on Woolcombers' Petitions, 323.
William Gates being asked whether it was usual to go from place to place to seek employment, he said it was, and that their clubs or societies subsist them till they get work.... And being asked, whether there are any number of woolcombers who do not belong to the societies, he said, "There are some, but not one in one hundred that does not belong to some society."