The Annals of the Barber-Surgeons of London

by Unknown

To the right hono^rable lord the Mair And the right wirshipful Sovˀaignes the Aldermen of the Citee of London Mekely besechen your goode lordship̃ and maistershippes all the pˀsones enfraunchesed in the crafte and mistere of Barbours w^tin the Citee of london That it wold pleas the same your lordshipp and maistershippes for the Wirship̃ of the said Citee And for the goode Rule to be had w^tin the saide Craft to graunte and establissh thise articles folowyng And theym to be entred of Recorde in the Chambre of the said Citee before your said lordship and maistershippes hereafter for to be observed and executed.

FFirst that there shall no ffraunchesed Barbo^r. w^tin the said Citee take any man or Child to be his Apprentice before that he hath pˀsented the same man or Child unto the maister and Wardeyns of the said Craft for the tyme being, to thentent that the same maister and Wardeyns may duely examyne ovˀsee serche and behold by the Colour and complexion of the said man or Child if he be avexed or disposed to be lepur or gowty maymed or disfigured in any pˀties of his body Whereby he shall fall in disdeyn or lothefulnesse unto the sight of the Kingꝭ liege people And also to be examyned of his birth and of his kynrede or if there be on hym any bonde claymed, And if he be founde defectif in any of thise poyntꝭ that than no fraunchesed Barbo^r. of the saide Citee shall take hym to his Apprentice uppon payn to pay v^li. Whereof that one half shall Remayn unto the Chambre of the said Citee.

Also that evˀy enfraunchesed barbour that taketh any apprentice shall pay to the almes of the said Craft for the same Apprentice iij^s. iiij^d. to be paied in fourme folowyng that is to sey, at the first pˀsentacion of the Appˀntice xx^d. and that other xx^d. in the same yeere When he shall be enrolled And the names of the maister and appˀntice and the yeres of appˀntishode of the same appˀntice shalbe writen in a book by the said maistˀ & Wardeyns And he that disobeith this article or orden^ance shall pay unto ye almes of the said Craft of barbours xiij^s. iiij^d. that one half thereof to be applied to thuse of the said Chambre and that other half to the almes of the said Craft. And if it so be that the said Apprentice Dye w^tin the first yere, or voide so that the said maistˀ take none avauntage by the same Appˀntice, that than the same money stonde for the next Appˀntice, And if it hapne the said maister to take any pˀfet [profit] for the said Appˀntice by way of Sale or sˀvice and that so pˀved before the said maister and Wardeyns that than the saide maister of the said Appˀntice to be charged for the said iij^s. iiij^d.

Then follows the usual Ratification (in Latin) of the above Articles.

1487. The next notice which we have of the Barbers in the City books, indicates that there had been quarrels and dissensions among them, and that the rules of the Craft had been set at nought by its members, whereupon a Book of Ordinances was presented to the Court of Aldermen for approval and ratification and the same is entered at this date, 20 July 2 Hen vij, in Letter-Book L. 235^B. as follows:—

Memorandum qˀd xx^o. die Julij Anno regni Regis Henrici septum secundo, Gardiani & aɫ pˀᵬi hõies Artꝭ sive occupacõis de Barbours Civitatꝭ london venerˀ hic in Curˀ dc̃i dñi Regis in Camˀa Guilhald ejusdem Civitatꝭ coram Henrico Colet milite maiore & Aldr̃is Civitatꝭ pˀdc̃i & porrexˀunt eisdm̃ maori & Aldr̃is quandã billam sive supplicaõem Cujus tenor sequit^r. in hec verba,

To the right honourable lord the maire and fulle discrete sovˀaignes thaldˀmen of the Citee of london Shewen mekely unto yo^r. good lordeship and maistˀshippes the maister and the Wardeyns and the good ffolke of the Crafte or Science of Barbours Surgeons of the said Citee that Where as they of longe tyme have been in discorde and not of oon conformite, but evˀy man in effect of the said Crafte or Science hathe taken and folowed his own singuler way and apetite as menne be[49] under no Rule nor obedience, contrarie to all godly policie for lacke of good Rules and orden^ancꝭ hadde and used within the same Crafte or Science, and in especiall for takyng of over many appˀnticꝭ and settyng a werk of money[50] fforeyns comyng oute of Seint Martyns, Westmynster, Suthwerk and other placꝭ nere unto this Citee to the distruccion of the good ffolke enfraunchised of the said Crafte or Science, but if[51] a remedie by yo^r noble and grete wisdomes the rather be pˀvided in that behalf. That it wold pleas yo^r. good lordeship and maistershippes for the good Rule and sadde[52] guydyng hereafter to be hadde amongꝭ the good ffolkꝭ of the said Crafte within the same Crafte to graunt to yo^r. saide besechers certeyn Articles hereaftˀ ensuying from hensforth to be obsˀved and kept and afore you here in this hono^rable Court to be establisshed and entred of Record for ever to endure.

FFirst that no pˀsone of the said Crafte or science ne none other enfraunchised within the saide Crafte and kepyng open shoppe of the same Crafte or Science within the same Cite from hensforth in any wyse pˀsume to take uppon him to sette a werke within his house or Shoppe any sˀvaunt or sˀvauntꝭ or allowes[53] or other beyng fforeyns or estraungiers, but[54] evˀry suche pˀsone so enfraunchised in the saide Crafte or science or in any other and occupie the same Crafte or Science within the Citee aforesaid present any such sˀvaunt or sˀvauntꝭ allowes and other before the maistˀs and Wardeyns of the same Crafte or Science of Barbours for the tyme beyng within iij daies next after his comyng to his saide maister to thentent that the saide maister and Wardeyns have knowledge of their habilitie and cunyng[55] before they be sette any lenger in occupac̃ion in the saide Crafte or Science, And what manˀ pˀsone[56] aforesaid hereafter be founde doyng the contrarie of this orden^ance shall forfeit and pay at evˀy tyme that he is so founden defectif xl^s. the oon half thereof to be applied to thuse of the Chambre of this hono^rable Citee and the other half to the Coẽn boxe of the said Crafte.

Also that no manˀ pˀsone[57] enfraunchised in the saide Crafte or in any other kepying an open Shoppe and occupieth the same Crafte within the Citee from hensforth take or set a Werke within his house or shoppe or ellꝭ where within the same Citee any moo[58] Sˀvaunts allowes at oones[59] beyng fforeyns or Straungiers but oonly ij pˀsones and the same ij pˀsones to be pˀsented by their maister before the maister and Wardeyns of the said Crafte or Science of Barbours for the tyme beyng within iij daies next comˀyng in to suche sˀvice to their suche maistˀ And that the same fforeyns or straungiers shall take or have of their saide maister suche wages for their suche sˀvice as it shalbe thought by the saide Maister and Wardeyns of the said Crafte of Barbours that they canne desˀve and none other, And what maner of pˀsone aforesaid hereafter be founde doyng contrarie to this orden^ancꝭ shall forfeit at evˀry tyme that he is founde defectif v^li. to be divided and applied to suche uses as be aforeherced.[60]

Also if it fortune hereafter any pˀsone enfraunchised in the saide Crafte of barbours or in any other occupying the same Crafte of barbours within the Citee to take any mo sˀvauntꝭ allowes at oones beyng fforeyns or straungiers than onely ij as is aforeherced[61] Wherethurgh[62] he renneth in the forfaiture of the said penaltie of v^li. for the saide offence, and than that the maister and Wardeyns of the saide Crafte of Barbours for the tyme beyng havyng knowleche therof put not the said penaltie of v^li. in execucion accordyng to the teno^r. of the saide Acte thereof made, within xiiij daies after that the said maistˀ and Wardeyns have knowleche thereof, that than the said maistˀ and Wardeyns for the tyme beyng so founden defectif shall forfeit and lose at evˀy tyme xiij^s. iiij^d. to be divided and applied to suche uses as be aforeherced.