17th Nov., 1551. It was ordered—
That the Kings maiestyes Barbor or Barbors to his highness parson And also his mats Surgeon or Surgeons shall sytt next to the Last Mr upon the benche where as the Mrs nowe usually doo sytt and alsoo shall goo next to the Mrs in all goyngs and syttings.
It was ordered that no Barber should take a “foreigner” as journeyman and set him to work, before presenting him to the Master and Wardens, under a penalty of 3s. 4d. per week.
This order was made because many foreigners (i.e., non-freemen) who were inexpert had lately come into the City, and the Court directed that each foreigner should give proof of his skill, and then that he should remain for one year only and in one service, and no Barber was to pay a foreigner higher wages than the Masters should from time to time “sess” or determine under a penalty of 13s. 4d. for “every weke so offending.” The Beadle was directed to keep a register book of all foreigners for the year, and when the year was expired, the Barber who kept a foreigner and was minded to keep him longer was to come to the Hall within fourteen days to have him re-registered under a penalty of 3s. 4d. per week. And no Barber was to “entyce or envegyll any mans servant from him upon peyne of forfeyting for a fyne xiijs. iiijd.”
The Court fixed the wages of these men as follows—
The best jorneyman that is a forrein shall have for a weke xijd. the second xd. and the thurde as the sayd Mrs. shall thinke meate & convenyente.
17th November, 1551. It was ordered that the youngest Warden should be chosen out of the Livery and that he should be—
in especcyall one that hathe byn stewarde so that he be a man that hath usyed himself in that behalf honestleye and discretly.