containing the Barber-Surgeons’ arms, and distributed over the heading are the arms of the Master and Wardens in 1606, viz.: John Peck, Edward Rodes, William Fynynge and John Fenton.
The By-Laws are allowed by Thomas Lord Ellesmere, Lord Chancellor; Thomas Earl of Dorset, Lord Treasurer; and Sir John Popham, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; who send “greeting in our Lord God Everlasting,” and enact Ordinances of such fearful length, that to a layman it passes comprehension how the draughtsman could have kept his head clear whilst he travelled through such a sea of prolixity, and, to a great extent useless, repetition. If the Chancellor and his colleagues troubled themselves to read through and understand the document to which they have appended their seals, they must have uttered very sensible sounds of relief when they came to the sealing; the recapitulation of the mere heads of this extraordinary production, will probably be found wearisome to the reader, vizt:
1. Recital of an Act of Parliament, 24th Feby., 19 Henry VII.
2. Oath of a freeman.
3. Oath of the Masters or Governors.
4. Oath of an Assistant of the Livery.
5. Oath of the Electors.
6. Oath of the Clerk.
7. Oath of a “foreign” Surgeon.
8. Oath of the Wardens of the Yeomanry.
9. Oath of an Assistant of the Yeomanry.
10. Oath of the Beadle.
11. Oath of the Porter.
Note.—Some of the foregoing oaths contain over 500 words in each!
12. Every person shall appear upon summons under a penalty of 3s. 4d., and for not keeping the hour, a fine of 2d. to be imposed.
13. Masters neglecting the day of Election, the distribution of Ferbras’ alms, or the payment of rents, to forfeit £5.
14. No great Election dinner to be kept without the consent of a Court of Assistants, under a penalty of £5.
15. The allowance for a great dinner to be 20 marks, and for a small one £4.
16. Manner of Election of Masters or Governors.
17. Time of Election.
18. Twelve Electors to be chosen.
19. Electors to be sworn.
20. The Masters omitting any next in Election out of their Bills, the Electors to choose others.
21. The order after Election.
22. A refuser of the office of Master or Governor to be fined 40s. and to be eligible to be chosen again.
23. Or may be absolutely discharged of such office on payment of £10.
24. And on refusal to pay such fines, to be dismissed out of the Court of Assistants and out of the Livery.
25. If the Electors choose such refuser to further place, before he have paid his fine, each Elector to forfeit 40s.
26. Every person chosen into the Livery to pay £5 if he have not served as Warden of the Yeomanry, and if otherwise then 40s.
27. Election of two Stewards of the Mayor’s feast, and two Stewards of the Anatomy; £8 to be allowed to the former and £6 to the latter.
28. Refusers of the Office of Steward to forfeit £13 6s. 8d. each.
29. The Common Seal to be kept under lock and key.
30. Time of the audit and appointment of eight auditors.
31. Day for reading “General Rules.”
32. View of the Company’s lands to be made yearly in October.
33. Allowance for the view dinner.
34. “Search” to be made twice in the year.
35. Apprentices to be presented within one month after they are retained in service, under a penalty of 40s.
36. Indentures to be prepared by the Clerk before presentation.
37. The Clerk to make all indentures.
38. Every liveryman may keep three apprentices.
39. No decrepit, diseased or deformed apprentice to be retained by any Barber or Surgeon.
40. No person to teach any but his apprentice.
41. No person to put away his apprentice, without an order of Court.
42. No person to entice away another’s apprentice or servant.
43. Every person to enroll his apprentice.
44. The Court to punish disobedient apprentices after its discretion.
45. No freeman to “open shop” before he hath served one year as journeyman.
46. No Barber to use more than one shop.
47. No Surgeon to serve by sea or land before he and “his furniture” be examined and viewed.
48. Reformation of abuses in disobedient masters and servants.
49. No person to serve as a journeyman unless free of the Company.
50. No person to use surgery before he be examined and admitted.
51. No person to examine but the Examiners.
52. No Examiner to be chosen but by the Court.
53. Every Surgeon to be at every lecture on Surgery.
54. No Surgeon to defraud another of his patient.
55. No Person to shew his porringers, saucers or basons with blood therein.
56. Every patient in danger of death or maim to be presented to the Masters.
57. No person to take such presentation but a Master or Governor.
58. Ordinance against unskilful practice in Surgery.
59. No Anatomy to be dissected out of the Common Hall.
60. Anatomies to be decently buried.
61. Warrant to create a Yeomanry.
62. No “Courts of Assistants” to be held on Tuesdays.
63. No Court of Assistants to be under the number of sixteen persons.
64. Order of precedence in speaking.
65. Every Member to go and sit in his due place.
66. Ordinance against contentious and troublesome persons.
67. Ordinance against revealers of Court secrets.
68. No alien or stranger to bear the office of Master or Governor.
69. Ordinance against unseemly behaviour towards the Masters or Governors.
70. Ordinance against blotting or defaceing of books, pictures or monuments.
71. Ordinance against any of the Livery refusing to attend in his Livery gown.
72. Pensions for decayed members.
73. Warrant to search for hurt persons and malefactors.
74. As to quarterage.
75. Third Warden’s duties as to receipts.
76. And as to payments.
77. Duties of Fourth or Renter Warden.
78. Renter Warden to furnish accounts.
79. As to the Audit.
80. Ordinance against Sunday trading by Barbers.
81. As to fines and penalties.
82. Power to the Beadle to distrain (under a Warrant signed by the Masters) for all fines; also power to dismiss disobedient persons, and to inflict corporal punishment.
Penalties of varying amounts are specified for breaches of any of the foregoing Ordinances.
The By-Laws are signed “Ellesmere, Canc̃,” “T. Dorset” and “Jo: Popham,” and the three seals of their arms are pendant.
8th September, 1606. This daie it is ordered that the Mrs shall pay vli to Mr Michaell the Lord Cheif Justices man for his paynes in penninge of or ordynaunces.