Ordinances, 12 Jan 1497/8, 16 Mar 1557/8
[p. 189 transcript] Be it Remembered that the xijth Day of Janyver The yere
of our Lord god (fn. 1) M (fn. 1) cccclxxxxvij And the xiijth yere of the Reigne of Kyng
Henry the vijth the hoole Company of the Felasship' or Mistere of Scryvaners of the Courte l're of the Citee of London' in good and honest maner
assembled theym' self togider in the Mansion' or Dwellyng place of Henry
Wodecok than' one of the Wardeyns of the said Felashep' or Mistere And
than' and there by good Delib'acion' herd redde openly amonges theym'
the articles Rueles & orden'nces concernyng theym' and their said Mistere
beyng Wreten' and conteyned in this Book called their' Co'en papir Of
which Articles div's been' regestred and enrolled in the Chamber of the
Geldhall of the said Citee And ev'y suche of alle the said Articles as to
theym' than' semed to be good and necessary honest and profitable for the
said Felaship' thei than' caused to be marked on the heed wt [blank]
Aggreying gen'ally wt one assent to alle those articles so marked And from
hensforth to have theym duely kept and put in execution' accordyng to the
good meanyng and entent of the same And ovir that to the better ordryng
comforte and Relief of the said Felaship' than' and there thei ordeyned
made and establisshed amonges theym' certeyn' other newe articles here
under Wreten'. To the Which new articles thei have hooly condescended
and aggired to be kept and put in execution' as here under is specified
that is to sey
First thei have ordeyned and establisshed contynuelly from hensforth
to endure that the two Wardeyns for the tyme beyng of the said Felaship
chosen' comenly on the Sonday next after Midsomer Day shall contynue in
their' Office of Wardeynship' for two yeres togider as thei have doon'
certeyn' yeres past, one (fn. 2) Wardeyn' alway to be taken' of the elder men'
suche as afore have been' Wardeyns and the other to be taken' of the
yonger men' suche as afore that have not been' Wardeyns And to be chosen'
alwey after their' use and maner accustumed. And ev'y such' two Wardeyns
in their' tyme of Wardeynship' to hold and kepe amonges (fn. 3) the Felaship'
onely three Sopers and one Dyner that is to sey ev'y of the thire (fn. 4) first half
yere a Soper And at the last half yere a Dyner therat chosyng the newe
Wardeyns So that the first Soper shall alway be kept and holden' the
Sonday Sevenyght after the Feest of the Epiphanye of our' Lord. The
Second Soper the Sonday next after the Feest of the Natyvyte of Saynt
John' the Baptist/The third Soper the Sonday Sevenyght ageyn' after the
Feest of the Epiphanye. And the Dyner wt a masse of the Hooly Goost afore
it to be kept and holden' the Sonday next after the Feest of the Nativite of
Saynt John' Baptist at thende of two yeres next after the election' of ev'y
suche two Wardeyns/At Which' masse ev'y p'sone Freman' of the said
Felaship' to offer jd. And at which' Dyner alwey the newe Wardeyns to be
chosen and elect as is aforsaid. And upon' ev'y such' election' the old
Wardeyns wtin [blank] Dayes to make and yeld [p. 190] a Due accomptes
unto the new Wardeyns Beyng called alwaye to ev'y such' accomptes iiij
others of the Felaship' beside the said old and new Wardeyns that is to say
two of the same iiij that have been' Wardeyns And two of theym that have
not been' Wardeyns And ev'y p'sone Freman' of the said Felaship' to the
mayntenannce of the Co'en charges of the said Sopers and Dyners to pay
at ev'y suche said Soper xijd. and at ev'y Dyner ijs. for hym self. And for
his Wif if she come to the Dyner iiijd. these paiementes to be in lieue of
their' old charges of vijd. a quart' and xijd. the Dyner. the first of the said
Sopers now to begyn' the Sonday next after the Feest of the Natyvyte of
Saynt John' Baptist next now comyng. And the Dyner that Day twelve
moneths And so forth' to contynue alwey in two yeres wt three Sop's and
one Dyner. And the cause why to have so fewe Sopers is for asmoche as
afore these tymes hederto Whan' thei had ev'y quarter a Soper their' vijd.
a quart' and xijd. a Dyner was not equyvalent unto the payementes and
charges used and accustumed to be paide by the Wardeyns for their' Sopers
and Dyner So and in such' Wise that comenly their' payementes and
charges exceded their' Receytes ev'y two yeres v. or vj. m'rc Wherthurgh'
the Co'en Treso' if eny be of the said Felaship' alway decreseth' and
mynyssheth' and so consequently shuld be utterly spent and wasted/
Also
(fn. 5) forasmoche as div's App'ntices have been' taken' contynued and
s'ved their' app'ntishodes wtin the said Felaship' that have not had their'
p'fact congruyte of gramer Which' is the thyng moost necessaire and
expedient to ev'y p'sone ex'cisyng and usyng the science and faculte of the
said Mistere. And in default Wherof they can' not have the p'fact knowlege
and connyng of the said science. Wherthurgh' often' tymes thei erre/And
their' actes and feates been' incongrue and not p'factly doon' to the gret
Reproche and sclanndre of the said Felaship'. It is therfore ordeyned and
enacted by the Com'en assent abovesaid that ev'y p'sone of the said Felaship' Which' at eny tyme hereaft' shall take any App'ntice to the said
science shall bryng and p'sent the same app'ntice to the Wardeyns of the
said Felaship' for the tyme beyng the name of the said app'ntice to be
Wreten' in the booke of the said Felaship' And than' to be examyned by
theym' or their' assignees if the same app'ntice have his congruite or not.
And if it be founden' that he have not his said congruite. that than' the
maister of the said app'ntice to be monysshed and charged by the said
Wardeyns that the same App'ntice be set and founden' to gramer scole
unto such' tyme as he have or by resonable capacite may have posytif
gramer. or atte lest that he be competently erudite and lerned in the
bookes of p'vula (fn. 6) Gendres Declynysons p't'ites (fn. 7) and supynes Equivox &
Sinonimes wt the other pety bookes And that wtin iiij (fn. 8) the first yeres of
his t'me upon' payn' that eny' maister of eny' suche app'ntice Which'
dooth' or suffer to be doon' the [p. 191] contrary to this acte beyng
monysshed as is aforsaid shall forfaite and pay at ev'y tyme (fn. 9) that he so
doo'th the Contrary. C.s sterlinges to be applyed to thuse herund' writen'
that is to sey the one half therof to be eq'ally devyded bitwene the Chamber
of the Guyldhall of London' and the body of the same Felaship'. And the
other half to thuse of the said app'ntice if he or his Frendes woll' therof
compleyn' and make Due prouf of the same. And that also ev'y maister
takyng such' app'ntice shall geve and Deliv' to the Wardeyns of the said
Felaship' for the (fn. 10) tyme beyng to thuse of the Treso' of the said Felaship'
A Spone of siver price of iijs. iiijd. or iijs. iiijd. in money for the same spone
And for asmuche as it is not playnely p'scribed at the making of the
order last aforespecified Wtin What tyme eny p'sone of the saide felowshipp' sholde bringe and p'sent the name of his app'ntice or app'ntices to
the Wardeyns of the saide Felowshipp' for the tyme beyng not only to
cause the name of the saide app'ntice to be Written' in the boke in the saide
felowshipp' But also to be examyned by them or by some of the saide felowshipp' Whether the same app'ntice have his congruytie in the lattyn' tonge
or not To thentent that reformac'on and redresse may be had and taken
therin accordingly
It is nowe therfore decreed condiscended and fully agreed by thassentes
and consentes of Thomas Went and William Pierson now Wardeyns of the
saide company And by the consentes and agreamentes of William Blackwell
John lee thelder John Melsham [John, deleted and] Richard [written above]
Mannsell Thomas Pierson' Barthelmew Brokesby Thomas Atkynson'
Thomas Wytton and John Norden' at a meating att the Wexchaundelers
hall in london the xvjth daie of Marche a° d'ni 1557, That ev'y p'sone and
p'sones of the saide Mystery or felowshipp' Whiche fromhensfo'the (fn. 11) shall
take and have any app'ntice or app'ntices shall W'in Syx Wekes (fn. 12) next and
imediatly after he or they shall so take and have any suche app'ntice or
app'ntices bounde unto hym or them Bring and p'sent the same app'ntice
to the Wardeyns of the saide Mystery or felowshipp' for the tyme being to
thentent to have his and their names entred in the co'en booke of the saide
felowshipp' and to be examyned in forme aforesaide according to the effecte
and true meanyng of the saide first recyted order, upon suche paynes and
penalties as in the same first order is declared/And further that no p'sone
or p'sones of the saide Mystery or felowshipp' shall at any tyme or tymes
from hensforthe Willingly suffer any his app'ntice or app'ntices to Certefie
or Witnes the Sealling or delyv'y of any dede Evidence bonde Writing or
conveyannce Whatsoever, unles he or they have byn bounde app'ntice
Wkmt fraude or covyn Wt his Mr by the space of one hole yere at the least
upon' payne for the First offence contrary to this order xs. and for the
second offence xxs. and for the thirde offence xls. to be levied to suche like
uses as in the saide first recyted order is lymytted for not p'senting of
app'ntices as in the same first order more playnely appereth
Footnotes
| 1 |
In the right-hand margin at the end of this line: 1497.13 H.7. |
| 2 |
In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: Wardeyns. |
| 3 |
In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: Three Sopers & one Dyner. |
| 4 |
The manuscript is not very clear; this passage should read 'the three first half yeres'. |
| 5 |
In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: App'ntices. |
| 6 |
The word is pervula orparvula and refers to a Latin grammar; for printed editions,
see Short Title Catalogue (1926), nos. 19, 439–42. I owe this identification to the
kindness of Mr. A. G. Watson. |
| 7 |
The word is preterites. |
| 8 |
The sense requires a word or words to follow this figure. |
| 9 |
In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: pena Cs. |
| 10 |
In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: A Spone or iijs. iiijd. modo
ijs. vjd. |
| 11 |
In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: vj Wekes. |
| 12 |
In the right-hand margin at the end of this line: Wthin vj weekes to p'sent app'ntices. |