Regulations made by the Armourers of London.
15 Edward 11. A.D. 1322. Letter-Book E. fol. cxxxiii. (Norman French.)
Be it remembered, that at the Husting of Common Pleas holden
on Monday the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul [25 January],
in the 15th year of the reign of our Lord King Edward, son of
King Edward, in presence of Hamon de Chigewelle, the then
Mayor, Nicholas de Farndone, Robert de Swalclyve, and other
Aldermen, and Richard Costantyn and Richard de Hakeneye,
Sheriffs, by assent of Hugh de Aungeye, William de Segrave,
Roger Savage, Thomas de Copham, William de Lanshulle, Richard
de Kent, Gilot le Heauberger, Hugh le Heaumer, Master Richard
le Heaumer, Simon le Heaumer, Robert de Skeltone, John Tany,
Henry Horpol, Elias de Wodeberghe, William le Heaumer, Oliver
le Heaumer, William de Staunford, John de Wyght, Richard
de Seyntis, William de Lyndeseie, John de Kestevene, Robert le
Proude, Robert Seymer, Reynold le Heauberger, Roger le Salte,
Roger de Blakenhale, and Geffray, (fn. 1) armourers, it
was ordained for the common profit, and assented to, that from
thenceforth arms made in the City for sale should be good and
befitting, according to the form which follows; that is to say:—
That a haketon (fn. 2) and a gambeson (fn. 3) covered with sendale, (fn. 4) or
with cloth of silk, (fn. 5) shall be stuffed with new cotton cloth, and with
cadaz, (fn. 6) and with old sendales, and in no other manner. And that
white haketons shall be stuffed with old woven cloth, and with
cotton, and made of new woven cloth within and without.
Also, seeing that as well lord as man have found theirs to be old
bacinets, battered and vamped-up, but recently covered by persons
who know nothing of the trade; such bacinets being then put away
in some secret place, and carried into the country, away from the
City, to sell; and that in the City of such men no cognizance can
be taken, whether the same be good or bad; a thing from which
great peril might ensue to the King and to his people, and disgraceful scandal to the armourers aforesaid, and to all the City; it
is ordained and assented to, that no smith, or other man who makes
the irons for bacinets, shall from henceforth himself cause any bacinet to be covered for sale; but he is to sell the same out of his
hands entirely, and not fitted up, in manner as used to be done here
tofore; and the bacinets so sold are to remain so uncompleted,
until they have been viewed by the four persons who shall have
been sworn thereto, or by two of them, as to whether they are
proper to be fitted up or not.
And if there shall be found in any house, whether it be of an
armourer or elsewhere, whosesoever house it may be, armour on
sale of any kind whatsoever, which is not of proper quality, or
other than has been ordained, such armour shall be immediately
taken and brought before the Mayor and Aldermen, and by them
adjudged upon as being good or bad, at their discretion.
And this matter well and lawfully to observe and supervise, Roger
Savage, William le Toneler, Master Richard le Heaumer, and John
Tany, are sworn; and where the four cannot attend, any two of
them are to do what pertains thereto.
Lease of the Moor of Haliwelle and Vynesbery for seven years, at four
marks yearly.
15 Edward II. A.D. 1322. Letter-Book E. fol. cxxxvi. (Latin.)
At the Husting of Common Pleas holden on the Monday next
before the Feast of Saint Gregory the Pope [12 March], in the
15th year of King Edward, son of King Edward, the Moor of
(fn. 7) Haliwelle and Vynesbery, belonging to the Chamber of the Guildhall, was let, by assent of Hamon de Chigewelle, Mayor, and the
Aldermen, to one Robert le Joignour, and one Walter le Fannere;
to hold from the Feast of Easter in the 15th year of the King
aforesaid to the end of seven years then next ensuing, they paying
for the same four marks yearly to the Chamber of the Guildhall
aforesaid, at the four principal terms of the year, that is to say,
one mark at each term.
For making good and faithful payment whereof at the said terms
to the Chamber aforesaid, the said Robert and Walter found sureties; namely, Bernard le Carpenter and Thomas le Gardynere,
dwelling without Bisshopesgate; who bound themselves, and each
of them, for payment of the whole, and all their moveables to distress by any serjeant or other person on behalf of the Chamber, if,
at the end of one month after each term elapsed, the rent, as before
stated, should remain unpaid: or else, by the Chamberlain of the
Chamber for the time being they shall be ejected, and as to the
whole rent pertaining to the said seven years, they shall pay the
same in full.
Punishment of John Waldeshef, a sworn Serjeant of the City, for
sowing discord therein.
16 Edward II. A.D. 1322. Letter-Book E. fol. xxi. (Latin.)
Be it remembered, that on the Wednesday next before the Feast
of St. Laurence [10 August], in the 16th year of the reign of King
Edward, son of King Edward, Hamon de Chiggewelle, the Mayor,
and the Aldermen, were informed by many persons in the City,
that John Waldeshef, sworn Serjeant of the City, had promulgated
certain things by way of impediment to the aid granted by the commonalty to our Lord the King as a subsidy for his war in Scotland; and that he maintained false charges in the City, and spread
abroad so much of discord among the good men of the City, that
unless he should be entirely removed from the counsel of the City,
no small strife and contumely would make its appearance in the
said city, among great as well as small, and the undoing of the City
itself would in a short time ensue. They therefore entreated the
same Mayor that, for the Saturday then next ensuing, he would be
pleased to summon twelve of the most approved and best men of
the (fn. 8) same Wards, and attach the said John by that day, to make
answer as to the said matter, as well to the Commonalty as to our
Lord the King.
Upon which day, Hamon de Chiggewelle, the Mayor aforesaid,
Nicholas de Farndone, Richard de Gloucestre, and others of the
Aldermen, and Richard Costantyn, Alderman, and Richard de
Hakeneie, the Sheriffs, and a very great number of the commonalty,
met together at the Guildhall; and the said John, who had been attached by Thomas de Kent, serjeant, to make answer on the matters aforesaid, did not appear, but fled privily from the City.
Wherefore, counsel being taken thereon, and respect being had to
what had been testified by the whole commonalty—that the same
John, as before-mentioned, had offended against our Lord the King
and the said commonalty, contrary to his oath, more especially in
that he had given advice to the collectors of the 2000 marks that
had been granted to our Lord the King, not to raise the moneys
aforesaid; and that peril threatened the City, by reason of the discord sown by him among great as well as small,—it was adjudged
by the said Mayor and Aldermen, with the assent of all the commonalty, that the said John should lose the freedom of the City,
which had been previously granted to him, as well as the fee of 100
shillings which by the hands of the Chamberlain he had received
from the commonalty; and that from the counsel of the City he
should be entirely removed, and, as to pleading for any one in the
City, for the future he should remain silenced.