27th April, 1556. It was ordered that no apprentice should wear a beard of beyond fifteen days’ growth, and that on breach of this order the master of the apprentice was to pay a fine of half a mark.
15th October, 1566. Here in this Court John James the appñts of John Shryve for pylferyng, & so here he had his correction.[170]
27th May, 1567. Robert Cholmeley complained of his apprentice
for yt he doth not his worke as he ought & for his other ill demeanors And so in the pˀsents of this Court the saide appˀnts humbled hym upon his knees and pˀmyssed his amendment.
1567. The quarrels between masters and apprentices about this period were numerous, and occupied a great deal of the time of the Court, who in dealing with them generally pursued a policy of reconciliation and made the parties friends again. In certain cases, masters were fined for ill-treating apprentices, whilst some of the latter had their Indentures cancelled or “torn in Court” and were either whipped or ordered to behave better, or to find new masters.
22nd August, 1569. Here was Rich Upton Playntyf agaynst his app̃nts Wm Fyshe for that he ranne awaye frome his said Mr the xxjth of the former moneth and tooke wth hym sˀten instruments for surgery & other things more, wch pˀtyculers were here pˀsently sene & by the said Wm Fyshe confessed and that he had no cawse to go frome his said Mr but that he wolde have gon to the sea and accordynge to his desert had correction and punnyshment unto auncyent custom wth roddes.
22nd November, 1569. Memorandˀ upon the xxijth day of November 1569 in the afternowne Gyles Swalldell thappeñtꝭ of Chrystofor Swalldell for goyng forth of his maisters house at unlawfull tymes and houres & in evell company wastinge and consumyng his Mrs grocery wares also therebye he the appntꝭ then had the correction of this hall accordyng to his desertꝭ as the justice & equytie by the Mr & govˀnors thoughte at the request of his said Mr to be most mete and convenient. And so the said Gyles Swalldell appntꝭ hathe promysed here that he wylbe a good faythfull & trusty servant unto his said Mr and never hereafter offende any more.
1st June, 1570. Here was John thappntꝭ of Thomas Wayte (for) abusying of Rogr Laborne & his wyfe and his Mr also and he had favorable correction for his offencꝭ.
John possibly thought it rather unfavourable.
By the next entry it would appear that Master Ralph Soda found the society of the ladies more congenial to his tastes than the practice of shaving and bloodletting.