Memorials: 1349

False nets ordered to be burnt.

23 Edward III. A.D. 1349. Letter-Book F. fol. clxv. (Latin.)

On Saturday next after the Feast of the Decollation of St. John the Baptist [20 August], in the 23rd year of the reign of King Edward the Third etc., Robert de Rameseye, John de Burdeux, William de Braynford, Richard Kayho, John Horn, and William Fourneux, fishmongers, brought to the Guildhall of London five false nets, that had been found upon John de Goldstone of Berkyng, John de Clayhurst of Grenewyche, and Walter Sprot of the same place, in the water of Thames, on the East side of London Bridge, with three bushels of small fish in the same; which fish, by reason of their smallness, could be of no use to any one. And the said John de Goldstone, John de Clayhurst, and Walter Sprot, being questioned as to the matters aforesaid, acknowledged that they had taken the said fish with such false nets in the water of Thames. And because that John Lovekyn, the Mayor, and the Aldermen, wished more fully to consider as to the judgment to be delivered thereon, a day was given to the aforesaid John, John, and Walter, the Monday following, namely; and they were to be committed to prison in the meantime.

Upon which day, being the Monday next before the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary [8 September], in the 23rd year, the said John, John, and Walter appeared, and the Mayor and Aldermen having held conference upon the enormous offence before-mentioned, it was ordered that the said five false nets should be burnt. And the said John, John, and Walter, were sworn that for the future they would not use false nets; and they found sureties for the same, namely;—William Dykeman, ismongere, (fn. 1) John atte Naysshe of Grenewyche, mariner, Nicholas Clerk of Berkyng, Henry Basset, of the same place, John de Lyndeseye of London, and William de Maydestane, sailor.

Ordinances of the Glovers.

23 Edward III. A.D. 1349. Letter-Book F. fol. clxix. (Norman French.)

"These are the points and Ordinances which the good folks, the Glovers of London, request to have and to hold as firm and established for ever, to the saving of their trade, and to the great profit of all the common people.—

"In the first place,—that no foreigner in this trade shall keep shop, or shall follow this trade, or sell or buy, if he be not a freeman of the City.

"Also,—that no one of this trade shall be admitted to the freedom of the City, without the assent of the Wardens of the same trade, or the greater part thereof.

"Also,—that no one of this trade shall take or entice the serving-man of another away from the service of his master, so long as he is bound by covenant to serve him; on pain of paying 20 shillings to the use of the Chamber, if before the Mayor and Aldermen by the people of the said trade he shall be convicted thereof.

"Also,—that if any servant in the said trade shall make away with the goods or chattels of his master to the value of 12 pence, more or less, the same default shall be redressed by the good folks who are Wardens of the said trade; and if such servant, who shall have so offended against his master, will not allow himself to be adjudged upon by the Wardens of the said trade, he shall be forthwith attached, and brought before the Mayor and Aldermen; and before them let the default be punished, according to their discretion.

"Also,—that no one of them shall sell his wares in any house at night, by candle-light; seeing that folks cannot have such good knowledge by candle-light as by day-light, whether the wares are made of good leather or of bad, or whether they are well and lawfully, or falsely, made; on pain of forfeiting to the use of the Chamber the wares so sold by candle-light.

"Also,—that if any false work touching the said trade shall be found, or brought for sale, within the franchise of the said city, it shall be forthwith taken by the Wardens of the said trade, and brought before the Mayor and Aldermen; and before them adjudged to be such as it shall be found to be, upon oath of the folks of the said trade.

"Also,—that all things touching the said trade that are sold between foreigner (fn. 2) and foreigner [within the City], shall be forfeited, according to the ancient usages of the City.

"Also,—that every servant of the said trade who works by the day, shall not take more for his labour and work in the trade than he was wont to take two or three years before the time when these points and Ordinances were accepted by Walter Turke, Mayor, and the Aldermen; that is to say, the Monday next after the Feast of the Epiphany [6 January], in the 23rd year of the reign of King Edward, after the Conquest the Third.

"Also,—whereas some persons who are not of the said trade, do take and entice unto themselves the servants of folks in the same trade, and set them to work in secret in their houses, and make gloves of rotten and bad leather, and do sell them wholesale to strange dealers coming into the City, in deceit of the people, and to the great scandal of the good folks of the said trade; that the Wardens of the said trade may make search in such manner for gloves made of false material, that the same may be found, and brought before the Mayor and Aldermen; and before them let the same be adjudged to be such as they shall be found to be, upon oath of the good folks of the said trade.

"Also,—if any one of the said trade shall be found to be recalci trant, and to act against the points aforesaid, or any one point among them, let him be attached by a serjeant of the Chamber, at the suit of the Wardens of the said trade, to appear before the Mayor and Aldermen; and before them let him be punished, at their discretion."