The Annals of the Barber-Surgeons of London

by Unknown

Afterwards, on the fourth day of July, in the 4th year, etc. (1416) before Nicholas Wottone, Mayor, the Recorder, and the Aldermen, in full Court, upon truthful information of certain trustworthy and discreet men of the craft of Barbers, practising the art of surgery aforesaid, as of other able and substantial men of the said city, it was stated how that, notwithstanding the Ordinance aforesaid, very many inexperienced men of the said craft of Barbers, indiscreetly practising the art of surgery, did presume, and in their presumption pretend, that they were wiser than the Masters inspecting, and, as to certain infirmities—indiscreetly excusing themselves therein, on the insufficient grounds that they are not liable to the peril of maiming or of death—did altogether disdain to give notice of the same to the said Masters inspecting, according to the Ordinance aforesaid, or to be discreetly examined by them as to the same, or diligently to be questioned thereon. Upon which pretence, they did not hesitate daily to take sick persons, in peril of death and of maiming, under their care, without shewing such sick persons, or such infirmities and perils, unto the same Masters inspecting; by reason of which presumption or unskilfulness, such sick persons were exposed to the greatest peril, either of maiming or of death. Wherefore, the said Mayor and Aldermen were prayed that, for the common advantage of the whole realm, and the especial honour of the said city, they would deign to provide some sure remedy for the same.

And accordingly, the Mayor and Aldermen, assenting to the said petition, as being just and consistent with reason, having taken diligent counsel as to the matters aforesaid, and considering that very many of such persons in these times are more in dread of loss or payment of money than amenable to the dictates of honesty or a safe conscience, did ordain and enact, that no barber, practising the art of surgery within the liberty of the said City, should presume in future to take under his care any sick person who is in peril of death or of maiming, unless he should show the same person, within three days after so taking him under his care, to the Masters inspecting, for the time being, by the barbers practising the art of surgery within the liberty of the said City to be elected, and to the Mayor and Aldermen presented, and by them specially to be admitted; under a penalty of 6s. 8d. to the Chamber of London in form underwritten to be paid, so often as, and when, against this Ordinance they should be found to act; namely, 5 shillings to the use of the Chamber of the Guildhall, and 20 pence to the use of the craft of the Barbers.

1423. In this year certain Ordinances were made by the Mayor (Sir William Walderne) and Court of Aldermen which are entered in Letter-Book K. 6^B. This record relates to what Mr. D’Arcy Power, in his “Memorials of the Craft of Surgery,” has termed a “Conjoint College” of the Physicians and Surgeons, and has little to do with our Company, beyond the fact that the scrutiny and oversight of persons practising Surgery is given to the Masters of the Surgeons’ Guild. The subject of these Ordinances and many very interesting remarks thereon and on the Conjoint College may be seen at p. 52, &c., of Mr. D’Arcy Power’s work; and the record itself is set forth in full at p. 299; furthermore, extracts from it, so far as the same relate to the privileges and practice of the Surgeons, are to be found in the beautiful old vellum MS. formerly belonging to that Guild, and now in the possession of the Barbers’ Company.

Armed with this additional authority, the Surgeons’ Guild again sought to interfere with and scrutinize the Barber-Surgeons of the Barbers’ Company. These latter, however, must have had good friends at Court, and were not slow in asserting and obtaining confirmation of their rights and privileges, as will be seen by reference to the following record in Letter-Book K. 27^B.:—

1424. Memorandum. That on Friday the 10th day of November in the third year of the reign of Henry the Sixth from the Conquest before John Michell, Mayor, Thomas Knolles and other Aldermen, and Simon Seman and John Bithewater, Sheriffs of the City of London, It was granted and ordained that the Masters of the faculty of Surgery within the craft of Barbers of the same city, do exercise the same faculty even as fully and entirely as in the times of Thomas Fauconer late Mayor, and other Mayors, it was granted unto them, notwithstanding the false accusation (calumpnia) which the Rector and Supervisors of Physic and the Masters of Surgery pretend concerning a certain ordinance made in the time of William Walderne late Mayor (1423) and entered in the letter book K, folio 6, the which, they now endeavour to enjoin upon the said Barbers.

1451. With the exception of a few references (which are noticed elsewhere) the City records are silent concerning the Barbers’ Company until this year, when the Master and Wardens, styled here “Gardiani,” with certain honest men of the Mystery of Barbers, brought a Bill before the Mayor and Aldermen, praying them to establish certain Ordinances, and to enter them of record, which was granted and done.

These Ordinances provided for the enforcement of stated penalties in cases of disobedience and related to attendance upon summons, settlements of disputes, refusal of office, admission of members, evil speaking, assemblies and payments, instruction of “foreyns,” employment of aliens. They are to be found in Letter-Book K. 250, and are the first written in English, all previous ones being either in Latin or Norman French in the originals.

Memorandum q^d. xxv^to. die ffebruarii Anno regni Regis Henrici Sexti post conquestˀ vicesimo nono veniunt hic in Curˀ Dñi Regis in Camˀa Guyhald Civitatis london coram Nich̃o Wyfold Maiore & Aldermannis ejusdem Civitatꝭ magistˀ & Gardianˀ necnon cẽti probi homines misterˀ barbitonsoꝜ Civitatꝭ p’dcẽ & porrexerunt dcisˀ Maiore & Aldermannis quandam billam sive supplicacioñe vˀboꝜ sequentˀ seviem continentem Unto the ryght Worshipfull and Worshipfull lord and souvˀaignes Mair and Aldremen of the Citee of London,

Besechen most mekely all pˀsones enfˀunchised in the craft and mistier of Barbours wythin the said Citee That it please unto your lordshippˀ and Right wise discrecions for to consider howe that for as moche as certein ordin^ances been establisshed made and entred of Record in the ch^aumber of the yeldhall of the said Citee all pˀsonnes of the said Craft have fully in opinion for to obeye observe and kepe theim and noon other in eny Wise, So been y^r. many and divˀse defaultes often tymes amonges your said besechers not duely corrected for default of such other ordin^ances to be made and auctorised sufficiently of record in the said ch^aumber, like it therefore unto your said lordshippe and grete Wisdoms of your blessed disposicons for the pˀpetuell Wele and good Rule of the said Craft for to establissh and make these ordinaunces here folowyng pˀpetuelly to endure and for to be observed and putte in due execucion in the same craft And to be auctorised of record in the said ch^aumber for evˀ And your said besechers shall pray god for you.

FFirst that evˀy barbour enfˀ^auncheised householder and other occupier of the same craft holdyng eny shopp of barberye wythin the Citee of london shall be redy att all manˀ som̃ons of the Maisters and Wardeins of the same craft for the tyme being that is to sey for the Kyng the Mair or for eny Worshipp of the said Citee And yef eny man occupying the said craft in manˀe and fourme aforesaid absent him from eny such som̃ons wythoute cause reasonable and thereof duely convict than he to pay at the ch^aumber of the yeldhall xiij^s. iiij^d. that is to say vj^s. viij^d. to the same ch^aumber and other vj^s. viij^d. to the almes of the said craft. Also that evˀy man enfˀ^auncheised under the fourme abovesaid that disobeyeth and kepeth not his houre of his som̃ons at eny tyme w^toute cause reasonable and yˀof[44] duely convict shall paye to the almesse of the said craft at evˀy tyme y^t. he maketh such defaute ij^d. And yef eny of theim what so evˀ he be of the same craft that disobeye this ordin^ance he shall paye to the ch^aumber of the yeldhall iij^s. iiij^d. at evˀy tyme that he maketh such default.