The Annals of the Barber-Surgeons of London

by Unknown

Et ad confirmandꝭ plenius omẽs ordinac͠oes sup^a dicas sigillnˀ decanatus xˀpianitatis Lincolnˀ pˀsentibʒ est appensuˀ in finem & testimoniuˀ pˀmissoꝜ Dat Lincoln die & anno sup^a dcĩs.

In trĩs & teñ ad gildam pˀdcam mortificatꝭ vel non mortificatꝭ nichil hẽnt nec cãt aliqua in manibʒ ipoꝜ fratrnˀ & soroꝜ ad usum dc̃e gilde existunt nisi ex largĩoe eoꝜᵭe ad pˀdcãs deuoc͠oes sustinendꝭ & comunia iñt se non fac nisi tm̃ pˀ dilec͠oe int̃ eos nutriendꝭ.

(TRANSLATION.)

GUILD IN THE CITY OF LINCOLN.

The certificate of the ordinances and beginning of the Fraternity of Barbers of Lincoln, by virtue of the proclamation in that behalf made, follows in these words;—

This is a certain fraternity made and begun by the common assent of all the Barbers of the City of Lincoln, in honour of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mary and observed in honour of Saint John the Evangelist, renewed in the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, A.D. 1369.

The first ordinance is, that they have and keep one “quadrate” of wax burning on all feast days throughout the year, and on other special occasions before the altar of Saint John the Evangelist in the Monastery of the Blessed Mary at Lincoln. And all the brothers and sisters of the said fraternity go in procession with the said candle, and all the brothers and sisters offer at the Image of Saint Saviour a halfpenny, under a penalty of one pound of wax.

The second ordinance is, that if any brother or sister of this fraternity shall die in the City, the Dean of this guild shall bear in order four “soule candels,” which shall burn about the corpse at the Dirige and remain until the Mass. And all the brothers and sisters, for the soul of the departed, pay a halfpenny to the poor, according to the directions of the Graceman and Wardens, wherever the greater necessity shall be.

The third ordinance is, that if any brother or sister shall die so poor, that he has not whence to be buried as he ought to be, the Graceman and Wardens, of the halfpennies collected, together with any portion of his chattels they find, shall make a general mourning, and do other necessaries that he be honorably buried.