egress to be enrolled. . . . And ye shall take no apprentice unless he be a free man and not a bondsman. All of which points aforesaid ye shall well and truly keep, so God you help and all his saints.

97. Ordinances of the White-Tawyer's Guild

(Riley, Henry T., Memorials of London, p. 232)

The following ordinances of the guild of white-tawyers, that is those who dressed leather with salt, alum, and other substances, to give it a white surface, is typical of guild regulations and guild activities of the time. The date of the document is uncertain, but probably about the middle of the fourteenth century.

In honor of God, of our Lady, and of all Saints, and for the nurture of tranquillity and peace among the good folks the megucers, called white-tawyers, the folks of the same trade have, by assent of Richard Lacer, mayor, and of the aldermen, ordained the points under-written.

In the first place, they have ordained that they will find a wax candle, to burn before our Lady in the church of Allhallows, near London wall.

Also, that each person of the said trade shall put in the box such sum as he shall think fit, in aid of maintaining the said candle.

Also, if by chance any one of the said trade shall fall into poverty, whether through old age or because he cannot labor or work, and have nothing with which to keep himself, he shall have every week from the said box 7d. for his support, if he be a man of good repute. And after his decease, if he have a wife, a woman of good repute, she shall have weekly for her support 7d. from the said box, so long as she shall behave herself well and keep single.

And that no stranger shall work in the said trade, or keep house for the same in the city, if he be not an apprentice, or a man admitted to the franchise of the said city.

And that no one shall take the serving-man of another to work with him, during his term, unless it be with the permission of his master. And if any one of the said trade shall have work in his house that he cannot complete, or if for want of assistance such work shall be in danger of being lost, those of the said trade shall aid him, that so the said work be not lost.

And if any one of the said trade shall depart this life, and have not wherewithal to be buried, he shall be buried at the expense of their common box. And when any one of the said trade shall die, all those of the said trade shall go to the vigil, and make offering on the morrow. And if any serving-man shall conduct himself in any other manner than properly toward his master, and act rebelliously toward him, no one of the said trade shall set him to work, until he shall have made

amends before the mayor and aldermen; and before them such misprision shall be redressed.

And that no one of the said trade shall behave himself the more thoughtlessly, in the way of speaking or acting amiss, by reason of the points aforesaid; and if any one shall do to the contrary thereof, he shall not follow the said trade until he shall have reasonably made amends.

And if any one of the said trade shall do to the contrary of any point of the ordinances aforesaid, and be convicted thereof by good men of the same trade, he shall pay to the Chamber of the Gildhall of London, the first time 2s., the second time 40d., the third time half a mark, and the fourth time 10s., and shall forswear the trade.

Also, that the good folks of the same trade shall once in the year be assembled in a certain place, convenient thereto, there to choose two men of the most loyal and befitting of the said trade, to be overseers of work and all other things touching the trade for that year; which persons shall be presented to the mayor and aldermen for the time being, and sworn before them diligently to inquire and make search, and loyally to present to the said mayor and aldermen such defaults as they shall find touching the said trade without sparing any one for friendship or for hatred, or in any other manner. And if any one of the said trade shall be found rebellious against the said overseers, so as not to let them properly make their search and assay, as they ought to do; or if he shall absent himself from the meeting aforesaid, without reasonable cause, after due warning by the said overseers, he shall pay to the Chamber, upon the first default, 40d.; and on the second like default, half a mark; and on the third one mark; and on the fourth, 20s., and shall forswear the trade forever.

Also, that if the overseers shall be found lax and negligent about their duty, or partial to any person for gift or for friendship, maintaining him or voluntarily permitting him to continue in his default, and shall not present him to the mayor and aldermen, as before stated, they are to incur the penalty aforesaid.

Also, that each year, at such assemblies of the good folks of the said trade, there shall be chosen overseers, as before stated. And if it be found that through laxity or negligence of the said governors such assemblies are not held, each of the said overseers is to incur the said penalty.

Also, that all skins falsely and deceitfully wrought in their trade which the said overseers shall find in the hands of any person, citizen or foreigner, within the franchise shall be forfeited to the said chamber, and the worker thereof amerced in manner aforesaid.

Also, that no one who has not been an apprentice, and has not finished his term of apprenticeship in the said trade, shall be made free of the same trade; unless it be attested by the overseers for the time

being, or by four persons of the said trade, that such person is able and sufficiently skilled to be made free of the same.

Also, that no one of the said trade shall induce the servant of another to work with him in the said trade, until he has made a proper fine with his first master, at the discretion of the said overseers, or of four reputable men of the said trade. And if any one shall do to the contrary thereof, or receive the serving workman of another to work with him during his term, without leave of the trade, he is to incur the said penalty.

Also, that no one shall take for working in the said trade more than they were wont heretofore, on the pain aforesaid; that is to say, for the dyker (package of ten) of Scotch stags, half a mark; the dyker of Irish stags, half a mark; the dyker of Spanish stags, 10s., for the hundred of goat skins, 20s., the hundred of roe leather, 16s., for the hundred skins of young deer, 8s.; and for the hundred of kid skins, 8s.

98. School of the Guild of Saint Nicholas

(Report of the Commissioner of Edward VI, Toulmin Smith, Ordinances of English Guilds, p. 105. In Old English Text Society Pubs.)

Many of the guilds, after the twelfth century, began to maintain schools for the educa

tion of the children of their members. During the reign of Edward VI (1547-53) an investigation as to schools was made, and in the Report of the King's Commissioner the following item appears regarding the School of the Guild of Saint Nicholas, in Worcester, England.

"There hath byn tyme owt of mynde, a ffree scole kept within the said citie, in a grete halle belongyng to the said Guylde, called Trynite Halle; the scolemaster whereof for the tyme beyng hath hade yerely, for his stypend, ten pounds; whereof was paid, owt of the revenues of the

said landes, by the Master and Stewards of the said Guylde for the

tyme beyng, vj, li, xii j. s. iii j. d.; And the resydewe of the said stypend was collected and gathered of the denocioun and benyvolence of the brothers and systers of the said Guylde. . . . They prowyded and have founde an honest and lernyed scolemaster, within the said halle, in lyke manner as they before tyme dyd; that is to say, one John Obyner, bachelor of arts; who hath there, at this present tyme, a boue the number of a hundred scolers."

99. Indenture of Apprenticeship, 1396

(From the Archæological Journal, London, 1872, vol. XXIX, 184. Trans. by H. C.) The following Indenture of Apprenticeship was executed in Northampton, England, in 1396, and is typical of apprenticeship documents for hundreds of years thereafter.

This Indenture testifies that thus it is agreed between John Hyndlee of Northampton, Brazier, on the one part, and Thomas Edward, son of Gilbert Edward of Windsor, on the other part, that the aforesaid Thomas shall place himself and serve as apprentice to the said John Hyndlee, to be subject to this John Hyndlee and his assigns well and faithfully after the custom of apprentices, from the feast of All Saints next following after the present date up to the end of the seven years next succeeding shall have been fulfilled and completed, to the art called brazier's craft, practiced by the said John, during this time learning humbly.

Subject to him during the term of seven years aforesaid, the abovementioned Thomas Edward shall keep secret all concerns of his said master John Hyndlee which ought to be concealed. He shall not do any injury to John, his master, nor see any done, but shall quickly prevent anything of the kind and shall protect his said master steadfastly from this time forth. He shall not absent himself from his aforesaid service. He shall not employ the goods and cattle of the said John, his master, without his permission. Booths, prostitutes, dies, dice, and similar games he shall not frequent, at the expense of his aforesaid master. He shall by no means commit fornication or adultery with any woman of the house and family of the said John, his master, nor shall he marry a wife, without the consent of his said master. The precepts, legal mandates, and reasonable requirements of the said John, his master, are to be faithfully observed by said Thomas; he shall diligently fulfill them, and obey the commands fully, during the whole period of his term above noted. And if the said Thomas should default from any of his agreements or from the prescribed articles, then said Thomas, according to the manner and the amount of his defection, shall make reparation to his master, John aforesaid, and shall double the term of his apprenticeship before mentioned, repeating his said service.

And the aforesaid John Hyndlee and his assigns shall direct said Thomas, his apprentice, in the above-mentioned arts in the best way said John knows and is able to do, they shall teach and instruct him. Or, if they can make him learn in no other way, let them do it by punishment. Moreover, said John shall give to the teaching and informing of said Thomas in the art called the Pewterer's craft as much as he knows how and is able to do beyond the limits of his first duties. And said John shall conceal (a hole in the deed) from said Thomas, his apprentice, none of the aforesaid arts, during the above-mentioned term. Finally, said John and his assigns shall furnish to said Thomas everything necessary to him, his food and clothing, linen, bedding, housing, shoes, et cetera, enough to suffice him each year according as the age and stature of the said Thomas increase during the term aforesaid.

In testimony of this matter the above-mentioned parties have affixed to these Indentures their seals alternately.

Dated at Northampton, the Sunday next after the feast of Saint Luke, the apostle and evangelist, in the nineteenth year of the reign of King Richard the Second, following the Conquest.

Witnesses: Henry Caysho, then mayor of the city of Northampton, William Wale and John Wodeward, bailiffs of the same. Richard Gosselyn, John Esex Smyth, and others.