Skip to main content

Full text of "A descriptive and historical account of the Guild of Saddlers of the City of London"

See other formats 


J 


v^ 


,0 


7 


A.e^d^'n.^'-^:/y  y^^^ 


Jli     /J     'A^^-u-i^ 


In/^  z_y//^ey  ?_ 


^ 


<<i^i^^1<^ 


^^^-^^  /^fctyujLe/n^ 


^^U^/^/^yttJ  (y/ff//.    fO/fe4.f//-i  f«/^. 


'^^, 


^^'(^-■^Ot/rA^m' 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  fvledicine 

Cummings  School  of  Veterinary  iViedicine  at 

Tufts  U 

200  Westboro  Road 

fourth  Grafton,  MA  01536 


A   CONCISE    HISTORICAL    ACCOUNT 


OF   THE 


2Kaor£jibijpful  Compaitg  of  ^atHiIeist. 


DESCRIPTIVE    AND    HISTORICAL    ACCOUNT 


OF   THE 


(Sullb  of    Sa^Mers 


OF  THE 


CITY    OF    LONDON. 

Written  and  Compiled  by 

JOHN     W.     SHERWELL. 

Clerk    of   the   Company. 

Printed  with  the  sanction  of  the  Master^    Wardens^  a?id 
Court  of  Assistants  of  the  Company. 

For  Private  Circulation. 


Copyright  Resei-ved. 
1889. 


V 


i^6 


Harrison  &  Sons, 

Printers  in  Ordinary  to  Her  Majesty, 

St.  Martin's  Lane,  London. 


TO   THE 


Worebipful  Compani?  of  Sa&Mer0, 

THIS    WORK 

IS     RESPECTFULLY     INSCRIBED,    IN     GRATEFUL    RECOGNITION     OF    MANY 
COURTESIES   AND    UNIFORM    KINDNESS   SHEWN    BY    ITS    MEMBERS 

TO    THE   WRITER. 

J.  w.  s. 


CONTENTS. 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS,  p.  xi. 
PREFACE,  pp.  xiii  to  xv. 

INTRODUCTION,  pp.  xvii  to  xxiv. 

CHAPTER  L— Antiquity  and  Early  History  of  the  Company. 
Fitzstephen's  Description  of  the  Guilds. — The  "  Saddlery  of  West- 
chepe." — The  Conventual  Church  of  St.  Martin's-le-Grand. — 
Ancient  Convention  between  the  Saddlers  and  the  Convent. — 
Antiquity  of  the  Company. — Their  earliest  Charter  and  Liberties. — 
The  City  Letter  Books  and  their  Notices  of  the  Company. — Curious 
Ordinances  of  the  Saddlers  and  Joiners. — Dispute  between  the 
Saddlers  and  the  Loriners. — Craft  Jealousy. — A  Faction  Fight. — 
Wages  of  a  Saddler  fixed  by  Royal  Decree. — The  Saddlers  and  the 
Girdlers. — Ordinances  of  a.d.  1363. — The  Company's  Contribution 
to  the  French  Wars  of  Edward  HI. — Charter  from  Edward  HI. — 
Representatives  on  the  Common  Council. — A  Despotic  Mayor, 
Nicholas  Brembre. — The  Company  petition  the  Crown  and  Parlia- 
ment.— Incorporation  Charter  from  Richard  II. — Interesting 
Dispute  between  Master  and  Yeomen  Saddlers. — Charters  from 
Henry  VL  ;  from  Edward  IV.  ;  from  Henry  VII. — The  Company 
in  1537. — Charter  from  Henry  VIII. — Statute  of  Chantries  Act,  i 
Edward  VI. — Charter  from  Elizabeth. — The  Company's  Ordinance 
of  1 56 1. — The  First  English  Lottery. — Grant  of  Arms. — The  Com- 
pany's Mottoes,  pp.  1-58. 

CHAPTER  II. — Historical  Notices  of  the  Company,  continued. 
Company's  Order  Books  commence. — A  Glance  at  the  State  of  the 
Company  in  the  beginning  of  the  XVI Ith  Century. — Cheapside  in 
a.d.  1600. — Its  Churches. — The  Little  Conduit.— The  Cross. — The 
Standard. — The  "Mermaid"  Tavern. — The  Compters  or  Counters. — 
Ludgate. — The  Gunpowder  Plot. — King  of  Denmark  visits  the 
City. — Charter  from  James  I. — Frequent  Plagues  during  XVIIth 
Century. — That  of  1 607. — Ratification  of  Company's  Ordinances. — 
The  Cowrie  Conspiracy. — "Ayde"  Money. -^Colonization  of  Vir- 
ginia.— Interference  by  Crown  in  domestic  Concerns  of  Company.— 
Company's  Scholars  at  the  Universities. — Colonization  of  Ulster. — 
The  Palatinate. — Introduction  of  Coaches. — Opposed  by  the  Com- 
pany.— Coronation  of  Charles  I. — "  Whifflers." — Plague  of  1630. — 
The  Incident  of  Dr.  Lambe. — Restoration  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  — 
St.    George's,    Southwark. — The  Era   of  the  Revolution. — Heavy 


vlli  Contents. 

Exactions  from  the  Companies. — Bury  St.  Edmunds  Plague. — Ship- 
money, — Loans  to  Charles  I.  and  the  Parliament. — Plate  sold  to 
raise  Money. — Money  borrowed  by  the  Company. — Trouble  in 
Ireland. — More  Demands. — "Solemn  League  and  Covenant." — 
The  Company  and  the  Saddles  for  the  Army. — Gunpowder  Stock. 
— Battle  of  Worcester. — "Ye  States  Armes." — Saddlers' Hall  in 
1653. — The  Restoration. — Straitened  Circumstances  of  the  Com- 
pany.— Their  Contribution  to  Charles  IL — More  Exactions. — 
Coronation  of  Charles  IL — The  Company  attend  the  King  in  his 
Entry  into  London. — War  with  Scotland. — The  Ship  "  Loyall 
London." — The  Great  Plague  of  1664. — The  Great  Fire. — The 
rebuilding  of  the  Hall. — Lord  Mayors'  Shows. — Processions  by 
Water. — Alderman  Dash  wood's  Gift. — The  Company's  Barge  Cloth. 
— The  Company  and  the  Water  Pageant. — "  Stands." — The  King's 
Esquire  Saddler. — The  Company  and  the  Coachmakers. — Quo 
Warranto. — Surrender  of  the  Company's  Charter. — New  Charter 
from  Charles  IL,  1684. — Tyranny  of  James  IL — His  Removal  of 
Wardens  and  Assistants. — The  same  removed  from  the  Livery. — 
Their  Restoration. — Threatened  Invasion  by  William  of  Orange 
frightens  James. — He  returns  the  Company  their  Surrender. — Offers 
a  New  Charter. — Abdication  of  James  IL,  and  Succession  of 
William  III.  and  Mary  II. — The  Company  propose  to  raise  two 
Dragoons. — Loans  to  William  HI.  repaid. — Sir  Richard  Blackmore 
and  Saddlers'  Hall.— Saddlers'  Hall  in  the  XVIIIth  Century, 
described  by  Hatton  and  Maitland. — Entry  of  George  I.  into 
London. — "A  Good  Trumpett  and  Kettledrum." — The  Company 
in  their  Stands. — Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  visits  Saddlers'  Hall 
in  1736. — Accepts  the  Freedom  of  the  Company  and  is  elected 
Perpetual  Master. — Presents  the  Company  with  his  and  the 
Princess's  Pictures. — Freedom  of  Company  conferred  on  Members 
of  his  Household. — Birth  of  George  III. — The  Company  attend 
and  congratulate  Princess  Augusta. — A  Bonfire  in  Cheapside  "when 
the  Princess  is  brought  to  bed." — The  Scotch  Rebellion. — Death  of 
the  Prince  in  1751. — Voluntary  Fund  for  the  Defence  of  the 
Country. — Saddlers'  Hall  partially  destroyed  in  1815.  —  Completely 
destroyed  in  1821. — Rebuilt  in  1822. — Worthless  Saddles  destroyed 
in  1822.— :- Alderman  Sir  Peter  Laurie's  Mayoralty  Procession  by 
Water. — Almshouses  at  Isleworth. — Saddlers  Company's  Prizes  for 
Improvements  in  Military  Saddles. — Livery  Companies  Commission, 
pp.  59-148- 

CHAPTER   III. — Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

The  Constitution  of  the  Company.  —  The  Master  and  Wardens. — 
Origin  of  their  Titles — Renter  Warden. — Under  Renter. — Cupfillers. 
— Election  Day. — Election  of  Wardens. — The  Livery. — Quarter- 
age.— The  Yeomanry. — Translation. — Feasts,  Quaint  Custocn. — 
Yeomanry  Dinner  or  Bartholomew's  Feast. — Religious  Observances 


Contents.  ix 

of  the  Company. — Burials. — The  Funeral  Pall  or  Burial  Cloth. — 
Courts  or  Assemblies. — Fines. — The  Company  a  "Fellowship;" 
Members  not  to  rebuke  one  another — not  to  sue  one  another  at 
Law  without  License  from  the  Wardens. — Peacemaking ;  quaint  inci- 
dents.— Etiquette  at  Meetings. — Light-coloured  Clothes  prohibited 
at  Meetings. — Apprentices  "  polled  close,"  pp.    149-178. 

CHAPTER    IV.— The    Company   and   the  Trade. 

The  Company  anciently  all  of  the  Craft.— -Freedom  by  Patrimony. 
— Impracticability  of  restricting  the  Company  to  Members  of  the 
Trade.  —  The  Ordinances  of  the  Company  in  conformity  with  the  Laws 
of  the  Period. — Statute  of  5  Eliz.,  cap.  4. — All  Trades  to  be  Learned 
by  Apprenticeship. — Apprentices  to  the  Saddlery  Trade  examined  by 
the  Wardens. — Number  of  Apprentices  limited  by  Ordinances. — 
Regulations  concerning  Apprentices. — Curious  Custom  upon  taking 
up  Freedom. — Spoons — they  accumulate,  and  are  exchanged  for  other 
Plate. — Responsibility  of  Apprentices. — Company  Mediate  between 
Apprentices  and  their  Masters.  —  "Opening  Shop." — "Proof 
Piece." — Ordinances  impose  Honesty  of  Dealing. — Saddles  to  be 
made  openly.  —  To  be  viewed  by  Company  before  Sold.  — 
"Forreyners." — Statute 5  Eliz.,  cap.  8. — Leadenhall. — Searchers  and 
Sealers  of  Leather. — Custom  of  Search. — Conclusion,  pp.  179-204. 

List  of  Ancient  Masters  and  Wardens  of  the  Company,  with 
some  Biographical  Notices,  pp.  205-219. 

SUPPLEMENT. — A  Description  of  Plate  and  other  Articles 
OF  Interest  in  the  Company's  Possession,  pp.  220-232. 

ADDENDUM.  —  The  Will  of  William  Lincoln,  dated  2oth 
November,  1392,  bequeathing  the  Guild  of  Saddlers  a 
sum  of  Money  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  Common 
Hall,  p.  233. 

INDEX,  p.  235. 


"1- 


LIST     OF     ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Ancient  Convention       ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  4 

Introduction  to  Charter  of  Elizabeth  ...  ...  ...  52 

Arms  of  Company         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  58 

Cheapside  in  1639         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  64 

The  Wood  Street  Compter  ...  ...  ...  ...  68 

Seal  of  James  I.  (attached  to  Company's  Charter)  ...  ...  73 

Interior  View  of  Old  Saddlers'  Hall  ...  ...  ...  127 

Exterior  ,,  ,,  ...  ...  ...  128 

Interior  View  of  Present  Hall      ...  ...  ...  ...  141 

The  Company's  Almshouses  at  Isleworth  .. .  ...  ...  144 

The  Company's  Funeral  Pall       ...  ...  ...  ...  178 

The  Company's  Plate    ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  230 


PREFACE. 


QUIET  and  casual  perusal  of  the 
early  minutes  of  the  Company,  snatched 
during  the  intervals  of  business,  re- 
vealed so  much  that  was  interesting  that  the 
writer  was  induced  to  extend  his  researches, 
and  to  embody  the  result  in  a  Paper,  which,  at 
the  suggestion  of  the  late  Master,  Colonel 
Laurie,  C.B.,  M.P.,  was  communicated  to  the 
Master,  Wardens  and  Court  of  Assistants  on 
Friday  evening,  March  23rd,  1888.^  A  proposal 
then  made  to  amplify  the  Paper  into  something 
like  what  is  now  submitted  met  with  warm  and 
unanimous  approval.  It  is  possible  that,  generally 
speaking,  the  chapters  which  follow  may  reveal 
little  that  is  new  to  the  future  compiler  of  history, 
but  it  is  believed  that  they  will  shed  an  interesting 
light  upon  facts  already  ascertained. 

In  attempting  the  task  before  him,  a  difficulty 
encountered  the  writer  at  the  outset.  It  hap- 
pens unfortunately  that,  although  there  is  every 


*  A  very  similar  suggestion  had  indeed  been  made  in  the 
previous  year  by  the  then  Master,  Mr.  C.  O.  Humphreys. 


xlv  Preface. 

reason  for  believing  that  the  Company,  from 
a  very  early  period  of  their  existence,  kept 
a  transcript  of  their  proceedings,  their  Order 
Books,  or  Minute  Books,  have  not  been  pre- 
served from  a  date  earlier  than  1605.  In  the 
Company's  Inventory  of  the  year  1721  there  is 
mentioned  an  Order  Book  of  the  year  1416,  but 
this  has  also  since  .been  lost.^  Their  records  have, 
however,  been  preserved  without  Interruption 
from  the  date  named,  1605,  and  we  are  so  far 
fortunate,  Inasmuch  as  the  history  of  the  Sad- 
dlers' Company,  like  that  of  the  London  Livery 
Companies  generally,  is  of  the  greatest  Interest 
during  the  seventeenth  century.  This  circum- 
stance, however,  compelled  recourse  to  other 
sources  of  Information,  but  it  must  be  admitted 
that  the  outside  source  to  which  the  writer  Is 
most  Indebted  Is  the  early  Letter  Books  and 
Journals  of  the  Corporation  of  the  City  of 
London. 

To  say  that  the  Saddlers'  Company  Is  the  most 
ancient  of  existing  Livery  Companies  Is  to  make 
an  assertion  which  can  be  supported  by  evidence 
of  a  strong  character  deduced  from  ancient  docu- 
ments still  extant,  alluded  to  on  pages  3  et  seq. 

No    other    Company    can    point    to    evidence 

^  Probably  in  either  of  the  two  fires  in  the  early  part  of  the 
present  century,  one  of  which  partially,  and  the  other  com- 
pletely, destroyed  the  Hall. 


Preface.  xv 

of  its  own  existence  at  so  early  a  date  as  the 
Saddlers'  Company.  The  remarkable  convention 
between  the  Guild  of  Saddlers  and  the  Canons 
of  the  ancient  conventual  church  of  St.  Martin's- 
le-Grand,  described  on  p.  3  et  seq.,  is  authorita- 
tively admitted  to  belong,  by  its  handwriting,  to 
a  period  about  11 54  a.d.  ;  yet  in  this  archaic 
document  we  are  referred  still  further  back  into 
antiquity  by  an  allusion  which  it  contains  to 
statutes  and  customs  alleged  by  it  to  have  been 
ancient  even  at  that  remote  period  In  which 
the  convention  was  inscribed.  Such  circum- 
stances as  these  establish  for  the  Saddlers' 
Company  an  antiquity  which  no  other  Company 
can  claim  to  equal. 

It  only  remains  for  the  writer  to  gratefully 
acknowledge  the  encouragement  extended  to 
him  by  the  Court  in  the  prosecution  of  his  in- 
quiries, and  particularly  by  the  Master,  Mr.  W. 
Spencer  Watson,  M.B.,  F.R.C.S.  ;  the  Wardens, 
Mr.  Serjeant  Robinson,  Mr.  Isaac  Wilcox,  and 
Mr.  Daniel  Morgan,  with  Past  Masters  Alderman 
Cotton,  Moses  Dodd,  Charles  O.  Humphreys, 
and  Colonel  R.  P.  Laurie,  C.B.,  M.P.,  who  were 
appointed  by  the  Court  to  assist  him  with  their 
advice. 


INTRODUCTION. 


EW  subjects  have  offered  a  more  fertile 
theme  for  conjecture  or  a  more  attrac- 
tive field  for  research  than  the  origin 
and  early  history  of  the  Trade  Guilds.  Mankind 
has,  from  the  earliest  periods,  evinced  a  propensity 
to  dwell  in  communities,  although  this  predilection 
is  often  found  to  be  modified  by  national  charac- 
teristics. The  lithic  monuments,  hut  circles  and 
earthworks  with  which  our  own  island  abounds, 
testify  to  its  influence  in  the  conditions  under 
which  primeval  man  dwelt  in  early  Britain  ;  while 
we  see  it  to-day  exemplified  in  the  tribal  commu- 
nities of  pastoral  nomads  in  Asia  and  Africa.  In 
the  early  days  of  pre-historic  times  this  circum- 
stance was  probably  the  result  of  a  necessity  for 
self-protection  against  common  enemies,  and,  later 
on,  with  the  growth  of  civilization,  it  just  as  pro- 
bably arose  from  the  social  instincts  of  man. 

Among  the  earliest  institutions  and  corpora- 
tions of  which  we  have  cognizance  and  mention 
were  those  communities  known  in  Roman  his- 
tory by  the  name  of  collegia.  The  term  collegia, 
however,  embraced  corporations  of  various  de- 
scriptions ;     some    were    of    a    strictly    religious 


xvlil  Introduction. 

character,  others  legal,  while  others — and  with 
these  we  are  most  concerned — were  purely  trade 
corporations,  resembling  our  own  guilds  and 
livery  companies.  It  is  not  quite  clear  how  they 
all  arose  ;  the  collegia  opificmn,  however,  appear 
to  have  sprung  into  existence  in  the  early  days  of 
Rome.  Plutarch  indeed  attributes  the  origin  of 
these  last  named  to  the  reign  of  that  more  or  less 
mythical  personage,  Numa,  its  second  king,  of 
whose  political  measures  he  Informs  us  that  ''that 
which  is  most  admired  is  his  division  of  the 
populace  according  to  their  trades.  For  whereas 
the  city  (as  has  been  said)  originally  consisted  of 
two  races  which  stood  aloof  one  from  the  other 
and  would  not  combine  into  one,  which  led  to 
endless  quarrels  and  rivalries,  Numa,  reflecting 
that  substances  which  are  hard  and  difficult  to 
combine  togfether  can  nevertheless  be  mixed  and 
formed  into  one  mass  If  they  are  broken  up  Into 
small  pieces,  because  then  they  more  easily  fit 
each  other,  determined  to  divide  the  whole  mass 
of  the  people  of  Rome  into  many  classes,  and 
thus  by  creating  numerous  petty  rivalries  to 
obliterate  their  original  and  greatest  cause  of 
variance.  His  division  was  accordinof  to  their 
trades,  and  consisted  of  the  musicians,  the  gold- 
smiths, the  builders,  dyers,  shoemakers,  carriers, 
coppersmiths,  and  potters.  All  the  other  trades 
he  united  Into  one  guild.  He  assigned  to  each 
trade  Its  special  privileges,  common  to  all  the 
members,  and  arranged  that  each  should  have  Its 


Introduction.  xix 

own  time  of  meeting,  and  worship  Its  own  special 
patron  god."^ 

Lamprldlus  also  ascribes  similar  measures  to 
Alexander  Severus,  of  whom  he  says  that  he 
formed  corporations  of  all  vintners,  sellers  of 
pulse,  makers  of  caligae  (a  kind  of  military 
shoe),  and,  in  general  of  all  the  other  crafts  In 
Rome.^ 

We  have  frequent  mention  of  these  corpora- 
tions, moreover,  at  various  periods  of  Roman 
history.  The  bakers  at  Rome,  the  collegmm 
pistoru77t,  a  distinct  and  important  guild,  are 
frequently  mentioned.  Nor  were  the  collegia 
confined  to  Rome  proper.  Their  existence  is  to 
be  traced  in  the  remotest  provinces  of  the  empire. 
We  have  had  handed  down  to  us,  among  the 
letters  of  the  younger  Pliny,  one  addressed  to  the 
Emperor  Trajan,  referring  to  the  establishment 
of  a  guild  or  corporation  of  artificers  {Fabin.y  at 
Nicomedia,  the  ancient  capital  of  Bithynia, 
formerly  a  Roman  province  on  the  Asiatic  coast 
of  the  Sea  of  Marmora.  There  is  also  an 
interesting  account  In  the  Proceedings  of  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries  *  of  the  researches  of 
Mr.  A.  J.  Evans,  M.A.,  F.S.A.  at  Illyricum,  a 
Roman  province  on  the  east  coast  of  the  Adriatic, 


^  Numa,  cap.  xvii,,  Bohn's  Plutarch. 

^  "  Corpora  omnium    constituit    vinariorum,    lupinariorum, 
caligauriorum  et  omnino  omnium  artium."      Lampridius,  cap. 
xxxiii.  (Alex.  Severus). 
Epistolse  X.,  42,  43. 
Archseologia,  vols.  48  and  49.  ^ 

B 


3 


XX  Introduction. 

with  an  Inscription  at  Salonae,  relating  to  a  guild 
of  artificers — Collegmm  Fabrortnn  veneris^ — and 
belonging  apparently  to  the  fourth  century  of  the 
Christian  era.  Evidences  of  similar  organiza- 
tions have  been  discovered  at  Lyons,  Marseilles, 
and  other  parts  of  Roman  Gaul,  in  ancient 
Helvetia,  in  Britain  itself,  and  elsewhere  where 
the  Romans  had  colonies.  vSome  very  interesting 
testimony  Is  furnished  by  Orelll  in  his  collection 
of  ancient  inscriptions.^ 

Briefly  stated,  these  collegia  were  associations 
in  which  the  members  of  each  trade  were  united 
together,  not  only  for  social  intercourse,  but  for 
the  regulation  of  and  self-protection  in  trade. 
They  possessed  a  common  corporate  fund,  and 
other  characteristics  ;  on  the  whole,  presenting  a 
striking  analogy  to  the  modern  English  trade 
guilds,  of  which  they  are  by  many  writers,  and 
with  some  amount  of  reason,  considered  to  *be 
the  progenitors  as  they  were  the  prototypes. 

Mr.  Hallam  is  of  opinion  that  the  mediaeval 
Guilds  were  institutions  of  independent  origin 
and  had  no  connection  with  the  collegia  of  the 
Romans,  and  the  present  Bishop  of  Oxford  and 
Professor    Freeman    have    clearly    expressed    a 


'  The  term  fabri  was  a  generic  one  applied  generally  to 
workers  in  hard  substances,  such  as  the  smiths,  y^^r/  aerarii 
oxferrari,  and  the  c^x]yQn\.Qr?,^  fabri  tig?tarii ;  tho.  fabri  veneris 
were  craftsmen  of  a  more  artistic  order. 

2  "  Inscriptionum  Latinarum  Selectarum  Collectio  "  (Zurich, 
1828),  numerous  examples. 


Introduction.  xxi 

similar  opinion  In  respect  of  the  early  English 
Guilds.^  These  are  weighty  authorities,  en- 
titled to  more  than  ordinary  respect ;  nevertheless 
to  many  minds  the  analogy  between  the  collegia 
and  those  later  but  kindred  organizations 
which  diffused  themselves  through  the  social 
and  commercial  life  of  the  various  nationalities  of 
mediaeval  Europe  Is  far  too  striking  to  be  recon- 
ciled by  the  convenient  plea  of  accident.  Pro- 
fessor Freeman  says  that  "  the  gap  between  the 
Roman  and  English  periods  Is  hidden  by  the 
blackness  of  darkness  which  shrouds  our  settle- 
ment in  Britain,  and  which  to  those  who  have 
eyes  teaches  much  more  clearly  than  any  light 
could  what  the  nature  of  that  settlement  really 
was.  Had  there  been  any  continuity  between  the 
Institutions  of  the  two  periods,  that  blackness  of 
darkness  could  hardly  have  been."  ^ 

Doubtless  the  authoritative  and  learned  writer 
himself  Is  disposed  to  acknowledge  that  the  im- 
plied total  disappearance  of  these  Institutions —  j 
which  existed  In  England  during  the  Roman 
occupation — during  the  few  centuries  In  which 
we  unfortunately  have  no  record  of  their  being 
in  existence,  and  their  sudden  re-appearance 
Identical  in  all  essential  principles  under  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  Heptarchy,  Is  a  coincidence  hardly  less 
than    phenomenal.        It    must  be  borne   In   mind 


^  See  the  Introduction  to  the  "  Report  of  the  Livery  Com- 
panies Commission,"  p.  8. 
-  Ibid. 

B  2 


xxii  Introduction. 

that  the  Romans  were  encamped  in  Britain  for 
four  centuries.  Like  the  Ottomans  in  Europe,  the 
EngHsh  in  India,  they  were  in  the  country,  but 
not  of  it.  Yet  in  the  period  of  their  occupation, 
they  succeeded  in  moulding  the  physical  features 
of  the  country  into  conformity  with  the  advanced 
strides  of  their  southern  civilization.  Their  hiph 
roads  and  limitary  walls  intersect  the  land  in 
every  direction  ;  over  chains  of  hills  and  across 
valleys  they  go,  in  absolute  disregard  of  anything 
Hke  natural  obstacles  or  impediments,  remaining 
to  the  present  day  stupendous  monuments  of 
engineering  ingenuity.  Their  bridges  which 
spanned  our  rivers,  like  their  aqueducts,  were  all 
scientifically  constructed,  and  their  masonry  almost 
imperishable.  Every  year  the  spade  and  the 
plough  turn  up  fresh  relics,  in  the  shape  of  tegulcs, 
pottery,  coins,  votary  tablets,  and  altar  pieces,  etc., 
vestiges,  as  a  writer  in  the  "  Quarterly  Review  " 
has  well  remarked,  of  a  more  uniform  type  of 
civilization  than  is  to  be  met  with  between  the 
same  latitudes  to-day.  Similarly  they  have  left 
their  impress  indelibly  upon  our  language  and 
literature.  Is  it  therefore  unreasonable  that  some 
should  profess  to  discover  traces  of  their  institu- 
tions in  our  own  of  to-day  1  It  is  not  difficult,  for 
instance,  to  recognise  in  the  aula  publica  of  the 
Romans  a  close  resemblance  to  our  Guildhall,  and 
Fitzstephen,  in  his  well  known  description  of 
London,  traces  a  strong  affinity  between  many 
of  our  present  civic  institutions  and  their  Latin 
parallels. 


Introduction.  xxiii 

Without,  however,  attempting.  In  Imitation  of 
more  competent  writers,  who  with  more  or  less 
satisfaction  to  themselves  have  endeavoured  by 
various  methods  of  historical  evolution  to 
discover  the  precise  origin  of  the  English  Trade 
Guilds — a  task  obviously  not  strictly  within  the 
legitimate  province  of  this  essay — it  may  suffice 
here  to  say  that  the  term  "  Guild,"  as  has  been 
clearly  shown  by  Herbert  and  other  writers,  is  a 
derivation  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  ''  glldan,"  to  pay, 
a  word  possessing  close  affinities  In  other  northern 
dialects,  and  signifying  a  society  or  association, 
supported  by  individual  contribution.  The  basis 
of  the  early  English  trade  guild  was  the  obser- 
vance of  a  common  code  of  ordinances,  regulating 
the  craft  to  which  it  belonged,  while  other 
essential  features  in  the  organization  were  a 
common  worship,  with  usually  a  special  patron 
saint,  a  common  social  feast,  and  lastly,  a 
common  fund,  which  not  only  provided  for  the 
craft  purposes  but  served  to  relieve  the  poor 
members,  and  oftentimes  to  defray  their  burial 
expenses. 

The  early  and  rapid  growth  of  London,  the 
commercial  Importance  of  which  was  recognized 
and  testified  to  by  Tacitus,  probably  did  much  to 
foster  and  develop  these  guilds  In  England.  One 
of  the  earliest  London  trading  guilds  of  which  we 
have  cognizance  was  the  guild  of  Steelyard  mer- 
chants,^ amply  described  by  Stow,  and,  according 


Now  extinct. 


xxlv  Introduction. 

to  Herbert,  the  founders  of  the  famous  Hanseatic 
League.  They  were  recognised  in  a  decree  of 
Ethelred  in  the  year  967,  and  probably  existed 
at  a  much  earHer  date.  Certain  it  is  that 
by  the  fourteenth  century  the  guilds  had 
become  a  dominant  factor  in  the  social  organism 
of  England. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Antiquity  and  Early   History  of  the 

Company. 

Fitzstephen's  Description  of  the  Guilds. — The  "  Saddlery  of  Westchepe." — 
The  Conventual  Church  of  St.  Martin's-le-Grand. — Ancient  Con- 
vention betvv^een  the  Saddlers  and  the  Convent. — Great  Antiquity 
of  the  Company. — Their  earliest  Charters  and  Liberties. — The 
City  Letter  Books  and  their  notices  of  the  Company. — Curious 
Ordinances  of  the  Saddlers  and  Joiners. — A  Dispute  between  the 
Saddlers  and  the  Loriners. — Craft  Jealousy. — AFaction  Fight. — The 
Wages  of  a  Saddler  settled  by  Royal  Ordinance. — The  Saddlers  and 
the  Girdlers. — Ordinances  of  a.d.  1363. — The  Company  contribute 
to  Edward  IIL's  French  Wars. — Charter  from  Edward  III. — Repre- 
sentatives on  the  Common  Council. — A  despotic  Mayor,  Nicholas 
Brembre. — The  Company  petition  the  Crown  and  Parliament. — 
Incorporation  Charter  from  Richard  II. — Interesting  Dispute 
between  Master  and  Yeomen  Saddlers. — Charter  from  Henry  VI. 
— Charter  from  Edward  IV. — Charter  from  Henry  VII. — The 
Company  in  1537. — Charter  from  Henry  VIII. — Statute  of  Chantries 
Act,  I  Edw.  VI. — The  Charter  of  Elizabeth. — The  Ordinances  of 
1 56 1. — The  first  English  Lottery. — Grant  of  Arms. — The  Com- 
pany's Mottoes. 

ILLIAM   FITZSTEPHEN,  a  monkof 

Canterbury,   the    clerk,    remembrancer 

and    biographer    of    Thomas    Becket, 

in  his  description  of  London,  written  in 

the  latter  part  of  the  twelfth  century,  informs  us 

that  from  a  very  early  period  the  various  crafts 

,  ^   ^  of   London    had    their    own    separate 

The  early  Trade  .         .  .  ••■ 

Guilds  of  Lon-  district  lu   the  City  allotted  to  them 
for  the  exercise  of  their  several  trades. 


2  Antiquity  and  Early 

He  says,  ''  the  followers  of  the  several  trades,  the 
vendors  of  the  various  commodities,  and  the 
labourers  of  every  kind,  are  daily  to  be  found  in 
their  proper  and  distinct  places  according  to  their 
respective  trades."^  This  statement  is,  moreover, 
supported  by  the  existing  nomenclature  of  many 
modern  City  streets  and  thoroughfares,  the  names 
of  which  recall  the  trades  and  occupations 
anciently  plied  in  the  several  localities,  such  as 
the  Poultry,^  Cordwainer  Street,^  etc.  Similarly 
the  Saddlers  of  London  were  anciently  to  be 
found  at  the  west  end  of  Cheapside,  or,  as  it  was 
called,  Westchepe,  their  locality  bearing  the 
distinctive  name  of  the  "  Saddlery."  Among  the 
ancient  wills  enrolled  in  the  Court  of  Husting,  at 
Guildhall,  there  is  a  will  of  one  Isabella  Bokrel, 

"  The  Saddierie  ^^^^^     1280,    in    which     mention    is 
of  Westchepe."  niade  of  a  tenement  in  the  Saddlery 
of  Westchepe. 

Over  against  "  the  Saddlery  "  stood  the  famous 
conventual  and  collegiate  church  of  St.  Martin's- 
le-Grand,  founded  by  Wythred,  or  Withu, 
King     of    Kent,     in    the     eighth    century,    and 


^  Dr.  Pegge's  edition  :  "  Singulorum  officiorum  exercitatores 
singularum  venditores,  singularum  operarum  suamm  locatores 
cotidiano  mane  per  se  sunt  locis  distincti  omnes  ut  officiis." 
i^De  dispositione  iirbis.) 

^  Described  by  Stow  as  the  special  locale  of  the  London 
Poulterers. 

^  Shoemakers,  so-called  from  their  using  the  famous  leather 
of  Cordova. 


History  of  the  Company. 


confirmed     in      1058    by    the     Conqueror     with 
The  collegiate  its  old  Saxon   indulgences  of  sac,  soc, 

St  Mar*thiVie-  ^^^'  ^*^^'  ^^^^^^"^^^  ^^c,  but,  above  all,  the 

Grand.       daugerous     privilege     of     sanctuary 

for  political  and  criminal  offenders.     It  occupied 

the    site    of    the    modern    General    Post    Office 

until  1548,  when  it  was  destroyed.     Foster  Lane, 

which  bounded  Saddlers'  Hall  on  the  west,  skirted 

the  precincts  of  St.  Martin's  on  the  east,  so  that 

the  ancient   Hall  of  the  Guild  stood  immediately 

under  the  walls  of  the  Sanctuary.    This  proximity 

Curious  ancient  produced     an     intimate     relationship 

convention  be-  between   the   Guild   of   Saddlers   and 

tween  the  con-     ,        -p>.  ^    r^ 

vent  and  the    the  Deau  and  Canons  of  the  convent, 

Saddlers'  Guild.       ,  .    ,       .  i      i      • 

which  IS  recorded  in  an  interesting 
document,  fortunately  still  extant,  which  estab- 
lishes the  singular  and  unique  antiquity  of  the 
Saddlers'  Company. 

This  document  is  preserved  among  the  archives 
of  St.  Martin's-le-Grand,  now  in  the  custody  of 
the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Westminster,  and  con- 
sists of  a  small  piece  of  stout  parchment  some 
eight  or  nine  inches  long,  by  about  six  wide,  upon 
which  is  inscribed  in  the  handwriting  of  the 
twelfth  century  a  convention  between  the  guild 
and  the  convent.  No  portion  of  the  seal  remains, 
and  the  slip  of  parchment  to  which  it 
originally  adhered  is  likewise  gone. 
Madox  takes  notice  of  this  convention  in  his 
''  Firma  Burgi,"  published  in  1726,  and  ascribes 
the  handwriting  to  the  reigns  of  either  Henry  H. 
(a.d.     1154-1189),    Richard     I.    (i  189-1199),    or 


1 1 54  A.D.  circa. 


4  Antiquity  and  Early 

John  (1199-1216),  and  most  plausibly  to  the  first 
of  these,  a  view  supported  by  several  experts  to 
whom  it  has  been  submitted.^  There  is  a  copy  of 
the  convention  in  the  old  Register  of  St.  Martin's- 
le-Grand,  a  beautifully  transcribed  volume,  in  a 
handwriting  of  the  period  about  1400  A.D.,  and  a 
second  copy  in  a  long  roll  of  Indulgences,  which 
appears  to  have  escaped  previous  notice.  This 
last  is  in  a  handwriting  of  about  the  reign  of 
Edward  1 11.^ 

By  the  courtesy  of  the  Dean  of  Westminster 
we  have  been  permitted  to  take  a  photograph  of 
the  convention,  and  a  facsimile  is  appended.  The 
endorsement  on  the  reverse  side,  "  Lra  de  Ghild," 
etc.,  it  will  be  noticed,  is  of  a  later  period  than  the 
handwriting  of  the  text,  and  belongs  probably  to 
the  reign  of  Edward  L  ;  the  other  endorsement, 

^  In  the  same  bundle  of  documents — No.  2  of  those  re- 
lating to  St.  Martin's-le-Grand — there  is  an  Indulgence  by 
William,  Bishop  of  Norwich,  in  a  precisely  similar  handwriting 
to  that  of  the  convention,  also  without  date,  but  probably 
written  between  1146  and  11 74,  when  WiUiam  Turbus  was 
Bishop  of  Norwich.  Moreover,  the  late  Mr.  Burtt,  who 
arranged  these  archives,  has  described  this  parcel  as  extending 
from  Henry  II.  to  Henry  VIIL,  the  former  date  doubtless 
referring  to  the  grant  to  the  Saddlers'  Company  and  the 
Indulgence  by  William,  Bishop  of  Norwich. 

^  The  copy  in  the  Register  is  headed  by  the  following 
rubric :  "  Nota  per  hanc  literam  sequentem  quae  incipit 
Conventus  Sancti  Martini  London  quae  est  litera  frater- 
nitatis  Sellariorum  London  quod  dicta  ecclesia  erat  diu 
sedificata  et  dotata  ante  adventum  Conquestoris  in  Anglia  ut 
ibi  patet,  quae  est  contra  assertiones  Johannis  Carpenter'  et 
sequacium  suorum." 


"■»' 


,^ucTT^  t'f ch        '^^^^H^^    r ^  ^.  I » - 


«Ac«c-s,„s-  ^«t^'^;;'^"iv.  f f^s*i..a)■a„fe^;- 
l^5-o.r;ec  wr«n^  ^r^^«.fifii-;  .,^, 

Vc'f  ^^tr  fir  ^tttt  ^tt  fmr.  ^  m  Tto^mtlo  wft  recof  ^ant  «jli' 
cu  air^o  tndtfa^.  <fcctAm  Bean  rnnrnH'  niftrabtrift 
Set  &l^rTx^1t,  t  tniiluV T^\5?ncC  l^rappArtr.7 ni niVn^VC 


Front  .1  Photograph  taUti  by  AUisrs.  Bfi/yrd.  Lemere  ^  Co. 


-m:^ 


i.TlSl4V,-PtljJ 


■<.        ■      ^■ 


Fro/H  It  Photograph  i.jf.fit  by  Mmrs.  Bed/nrd,  Lewtre  ^  Co. 


History  of  the  Company.  5 

''  Indulgence,"  is  of  a   still  later  date,  apparently 
about  the  reign  of  Edward  III. 

For  the  following  translation  of  the  convention 
we  are  indebted  to  Dr.  Reginald  Sharpe,  Records 
Clerk  in  the  Town  Clerk's  Office,  Guildhall : — 

"  Convention. 

"  The  Convent  of  the  Church  of  Saint  Martin,  London, 
to  N  the  Aldermen  and  N  the  Chaplain  and  N  the  four 
echevins  and  all  the  Elders  of  the  Guild  of  Saddlers, 
their  friends  and  brethren,  [sends]  greeting  and  prayers 
in  Christ.  Be  it  known  to  you  both  present  and  to  come 
that  it  has  been  ordained  of  old  between  our  Church 
and  your  congregation,  to  wit,  that  you  are  brethren  and 
partakers  of  all  benefits  which  be  done  in  the  Church 
of  Saint  Martin,  by  night  and  by  day  in  masses,  psalms, 
prayers,  and  vigils.  And,  moreover,  know  ye  that  there 
have  been  granted  to  you  by  name  two  masses  every 
week,  to  wit,  one  for  the  living  and  the  other  for  the 
dead  brethren  of  your  congregation.  And  know  ye  that 
there  has  been  granted  to  you  the  ringing  of  the  bells  of 
the  Church  and  procession,  and  churchyard  fully  and 
honorably.  And  know  ye  that  the  Canons  for  the 
time  being  are  prepared  to  give  aid  and  counsel  to  your 
house  like  brethren  and  your  fellow-helpers.  Ye  shall, 
moreover,  as  has  been  before  ordained  and  is  now 
recorded  in  your  Chapter,  attend  in  person  at  the 
Church  of  the  blessed  Martin  on  the  Feast  of  Saint 
Martin  with  your  alms  and  wax  tapers  therewith  pro- 
vided. Moreover  we  pray  you,  if  you  will,  remember 
the  Church  of  Saint  Martin,  which  as  you  see  is  clearly 
in    much    need,  with    '  Saulesoth,'  ^    and    bequests  and 


1    u 


Sauiesoth,"    otherwise    "  Soulesceat,"    was     a     legacy 


6  Antiquity  and  Early 

other  of  your  benefits.  It  was  also  the  custom  of  old 
and  now  is  recorded  in  your^  Chapter  when  Sir 
yErnaldus  was  Alderman  that  for  every  reception  of  a 
deceased  brother  and  for  ringing  of  the  bells  the  Church 
of  Saint  Martin  shall  receive  eight  pence.     Farewell !  " 

Herbert,  alluding  to  this  convention,  unhesitat- 
ingly remarks  that  "  the  mention  immediately  after 
the  Conquest  of  '  ancient  Statutes '  then  existing 
between  so  remote  a  Saxon  foundation  as  St.  Mar- 
tin's-le-Grand  College  and  the  Sadlers,  together 
w^ith  the  old  custom  said  to  be  recorded  in  the  lat- 
ter's  chapter  of  the  time  of  their  Alderman  y^rnal- 
dus  (also  a  Saxon  name)  leaves  little  doubt  of  the 
Sadlers  being  a  veritable  Anglo-Saxon  Guild, 
and  consequently  the  oldest  on  record  of  ail  the 
present  Livery  Companies." 

The  allusion  to  the  Alderman  ^rnaldus  is 
explained  by  the  fact  that  anciently  the  title  of 
alderman  v^as  applied  solely  to  the  chiefs  of  guilds. 
Towards  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  the  title  of 
Master  superseded  that  of  Alderman,  which  be- 
came exclusively  applied,  instead,  to  the  heads  of 
City  wards. ^  It  seems  extremely  probable  that  the 
early  segregation  or  grouping  of  the  guilds  or 
crafts,  as  mentioned  by  Fitzstephen,  was  at  the 
time  the  only  divisional  distribution  of  the  City, 


anciently  bequeathed  at  death  to  the  parish  priest,  instead  of 
any  tithes  that  might  be  forgotten. 

^  "  Nostro  "  in  the  copy  in  the  Register. 

^  Herbert's  Historical  Essay,  p.  17. 


History  of  the  Company.  7 

and  that  It  was  the  origin  of  its  division  later  on 
into  wards. ^ 

The  Saddlers'  Company  claim  to  have  received 

their  first  charter  from  Edward  I.  in  the  first  year 

_  ,.      ,         of    his    relp^n,     a.d.    1272.       This     is 

and  liberties  of  repeatedly    affirmed    in   their    Minute 

ompany.    g^^j^g  .  j^  -^  g^jg^  confirmed   by  Mait- 

land,  and  other  historians.  Inasmuch,  however, 
as  the  earliest  records  of  the  Company  have  been 
lost  or  destroyed,  we  are  unable  circumstantially 
to  corroborate  this  claim.  The  charters  granted 
before  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  (132 7- 1377) 
were,  moreover,  not  enrolled.  That  charters  and 
grants  of  liberties  were,  however,  granted  by 
earlier  monarchs  than  Edward  III.  Is  clear  from 
the  Charter  granted  to  the  Weavers'  Company  by 
Henry  II.,  which  recites  liberties  granted  to  that 
guild  by  Henry  I. 

Again,  the  Goldsmiths'  Company,  who  are 
recognised  as  a  Company  or  fraternity  in  a  Statute 
of  Edward  I.,  did  not  receive  a  charter  of  incor- 
poration until  the  reign  of  Edward  III.,  while  the 
Weavers'  Charter  of  Henry  II.  was  not  confirmed 
until  the  same  reign  (Edward  III.).  Maitland, 
alluding  to  the  convention  between  the  Saddlers' 
Guild  and  the  Convent  of  St.  Martin's-le-Grand, 
which  he  assumes  to  belong  to  the  reign  of 
Richard  I.,  imagines  the  Company  to  have  been 
an  adulterine,  i.e.,  unlicensed  guild,  ''  seeing  It  was 

1  This  view  would   seem  to  be  supported  by  the  modern 
appellation  of  Cordwainers'  Ward. 


8  Antiquity  and  Early 

only  incorporated  by  Letters  Patent  of  Edward  I., 
by  the  appellation  of  the  Wardens  or  Keepers  and 
Commonalty  of  the  Mystery  or  Art  of  Saddlers, 
London."  The  reason  assigned  is  clearly  anything 
but  a  strong  one,  and  falls  to  support  his  assertion 
or  to  make  that  assertion  convlnclncr.  It  Is  not 
unlikely  that  the  Saddlers'  Company,  even  if  they 
had  no  earlier  charter  than  that  of  Edward  IIL, 
had  a  grant  of  liberties.  It  Is  extremely  likely 
that  they  did  ;  for  we  find  that  In  the  26th  year 
of  the  relgfn   of  Henry  II.,  a.d.  1180, 

A.D.   I180.  ^  111 

or  nearly  one  hundred  years  before 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.,  that  monarch  made  a 
swoop  upon  the  adulterine  guilds,  or  guilds  set  up 
without  the  king's  license,  no  less  than  eighteen 
guilds  in  London  alone  being  amerced  or  fined  ; 
this  eighteen  included  the  Goldsmiths.  Now  the 
Saddlers'  Guild  Is  not  mentioned  In  the  list,  and 
seeing  that  the  guild  was,  even  at  that  early 
period,  old-established,  and  could  not,  had  it  been 
unlicensed,  have  escaped  similar  treatment,  there 
is  every  ground  for  assuming  it  to  have  been  a 
warranted  guild.  Moreover,  such  an  assumption 
is  supported  by  the  fact  that  the  Exchequer  Roll 
of  the  same  year  contains  a  note  of  the  amerce- 
ment of  a  guild  of  Saddlers  of  the  City  of  York.^ 

^  Pipe  Roll,  26  Henry  IL,  membrane,  5  dors, 

"  Of  pleas  of  the  same  in  the  City  of  York. 

"Robert  Parsons  and  Robert  Hugges  render  account  of  two 
marks  for  customs  which  they  unjustly  demanded. 

"  The  same  sheriffs  render  account  of  twenty  shillings  from 
the  Guild  of  the  Saddlers  for  the  same." 


History  of  the  Company.  9 

The    earliest    historical    incidents    connected 

with  the  Saddlers'  Company  are,  for  the  reason  set 

forth   in    the  Preface,  mostly  derived 

Ancient  Articles  from    the   archives   of    the    Corpora- 

of  the  Saddlers   ^Jon.      The    Citv    Archives    contain 

and  J  omers.  ^  _  J 

Arbitration  be-    an    Interesting    record    in    the    year 

tween  the  crafts.  ,  ^^  ^  TT\ri 

1309  (temp.  JKdw.  11.)  ot  the  early 
ordinances  of  the  Saddlers  and  Fusters  or  Joiners 
of  London,  which,  while  they  give  some  interest- 
ing Information  touching  the  saddlery  trade  at 
that  early  period,  also  throw  a  curious  light 
upon  the  relationship  of  the  two  crafts.  The 
ordinances  in  question  recite  that  much  damage 
was  happening  daily  unto  the  great  lords  and 
people  of  the  land  by  reason  of  the  deceits 
employed  in  the  making  of  saddles.  The  Saddlers 
of  London,  when  charged  with  the  spuriousness 
of  their  goods,  were  in  the  habit  of  transferring 
the  blame  to  the  Joiners,  whose  particular  and 
apparently  exclusive  function,  we  learn  from  the 
same  source,  was  the  manufacture  of  the  saddle- 
bows. Matters  reaching  a  crisis,  the  two  crafts 
assembled  before  the  Lord  Mayor,  Sir  John  le 
Blound  (or  Blount),  and  the  Aldermen  on  the 
Monday  following  the  octave  of  St.  Michael,  and 
prayed  that  the  ordinances  of  the  mystery  of  the 
Joiners  in  use  in  the  time  of  their  ancestors  might 
be  renewed,  and  that  six  members  of  the  mystery 
should  be  empowered  to  search  and  stamp  all 
goods  belonging  to  the  craft  with  a  hall  mark. 
The  ordinances  set  forth  that  naughty  apprentices 
who  had  run  away  from  their  masters,  with  other 


lo  Antiquity  and  Early 

deceitful  men,  did  resort  to  the  woods,  which,  as 
FItzstephen  Informs  us,  were  in  those  days  in 
close  proximity  to  the  City,  and  did  there  secretly 
patch  up  saddle-bows  in  the  roughest  and  most 
deceitful  manner  imaginable  ;  the  parts  being 
often  simply  glued  together  and  made  of  un- 
seasoned wood,  often  perfectly  green.  Under 
the  cover  of  night,  these  would  be  smuggled  into 
the  City  and  disposed  of  to  dishonest  Saddlers 
and  Painters,  who  after  painting  them  or  covering 
them  with  leather,  velvet,  or  cloth,  would  offer 
them  in  that  unfit  state  for  sale.  The  conse- 
quence of  all  of  this  was,  we  are  told,  that  when  the 
wood  became  dry  the  saddle-bow  would  shrink, 
and  the  saddle  itself  collapse,  an  eventuality 
which  was  not  unlikely  to  extend  to  the  rider. 

To  remedy  all  this,  it  was  thereupon  ordained 
that  in  future  no  Joiner  should  make  saddle-bows 
of  less  than  quarters  [si  noun  de  qtcarte7^),  which 
Mr.  Riley,  in  his  interesting  comment  on  these 
articles,  construes  as  the  quarter  of  the  horizontal 
section  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree.^  The  wood  was  to 
be  dry  before  it  was  painted,  and  each  Joiner  was 
required  to  have  his  own  mark  for  marking  all 
goods  of  his  manufacture  ;  Painters  were  forbidden 
to  paint  any  saddle-bow  made  outside  the  City, 
until  they  had  been  viewed  and  approved  and 
received  the  official  mark  of  the  jurors  appointed 
to  examine  them  by  the  mystery.  No  Joiners 
were  to  be  permitted   to  work   in  the  woods,  and 


History  of  the  Company.  ii 

all  goods  which  should  be  found  to  be  deceitfully 
wrong  were  ordered  to  be  taken  to  the  Guildhall 
and  condemned,  and  thence  carried  to  Westchepe 
and  burned.  No  Joiner  who  was  not  of  the  mystery 
was  allowed  to  take  an  apprentice,  and  even  then 
not  unless  he  were  of  ability  to  support  him. 
Lastly,  among  other  obligations  imposed  upon 
them,  the  Joiners  were  forbidden  to  have  any  old 
saddle-bows,  or  parts  thereof,  in  their  possession. 

Eleven  years  later — namely,  in  1320 — we  read 

A.D.  1320.     of    a   dispute    between    the    Saddlers 

SSdtSand  the   Loriners,   or  makers  of  bits 

the  Loriners,    a.nd  Other  metal  work  for  horse  furni- 

J  oiners  and 

Painters.  ture.  The  dispute  appears  to  have 
arisen  out  of  the  ordinances  of  the  Loriners,  con- 
firmed to  that  craft  by  William  Fitz  Richard,  Mayor, 
in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  the  reign  of  tienry  IIL 
(a.d.  1 261).  According  to  these,  the  Loriners  en- 
joyed the  prescriptive  right  of  w^hat  was  virtually 
a  monopoly  of  their  particular  branch  of  trade. 
This  privilege,  however,  was  regarded  by  the 
Saddlers  as  an  infringement  of  their  own  liberties, 
for  they  appeared  to  have  considered  the  sale  of 
everything  connected  with  the  furniture  and  trap- 
pings of  horses  as  belonging  to  their  own  domain. 
Accordingly  they  instituted  a  suit  against  the 
Loriners  before  the  then  Mayor,  Hamo  de  Chige- 
well,  and  obtained  an  injunction.  More  than 
this,  the  obnoxious  ordinances  of  the  Loriners 
were  ordered  to  be  burned  in  Westchepe.  The 
result  of  this  suit   was   in   no   way   calculated  to 

c 


12  Antiquity  and  Early 

reconcile  the  two  crafts  ;  nor  did  it.     On  the  con- 
trary,  their  mutual  hostility  increased  to  such  a 
degree  of  intensity  that  seven  years  later,  in  1327, 
Affrays  between  ^c  read  of  sauguiuary  affrays  taking 
the  Saddlers    place    in    the    streets  of  Cheap   and 

and  the  Lormers,  ^      .  -^ 

Joiners,  and  CHpplegate  between  the  Saddlers  on 
the  one  side,  and  the  combined  forces 
of  the  Loriners,  Joiners,  and  Painters  on  the 
other — affrays  which  set  the  whole  City  by  the 
ears.^  The  account  given  in  the  City  Letter 
Books  is  quaint  and  interesting ;  it  is  partly  in 
Latin  and  partly  in  Norman  French.  The  record 
purports  to  be  "An  agreement  made  between  the 
men  of  the  trade  of  the  Saddlers  of  London  of  the 
one  part,  and  the  men  of  the  trades  of  the  Joiners, 
Painters,  and  Loriners  in  copper  and  iron  of  the 
same  City,  of  the  other  part."^ 

"  Be  it  remembered,  that  whereas  a  certain  affray 
lately  took  place  between  the  men  of  the  trade  of  the 
Saddlers  of  the  City  of  London,  of  the  one  part,  and  the 
men  of  the  trades  of  the  Joiners,  Painters,  and  Lorimers, 

^  Such  affrays  as  that  between  the  Saddlers  and  the  Joiners 
were  not  uncommon  between  the  serving-men  of  the  crafts,  who 
were  not  slow  to  identify  themselves  as  a  fraternity  with  the 
quarrels  of  individual  members.  Northouck  relates  a  sanguinary 
battle  in  1226  between  the  Goldsmiths  and  the  Tailors,  in  which 
many  combatants  were  slain,  thirteen  of  the  ringleaders  being 
executed.  Maitland  records  an  affray  in  1339  between  the 
Skinners  and  Fishmongers,  and  the  old  Chronicle  of  London 
mentions  one  among  the  men  of  the  different  crafts  on  Black- 
heath  in  1375. 

^  Letter  Book  E.,  fol.  176.  I  have  adopted  Mr.  Riley's 
careful  translation  ("  Memorials  of  London,"  pp.  156-162). 


History  of  the  Company.  i 


J 


as  well  in  copper  as  in  iron,  of  the  same  City,  of  the 
other  part,  by  reason  of  a  certain  rancour  and  dissension 
which  had  lately  arisen  between  them — namely,  on 
Thursday,  the  Feast  of  our  Lord's  Ascension  [20  May] 
last  past  ;  upon  which  day  certain  of  them,  on  either 
side,  strongly  provided  with  an  armed  force,  exchanged 
blows  and  manfully  began  to  fight,  as  well  in  Chepe  as 
in  the  street  of  Cripelgate,  and  elsewhere  in  the  same 
City  ;  on  which  occasion  certain  among  them  were 
wickedly,  and  against  the  peace  of  our  Lord  the  King, 
killed,  and  many  others  mortally  wounded,  by  reason  of 
which  dissension  and  exchange  of  blows,  the  greater 
part  of  the  City  was  in  alarm,  to  the  great  disgrace  and 
scandal  of  the  whole  City,  and  the  manifest  peril  thereof; 
and  which  dissension  and  exchange  of  blows  became  so 
serious  and  so  outrageous,  as  hardly  to  be  appeased 
through  the  intervention  of  the  Mayor,  Sheriffs,  and 
officers  of  the  City  ;  such  contention  being,  however,  at 
last,  so  well  as  it  might  be,  allayed  by  the  Mayor, 
Sheriffs,  and  other  officers  of  the  City,  the  said  Mayor 
and  Sheriffs  appointed  a  day  for  the  men  of  the  trades 
aforesaid  to  appear  before  them  at  the  Guildhall, 
namely,  the  Friday  following,  being  the  morrow  of  our 
Lord's  Ascension,  to  the  end  that  they  might  set  forth 
their  reasons  on  either  side. 

"  Upon  the  said  day,  there  came  accordingly  to  the 
Guildhall  the  men  of  the  said  trades,  and,  in  presence  of 
the  Mayor,  Sheriffs,  and  Aldermen,  did  set  forth  their 
grievances  in  writing.  Whereupon  a  certain  Petition 
was  presented  to  the  Mayor  by  the  Joiners,  Painters, 
and  Lorimers  ;  the  tenor  of  which  is  as  follows  : — 

" '  To  the  Mayor,  and  to  the  Aldermen,  and  to 
-D  ,.  .     ,    ,,       the   crood  Commonalty  of  London,  shew 

Petition  by  the  ^  ^  ^  ^  \ 

Joiners,  Painters,  and   make    plaint    the   Joiners,    Painters, 

and  Lorimers.     Lorimers    in    copper,     and    Lorimers    in 

iron  ; — That  whereas  they   have  always    been    free    of 

c  2 


14  Antiquity  and  Early 

the  City,  in  bearing  their  charge  of  tallages  and  other 
contributions,  as  equals  and  as  commoners,  according  to 
their  power  ;  the  Saddlers  of  the  City,  against  the  fran- 
chise of  the  same,  by  conspiracy  and  collusion  among 
themselves,  have  ordained  and  established,  and  there- 
unto among  themselves,  have  made  oath  that  no  one  of 
the  trades  aforesaid  shall  be  so  daring  as  to  sell  any 
manner  of  merchandize  that  unto  their  own  trade  per- 
tains, either  to  freemen  of  the  City  or  to  other  persons, 
but  only  to  themselves,  in  the  business  of  saddlery ;  the 
which  thing  is  notoriously  against  all  the  commonalty  of 
the  said  City,  and  all  the  realm.  And  because  that  the 
trades  aforesaid  would  not  assent  to  this  thing,  against 
their  oath  to  the  City  made,  the  Saddlers,  against  the 
peace  of  our  Lord  the  King,  maliciously  and  by  force  of 
arms  have  assailed  the  trades  aforesaid,  as  well  in  their 
own  houses  as  in  the  high  streets  ;  some  persons  whereof 
have  been  killed,  some  maimed,  and  many  wounded 
and  maltreated.  They  therefore  do  pray  the  Mayor 
and  all  the  Commonalty,  that  redress  for  this  thing  may 
be  made  to  them,  in  such  due  and  good  manner  that 
they  may  be  enabled  to  live  in  peace,  and  to  follow 
their  trades  as  they  have  done  heretofore. 

'"And  further,  the  trades  aforesaid  make  plaint; — 
That  whereas  after  the  Saddlers  have  received  from 
them  certain  goods  pertaining  unto  their  trades,  and 
have  become  possessed  of  the  said  goods  in  their  own 
houses,  if  the  good  folks  of  the  said  trades  come  there 
to  ask  for  their  payment,  they  are  bandied  about  among 
the  said  Saddlers  with  offensive  words,  and  sometimes 
beaten,  and  in  other  ways  maltreated ;  by  reason  whereof 
they  have  not  the  daring  to  demand  payment  of  their 
debtSj  and  therefore  the  said  Saddlers  now  are  in  their 
debt  ;  that  is  to  say,  they  owe  to  the  Painters  ^loo  and 
35^.,  to  the  Lorimers  in  copper  £84  iSs.,  and  to  the 
l.orimers  in  iron  ;^  lOO  8i".,  and  to  the  Joiners  ^10  11^.  4^/.; 


History  of  the  Company.  15 

the  total  of  wliich  amounts  to  ^^297  9^'.  4^.  ;  to  the 
great  damage  and  impoverishment  of  the  said  trades, 
and  as  to  the  which  they  pray  for  favour  and  redress. 

" '  And  further,  whereas  the  great  lords  of  the  realm 
do  give  their  old  saddles  to  their  palfreymen,  these 
persons  sell  them  to  the  said  Saddlers,  who  then  try  to 
harness  them  afresh,  and  to  sell  them  for  new,  to  the 
loss  of  all  the  commonalty  of  the  realm.' 
^,    e  JJ^     5        "  Answer  made  to  the  Petition  : — 

The  baddlers 

Reply  to  "' As  to  the  first  point  in  this  Petition, 

the  Petition,  ^j^^  Saddlers  say  that  they  never  did  so, 
and  never  will  do  so.  As  to  the  second  point,  they  have 
their  recovery  before  the  Sheriff,  by  plea  of  debt.  As 
to  the  third  point,  they  concede  that  from  henceforth 
no  old  saddles  shall  be  harnessed  for  re-sale  as  new 
ones,  and  that  if  any  such  be  found,  the  same  shall  be 
adjudged  upon  before  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen. 

"'And  also,  the  Saddlers  aforesaid  have  conceded  for 
themselves  and  for  all  their  trade  that  among  them  no 
confederacy  or  alliance  shall  be  made,  either  against  the 
City,  or  against  the  aforesaid  Joiners,  Lorimers,  and 
others  of  their  companionship,  at  any  time  to  come,  on 
pain  of  paying  10  tuns  of  wine  to  the  Commonalty  of 
London,  whosoever  shall  be  convicted  thereof.  And 
that  in  the  same  manner  the  Joiners,  Lorimers  in  copper 
and  in  iron,  and  Painters,  shall  [be  answerable]  for 
themselves  and  for  their  trades.' 

**  And  a  certain  petition  was  also  presented  to  the 
Mayor  and  Aldermen,  the  tenor  of  which  is  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  '  To  the  Mayor  and  to  the  Commonalty  of  the  City  of 
London,  shew  and  make  plaint  the  Saddlers  of  the  said 
City  ;  that  whereas  contumelious  words  had  arisen 
between  William  de  Karletone,  Saddler,  and  William  de 
Stokwelle,  Painter,  and  by  reason  of  such  words,  six 
good  folks  of  the  one  trade  and  six  of  the  other,  did 


1 6  Antiquity  and  Early 

interfere  therein,  and  appoint  a  day  of  love^  at  St.  Paul's 
Church,  as  between  the  aforesaid  WilHam  and  WiUiam, 
namely,  Wednesday,  the  Feast  of  St  Dunstan  f  the 
aforesaid  William  de  Stokwelle,  compassing  mischief, 
did  cause  all  the  Painters,  Joiners,  Lorimers,  (and) 
Gelders^  to  be  collected,  together  with  other  workmen, 
in  order  to  act  by  force  of  arms,  and  in  affray  of  the 
said  City ;  and  then  took  counsel  to  make  the  Saddlers 
aforesaid  concede,  by  compulsion,  that  if  any  man  of 
the  one  trade  shall  have  cause  of  offence,  as  against  any 
one  of  the  other  trade,  then  in  such  case,  all  the  Painters, 
together  with  all  the  [other]  trades,  shall  no  longer  be 
bound  to  work,  but  shall  close  their  selds  ;  and  that  if 
any  offence  shall  be  found  to  have  been  committed  on 
the  one  side  or  the  other,  the  parties  shall  not  be  recon- 
ciled without  two  of  each  trade  [intervening  therein]. 

"  '  And  further,  the  aforesaid  copresmethes'^  have  made 
an  ordinance  among  themselves,  out  of  their  own  heads, 
that  if  any  strange  workman  of  the  same  trade  shall 
come  to  the  said  City,  he  shall  not  be  received  on  any 
terms,  until  he  shall  have  made  oath  to  conceal  their 
misdeeds.^  And  whereas  the  said  Painters  and  Joiners 
do  set  every  point  of  their  trade  at  a  fixed  price,  at  no 
time  has  there  been  any  certainty  as  to  the  aforesaid 
points  in  practice  established  ;  by  reason  whereof,  they 
are  making  themselves  kings  of  the  land,  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  all  the  people  of  the  land,  and  to  the  annihilation 
of  the  Saddlers  aforesaid.  As  to  the  which  they  pray 
for  redress.' 


^  A  day  for  making  terms  of  reconciliation. 
^  The    Deposition    of    St.    Dunstan,    19th    May,  must  be 
meant. 

'  Meaning  gilders. 

'  Co]:)persmilhs — the  Lorimers  in  copper. 

*  Malveiste. 


History  of  the  Company.  17 

"  As  to  the  first  point  in  this  Petition, — the  Lorimers 
and  others  of  their  companionship  have  made  answer, 
that  they  never  have  done  so,  and  they  never  will  do  so. 
To  the  second  point  they  have  made  answer, — that  no 
strange  workman  of  their  trade  ought  to  work  among 
them  if  he  be  not  admitted  and  sworn  among  them,  and 
have  not  done  that,  in  presence  of  the  Mayor  and 
Aldermen,  which  unto  the  franchise  of  the  City  pertains. 
And  as  regards  that  they  have  set  up  certain  prices  in 
their  trades, — they  altogether  deny  the  same.' 

**  And  hereupon,  for  avoiding  still  greater  peril,  and 
for  making  and  re-establishing  concord  and  peace 
among  the  men  of  the  said  trades,  it  was  ordered  and 
agreed  that  six  Aldermen  should  be  chosen,  to  be 
present  at  a  certain  day  and  place  ;  and  that  the  men 
of  the  trade  aforesaid  should  appear  before  them,  for 
the  purpose  of  treating  of  peace  and  concord  among  all. 
And  the  following  Aldermen  were  chosen  ; — namely, 
Nicholas  de  Farndone,  Hamon  de  Chigwelle,  Reynald 
de  Conduit,  Henry  de  Seccheford,  Thomas  de  Leyre, 
and  John  de  Caustone  ;  who,  upon  being  chosen,  named 
a  day  for  the  men  of  the  trades  aforesaid  to  appear 
before  them,  the  same  Aldermen,  at  St.  Martin's-le- 
Grand,  in  London,  the  following  Sunday,  namely, 
there  to  treat  of  peace  and  concord,  as  before  men- 
tioned. 

''Upon  which  day  there  met  at  the  place  aforesaid,  as 
well  as  the  Aldermen  before  mentioned,  as  the  men  of 
the  said  trades,  in  great  multitudes  on  either  side.  And 
after  they  had  begun  to  treat  of  the  business  aforesaid, 
by  reason  of  the  multitude  of  people  present,  they  were 
not  able  to  expedite  the  business,  or  to  bring  it  to  a 
conclusion  ;  whereupon  it  was  ordered  by  the  said 
Aldermen,  and  agreed  to  by  the  men  of  the  trades 
aforesaid,  that  certain  persons  of  the  trade  of  the 
Saddlers,   and  in  like   manner,  certain  persons    of  the 


1 8  Antiquity  and  Early 

trades  of  the  Painters,  Joiners,  and  Lorimers,  should  be 
chosen  to  treat  in  behalf  of  each  such  trade,  for  re-estab- 
lishing peace  between  them. 

"  And  hereupon,  there  were  chosen,  by  assent  of  the 
whole  Commonalty,  of  the  trade  of  the  Saddlers,  Ralph 
de  Blithe,  Richard  Bukskyn,  Alan  de  Frechebeke, 
Gilbert  de  Balsham,  John  de  Champaigne,  and  Robert 
de  Bristolle.  And  of  the  trades  of  Joiners,  Lorimers  in 
copper  and  in  iron,  and  Painters,  there  were  chosen,  by 
assent  of  all  such  trades,  Robert  de  Suttone,  and  Walter 
le  Kew,  copresmythes,  Ralph  le  Gilder,  and  Richard  de 
Bernham,  ironsmythes,  Robert  de  Donemowe,  and 
Richard  le  Whyte,  Joiners,  Henry  de  Denecombe,  and 
Geoffrey  le  Purtreour,^  Painters.  Who,  being  so  chosen, 
together  with  the  Aldermen  aforesaid,  they  began  to 
treat  of  peace,  as  before  stated.  But  on  that  day  they 
could  not  bring  the  said  matter  to  an  end  ;  by  reason 
whereof,  they  named  a  future  day,  that  is  to  say,  the 
Tuesday  following,  then  to  meet  again,  in  order  to  treat 
more  at  length  of  peace  and  concord,  as  before  men- 
tioned. 

"  Upon  which  day  they  met,  and  there  they  did  ordain 
and  establish  final  peace  and  concord  ;  which,  in  a 
certain  schedule  delivered  to  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen, 
is  more  fully  set  forth  ;  the  tenor  of  which  is  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  *  Whereas  dissensions  and  strifes  have  been  moved 
between  the  folks  who  are  Saddlers  of  London,  of  the 
one  part,  and  the  folks  who  are  Joiners,  Lorimers  in  iron, 
Lorimers  in  copper,  and  Painters  of  the  same  city,  of  the 
other  part ;  thereupon^  by  ordinance  of  common  friends, 
that  is  to  say,  of  Thomas  Rys,  Richard  Denys,  Walter 
le  Mazerer,  Hugh  de  Brandone,  John  de  Castelacre 
Nicholas   Crane,   and   Thomas  de  Berkyng,   the  which 

^  The  portrayer. 


History  of  the  Company.  19 

have  been  chosen  and  thereunto  ordained  by  the  Sad- 
dlers before-mentioned  ;^  and  of  Henry  Moncoy,  John 
Saleman,  Adam  Pykeman,  Thomas  de  Havering,  John 
le  Kynge,  and  John  Coterel,  the  which  have  been  chosen 
and  thereunto  ordained  by  the  Joiners,  Lorimers,  and 
Painters  aforesaid  ;  the  which  ordainers,  with  one  con- 
sent and  one  will,  have  made  agreement  and  peace  in 
this  form  between  the  parties  aforesaid  :  [it  was  agreed], 
that  is  to  say  : — 

"  '  That  if  the  Saddlers  aforesaid,  or  any  one  of  them,  or 

any  of  their  successors,  shall,  at  any  time 
^ended.  °   ^  to   come,    after   this   present   time,   offend 

against  the  Joiners,  Lorimers,  and  Painters 
aforesaid,  or  shall  maintain  any  one  of  their  household, 
or  any  other  person  whatsoever,  in  so  doing,  and  shall 
thereof,  by  good  and  lawful  persons,  be  convicted, 
and  will  not  in  due  form  make  amends  ;  then,  in  such 
case,  the  Saddlers  aforesaid  do  will  and  do  grant,  for 
themselves  and  for  their  successors,  that  they  shall  be 
bound  to  pay  unto  the  Joiners,  Lorimers,  and  Painters 
aforesaid,  ten  tuns  of  good  wine,  and  to  render  the  same 
within  one  month  next  ensuing  after  the  offence  of 
which  conviction  shall  have  been  so  made  ;  and  also 
other  ten  tuns  of  good  wine  unto  the  Mayor  and  the 
Commonalty  of  London,  at  the  same  time  to  be  paid 
and  rendered.  And  in  all  the  ways  in  which  the 
Saddlers  aforesaid,  for  themselves  and  for  their  vadlets 
and  their  successors,  have  bound  themselves  as  towards 
the  Joiners,  Lorimers,  and  Painters  aforesaid,  in  the  same 
manner  have  the  ordainers  aforesaid  ordained  that  the 
Joiners,  Lorimers,  and  Painters  before-mentioned,  for 
themselves,  for  their  vadlets,   and   for  their  successors, 

^  It  would  appear  that  these  were  a  second  body  of  arbi- 
trators, appointed  probably  through  the  inability  or  failure  of 
the  first. 


20  Antiquity  and  Early 

shall  be  bound  as  towards  the  Saddlers  before-men- 
tioned. 

"  'And  further,  by  the  said  ordainers  it  is  ordained,  that 
if  the  Saddlers  aforesaid  shall  receive  or  take  back,  or 
any  one  of  them  shall  receive  or  take,  the  persons  of  their 
trade  hereinafter  named,  or  any  one  of  them,  who  have 
withdrawn  themselves  for  the  offences  which  they  have 
committed  against  the  Joiners,  Lorimers,  and  Painters 
aforesaid,  such  names  being  here  specified  and  set  forth, 
namely  : — Nicholas  Bonere,  John  Bonere,  William  de 
Carletone,  Alexander  de  Oundle,  Roger  de  Wyndesore 
John  de  Houghtone,  Roger  le  Gierke,  his  vadlet,  John 
de  York,  saddler,  and  John  de  Coventre,  saddler,  or 
from  their  goods  and  chattels  in  any  manner  shall 
maintain  or  sustain  them,  or  maintain  and  sustain  any 
one  of  them,  before  they  shall  have  given  satisfaction, 
and  made  peace  and  agreed  with  the  Joiners,  Lorimers, 
and  Painters  aforesaid,  and  shall,  by  good  and  lawful 
persons,  be  convicted  of  so  doing,  then,  in  such  case, 
they  shall  be  bound  to  pay  twenty  tuns  of  good  wine  ; 
that  is  to  say,  ten  tuns  of  wine  to  the  same  trades  of  the 
Joiners,  Lorimers,  and  Painters,  within  the  month  next 
ensuing  after  they  shall  have  been  so  convicted  ;  and 
the  other  ten  tuns  of  wine  to  the  Mayor  and  to  the 
Commonalty  of  the  said  City.  And  that  these  ordi- 
nances and  grants  shall  hold  good  and  be  valid,  as  well 
against  the  Saddlers  aforesaid,  as  the  Joiners,  Lorimers, 
and  Painters  before-mentioned,  they  shall  be  enrolled  in 
the  Husting  at  London,  for  ever  to  endure ;  and  also  in 
the  paper  of  the  chamber  of  Guildhall  aforesaid.' 

"And  further,  the  men  of  the  trades  of  Joiners,  Painters, 
and  Lorimers  in  copper  and  in  iron,  presented  to  the 
Mayor  and  Aldermen  a  petition,  the  tenor  of  which  was 
as  follows  : — 

'* '  To  the  Mayor,  to  the  Aldermen,  and  to  all  the  Com- 
monalty of  London,  make  prayer  the  Painters,  Joiners, 


HiSTOEY    OF    THE    CoMPANY. 


21 


and  Lorimers  in  iron  and  in  copper,  dwelling  in  the  City 
of  London,  that  no  stranger,  of  whatsoever  condition  he 
may  be,  shall  be  admitted  to,  or  suffered  to  follow,  any 
of  the  said  trades  in  the  same  City,  before  he  shall  have 
been  received  at  the  Husting  in  presence  of  the  Mayor 
and  Aldermen,  by  assent  of  eight  reputable  men  who 
shall  be  chosen  to  keep  and  oversee  the  same  trades  ; 
and  shall  have  found  for  the  Commonalty  sufficient 
surety  among  persons  of  the  same  trades  as  he  is  bound 
to  do.  And  if  any  person  be  found  to  contravene  the 
ordinance  aforesaid,  he  may  be  amerced  in  the  sum  of 
one  mark,  in  manner  below  stated. 

" '  And  also  they  pray  that  no  manner  of  work  be- 
longing to  the  same  trades  that  has  once  been  used, 
shall  be  afterwards  repaired  for  resale  thereof ;  and  if  it 
shall  so  happen  that  any  such  repaired  work  shall  be 
found  on  resale,  that  it  shall  be  forfeited  to  the  Mayor 
and  to  the  Commonalty. 

"  '  And,  further,  they  pray  that  every  time  that  any 
freeman  shall  be  found  to  contravene  the  points  afore- 
said, or  any  one  of  them,  he  shall  be  amerced  in  the 
sum  of  one  mark  at  the  Chamber  of  the  Guildhall, 
without  having  release  or  pardon  thereof  "  ^ 

In    1350,   the  City  Letter  Books  record  a  re- 
monstrance   from    the     Kinpf    to    the 

A.D.   1350.  ,  .  .. 

Wages  of  Sad-  Mayor  and   Sheriffs,   directed  against 
Roya^  Ordi-^    the  high  rate  of  wages  demanded  by 
nance.        Saddlers   and    other   artificers   of  the 
City,  in  the  following  words^ : — 

"  Edward,  by  the  grace  of  God  King  of  England  and 


^  The  result  of  this  petition  is  not  stated. 

^  Letter  Book  F.,  fol.  148,  b.     The  original  is  in  Latin. 


2  2  Antiquity  and  Early 

France,  and  Lord  of  Ireland,  to  the  Mayor  and  Sheriffs 
of  London,  greeting.  Whereas  it  has  been  ordained 
and  agreed,  among  other  ordinances  lately  made  by  us, 
[our]  prelates  and  nobles  assisting  us,  for  avoiding  the 
dearness  of  workmen  and  other  servants,  that  Saddlers, 
Skinners,  Cordwainers,  Cobblers,  and  all  workmen  and 
artificers  soever,  shall  not  take  for  their  labour  and 
work  more  than  was  accustomed  to  be  paid  to  such  in 
the  20th  year  of  our  reign  over  England,  or  in  the  five 
or  six  common  years  next  preceding,  in  places  where 
they  happened  to  be  working,  under  a  certain  penalty 
in  the  aforesaid  ordinance  contained,  as  is  more  fully  in 
the  same  ordinance  contained,  and  we  have  charged  you 
that  you  should  cause  that  ordinance  to  be  publicly  pro- 
claimed and  observed  in  places  within  that  City  and 
suburbs  of  the  same.  And  now,  from  information  of 
noblemen  as  well  as  others  who,  by  our  command  as 
well  as  for  divers  causes,  flock  both  to  the  same  City  and 
suburbs  and  there  remain,  we  have  learnt  that  notwith- 
standing the  ordinance  aforesaid  having  been  proclaimed 
in  the  aforesaid  places,  yet,  inasmuch  as  the  penalty 
contained  in  the  said  ordinance  is  not  enforced  against 
those  who  do  not  observe  the  same,  the  said  workmen 
and  artificers  not  considering  the  ordinance  and  pro- 
clamation aforesaid,  nor  fearing  the  penalty  in  the  same 
ordinance  contained,  sell  the  work  of  their  labour  for 
what  they  will,  and  take  more  for  their  work  of  this 
kind  than  was  wont  to  be  paid  to  them  in  the  said 
years  before  the  ordinance  from  the  same  noblemen  and 
others,  to  the  loss  and  prejudice  of  the  same  noblemen 
and  others,  and  contrary  to  the  ordinance  and  pro- 
clamation aforesaid.  And  because  it  is  in  vain  that 
laws  are  made  unless  they  be  duly  executed,  we  com- 
mand you  that  you  cause  the  aforesaid  ordinance  to 
be  observed  in  the  City  and  suburbs  aforesaid,  and  that 
you   punish  and  chastise   those  who  act  contrary  to  it, 


History  of  the  Company.  23 

as  you  shall  see  ought  to  be  done  in  accordance  with 
the  ordinance  aforesaid,  lest  complaint  thereon  again 
reach  us  whereby  we  should  have  to  take  strong 
naeasures  against  you  as  their  abettors. 

"  Witness  myself  at  Westminster,  the  7th  day  of 
December,  the  23rd  year  of  our  reign  over  England,  and 
the  loth  year  of  our  reign  over  France.  And  be  it 
known  that  that  writ,  after  proclamation  thereon  made, 
was  delivered  to  Walter  Turk,  Mayor,  and  remains  with 
the  said  Mayor 


..  " 


Six    years    afterwards    we    find    the    Saddlers' 

Company    again    taking    action    to    prevent    an 

A  D  13^6      infringement    of     their     liberties    by 

The  Saddlers    another   guild ;     this    time    it    is    the 

te     "^  ers.  Q-^ji^^g^        jj^    ^j^^    Close    Rolls    of    3O 

Edward  III.,  deposited  at  the  Public  Record 
Office,  there  is  enrolled  an  order  from  the  King 
in  Council,  dated  6th  October,  1356,  which  sets 
forth  that  upon  the  petition  of  the  Girdlers'  Com- 
pany the  King  had  proposed  to  grant  to  that 
Company  the  right  of  confiscation  of  all  girdles 
of  inferior  workmanship.  The  Saddlers'  Company, 
however,  protested  against  this  grant  to  the 
Girdlers,  on  the  ground  of  its  interference  with 
their  own  liberties  and  trade,  and  their  representa- 
tions seem  to  have  made  due  impression,  for  we 
read  that  the  King  thereupon  stayed  execution  of 
his  former  mandate,  issued  in  favour  of  the 
Girdlers. 

The  text  of  the  document  is  in  Latin  and   the 
following  is  a  translation  : — 


24  Antiquity  and  Early 

"  For  the  Saddlers    1     The  King   to    the    Mayor    and 

of  the  >    Sheriffs    of   London,    Greeting. 

City  of  London.       J     Whereas  lately  the   Girdlers   of 

our  City  of  London  by  their 
petition  exhibited  before  us  and  our  Council  in  our 
Parliament  at  Westminster,  held  after  the  Feast  of  the 
Purification  of  the  Blessed  Mary,  in  the  first  year  of  our 
reign  of  England,  showed  forth  to  us  that  whereas  it 
had  been  anciently  ordered  and  used  in  the  City  afore- 
said, that  none  of  the  said  Mystery  should  cause  girdles 
of  silk,  wool,  leather,  or  linen  thread  to  be  adorned  with 
baser  metal  than  brass,  battery,  iron  or  steel  ;  and  if  any 
work  be  found  ornamented  with  baser  metal  that  work 
should  be  burnt.  And  because  the  said  Mystery  in  the 
City  aforesaid  then  stood  greatly  damaged  and  defamed 
because  certain  men  of  that  Mystery,  dwelling  without 
the  City  aforesaid,  have  made  those  girdles  of  false 
work,  such  as  lead,  pewter,  and  tin,  and  other  base 
material  by  which  the  people  of  our  said  City  and  realm 
have  been  deceived  to  the  damage  of  the  same,  and 
scandal  of  the  men  of  the  aforesaid  Mystery.  The  said 
Girdlers  have  besought  us  that  we  would  approve  the 
ordinance  and  grant  abovesaid,  and  further  grant  that 
the  ordinance  and  custom  aforesaid  in  the  City  aforesaid 
and  elsewhere  throughout  our  whole  realm  may  be  for 
ever  firmly  observed.  And  we,  for  avoiding  such  decep- 
tions and  damages,  and  for  the  common  good  of  our 
people,  willing  to  incline  to  the  supplication  aforesaid, 
have  by  our  letters  patent  accepted  and  approved  the 
ordinance  and  custom  aforesaid.  Willing  and  granting 
for  us  and  our  heirs  that  the  same  ordinance  and  grant 
may  be  observed  and  maintained  in  the  City  aforesaid 
and  elsewhere,  throughout  our  whole  realm,  forever  ;  and 
that  in  the  same  City  and  every  other  city,  borough,  and 
good  town  of  the  same  realm,  where  such  workmen  be, 
one  or  two  upright  and   faithful   men  of  that   Mystery 


History  of  the  Company.  25 

may  be  chosen  by  the  men  of  the  same  Mystery  there 
dwelhng  to  observe  the  premises  and  to   make  scrutiny 
as  often  as  it  shall  seem  expedient,  and  if  any  Girdler's 
work  should  be  ornamented  with  lead,  pewter,  or  tin,  or 
other  base  material  by  the  said   men  so  elected,  it  may 
be  presented  to  the  scrutiny  aforesaid  before  the  Mayor 
of  the  City  aforesaid,  or  before  the  mayors  or   Keepers 
of  other  cities,  boroughs,  and  vills  of  our  said  Kingdom 
in  places  where  the  said  false  work  shall  be  found,  and 
by  consideration  of  the  said  Mayor  or  Keeper  the  said 
false  work  shall   be  burnt,  and  by  their  discretion  the 
workmen  punished  for  their  false  work,  and  the  amercia- 
ments coming  from   such  punishments  shall  remain  to 
the    Mayors  and   Keepers  and  the  Commonalty  of  the 
places  where  such  work  shall  happen  to  be  found.    And 
that  the  men  of  the  Mystery  aforesaid  so  elected  for 
making  the  scrutiny  aforesaid   in  the   City  aforesaid   as 
often  as  they  shall  come  to   other  cities,   boroughs,  or 
vills   of  the  said  Kingdom  where  the  said   Mystery  is 
used,  together  with  other  men  of  the  same  Mystery  for 
this    elected,    may    in    places   where  they  come,   make 
scrutiny  of  such  works  and  defaults  of  the  same  work- 
men [and]  present  them  to  the  Mayor  and  Keepers  of 
the  places  aforesaid,  as  is  aforesaid,  as   in  our  Letters 
Patent  thereof  made  is  said  more  fully  to  be  contained. 
And  although  lately  by  our  writ  we  commanded  you 
that  in  the  City  aforesaid  and  its  suburbs,  and   in   other 
places  within  your  liberty  where  you   should  deem   it 
expedient,  you  cause  those  Letters  to   be  publicly  pro- 
claimed,   and    our  ordinance    and    grant    abovesaid   as 
much  as  to  you  pertains  to  be  firmly  upheld  and  observed 
in  the  same  City  and   Suburbs.     Yet   nevertheless,  after 
the  issuing  of  the  said   writ   so   to    you   directed,  the 
Saddlers    of   our    City    aforesaid    before    us    and    our 
Council  have  seriously  complained  that  they  by  pretext  of 
the  ordinance    aforesaid   are    manifoldly  disquieted    by 


26  Antiquity  and  Early 

wrongly  asserting  that  they  are  able  to  ornament  girdles 
with  metal  not  prohibited  without  offending  against 
such  ordinance,  which  ought  not  of  right  to  bind  them, 
and  which  manifestly  tends  to  the  damage  of  the  people 
of  our  Realm,  that  the  said  Girdlers  have  mis-used  their 
Mystery  aforesaid  and  by  seeking  thereupon  a  remedy 
by  us  to  be  afforded  for  the  good  of  the  Commonwealth. 
We  have  caused  the  execution  of  the  said  v/rit  to  be 
postponed,  as  well  for  such  causes  as  on  account  of 
various  doubts  which  seem  here  and  there  to  arise  in 
that  business,  until  the  next  Parliament,  that  then  the 
same  business  may  be  fully  discussed  and  determined 
with  deliberate  counsel.  And  therefore  we  command 
you  that  you  in  the  meantime  wholly  refrain  from 
making  the  execution  of  our  mandate  aforesaid  if  it  has 
not  already  been  made,  forewarning  the  parties  afore- 
said that  they  be  present  in  Parliament,  that  is  to  say, 
the  aforesaid  Girdlers  (are)  to  exhibit  their  Letters  Patent 
aforesaid  there,  and  as  well  they  as  the  said  Saddlers, 
to  put  forth  their  grievances  and  reasons  thereupon  and 
further  to  do  and  receive  what  upon  the  premises  should 
then  happen  to  be  ordained  in  that  Parliament  if  they 
should  see  it  to  be  expedient  to  themselves.  And  that 
you  then  have  there  the  names  of  those  by  whom  you 
have  caused  those  parties  to  be  forewarned,  and  this 
writ,  wholly  returning  without  delay  to  him,  or  them,  to 
whom  it  shall  belong,  whatsoever  work  of  the  aforesaid 
Saddlers  touching  girdles  has  been  presented  before 
you,  if  any,  by  colour  of  the  said  ordinance  by  the  said 
conservators  in  the  said  City.  Witness  the  King  at 
Westminster  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  October 
[A.D.  1356]. 

"  By  the  King  himself  and  his  Council."^ 


^  The  Parliamentary  Rolls  do  not  show  the  issue. 


History  of  the  Company.  27 

In  1363  (36  Edward  III.)  we  find  In  the  City 

A.D  1363      Books  the  following  ordinances  ratified 

Ordinances  of  to  the  Saddlers'  Company,  upon  their 

36  Ed.  III.     petition,  which  Is  stated  at  length  :  ^ — 

"  To  the  honourable  and  just  lords,  the  Mayor  and 
Aldermen  of  the  City  of  London,  the  Saddlers  of  the 
same  City  humbly  make  their  supplication  that  the 
points  and  ordinances  beneath  written,  ordained  by 
the  masters  of  their  said  mistery,  may  be  allowed  for 
the  common  profit  of  the  realm  and  the  honour  and 
preservation  of  their  mistery. 

"  First,  that  no  woodwork  of  a  saddle  coming  from 
the  joiner  be  found  rotten  :  And  that  each  Saddler 
make  the  saddle  well  stretched,  with  good  leather 
throughout  within  and  without,  with  good  ligament  or 
with  good  canvas,  under  penalty  beneath  written. 

^  Letter  Book  G.,  fol.  loi  b. ;  the  original  is  in  Norman 
French.  These  are  the  earliest  ordinances  of  the  Company 
which  are  recorded,  and  it  will  be  interesting  to  compare  them 
with  the  ordinances  of  the  Saddlers  of  Paris  in  the  thirteenth 
century : — 

"  None  may  be  a  Saddler  in  Paris  nor  sell  saddles  trimmed 
with   shoe-leather  unless  he  buys   his    trade 

s^iidT^^^  'fv^^-       ^^^^^^  ^^^^  King,  and  those  to  whom  the  King 

has  given  power,  according  to  his  pleasure, 
sell  on  the  King's  behalf  for  16  sols;*  and  of  those  16  sols 
the  King  has  given  10  sols  to  his  principal  Chamberlain  and 
6  sols  to  the  Constable  of  France. 

"  The  trade  of  Saddlers  has  three  '  Viewers '  {Pnid' hommes) , 
appointed  by  the  common  assent  of  all  or  of  the  greater  number, 
who  are  required  to  swear  upon  the  Saints  before  the  Viewers 

*  The  sol  or  sou,  the  French  shilling,  equalled  the  tenth  part  of  our 
shilling.  This  coin,  however,  varied  in  value,  the  "  sou  de  Paris"  differing 
from  that  in  use  in  other  parts  of  P'rance. 

D 


2  8  Antiquity  and  Early 

"  Also,  that  no  Saddler  cover,  nor  cause  to  be  covered, 
the  woodwork  of  an  old  saddle  to  sell  again  as  a  new 
saddle,  unless  it  be  the  saddle  of  another  to  be  repaired 
or  newly  covered,  under  penalty  beneath  written. 

"  Also,  that  no  one  make  the  covering  or  the  seat 
of  any  saddle  of  sheepskin,  and  that  no  pannel  of  a 
saddle  be  made  of  sheepskin,  black  nor  red,  which  is 
called  '  purs-lether,'  under  penalty  beneath  written. 

"  Also,  that  no  woodwork  of  a  saddle  be  covered  with 
*  past '  (paint  or  pastre),  unless  it  be  cloth  or  velvet, 
under  the  penalty. 

"Also,  that   no   pannel  be  lined,  except  with  *velt' 


of  the  trade  that  they  will  well  and  loyally  preserve  their  trade 
to  their  power,  and  that  they  will  make  known  the  offences  of 
their  trade  to  the  Provost  of  Paris,  or  to  whosoever  shall  be  in 
his  place  in  the  Provostship. 

"  All  those  who  are  of  the  trade  of  Saddlers  at  Paris  are 
bound  to  come  and  assemble  themselves  together,  and  at  the 
request  of  the  three  trades,  or  of  the  two  when -they  have 
need  to  have  their  advice,  as  when  they  have  taken  a  false 
work,  to  have  their  advice  in  judging  it.  And  if  they  will  not 
come  on  their  request  the  Provost  of  Paris  gives  them  a 
Serjeant,  who  makes  them  come  by  the  power  of  the  Provost. 

"  No  Saddler  or  vendor  of  saddles  ought  to  buy  the  busi- 
ness of  the  King  unless  he  works  in  shoe-leather,  or  the 
saddles  which  he  sells  are  trimmed  with  shoe-leather ;  so  long 
as  the  saddles  which  he  makes,  or  which  he  sells,  are  all 
trimmed  with  cowhide  or  all  with  basil ;  and  he  cannot  trim 
them  or  sell  them  unless  they  are  trimmed  entirely  with  one. 

"  None  may  dye,  or  cover,  or  put  any  manner  of  covering 
on  a  saddle  which  is  broken  above  the  fastening  of  the  peak, 
nor  on  a  saddle  which  is  broken  more  than  in  two  places  above 
the  peak.  And  if  any  such  manner  of  saddles  is  found  by 
any  one  soever,  it  ought  to  be  burned  without  (power  of)  re- 
demption and  without  any  delay. 

"None  may  trim  a  saddle   covered  with  any  kind  of  cover- 


History  of  the  Company.  29 

(felt),  or  with  other  stuff  that  is  good  and  lawful,  under 
the  same  penalty. 

"Also,  that  no  harness  be  made  new  unless  it  be 
good  and  sufficient,  and  not  lined  with  old  leather, 
under  the  same  penalty. 

"Also,  that  no  seat  of  a  saddle  be  nailed  with  nails  of 
tin,  but  only  with  nails  of  iron,  under  the  same  penalty. 

"Also,  that  no  sewing  nor  skirts  be  nailed  with  nails 
of  tin  nor  of  pewter,  if  they  be  not  well  and  lawfully 
rivetted  with  iron  or  v/ith  latten,  under  penalty  beneath 
written. 

ing  nor  dyed  with  any  manner  of  dye  which  is  not  well  and 
truly  curried,  that  is  to  say,  all  the  four  {cors)  of  every  bow  from 
one  peak  to  the  other,  which  is  called  currying  by  {chantians)^ 
unless  they  be  varnished  saddles  made  for  Templars  or  persons 
in  religion,  or  saddles  which  {demuereni)  varnished  fustian;  and 
whosoever  shall  otherwise  do  it  (the  saddle)  shall  be  burned 
when  it  is  found  without  redemption  and  without  ransom. 

"  No  Saddler  may  put  old  curried  furniture  with  new  work, 
that  is  to  say,  that  the  saddle  be  new  or  old,  the  drapery 
new  or  old,  or  the  covering  be  new  or  old,  unless  he  make 
it  at  the  request  of  some  person  other  than  one  of  the  trade 
who  shall  have  desired  and  wished  that  it  be  made  with  new 
and  old  seuni  together. 

"  No  Saddler  may  stitch  basil  with  shoe-leather  or  any 
other  manner  of  leather  unless  it  be  in  a  saddle  which  is  called 
a  bassette  (a  country  saddle). 

"  No  Saddler  may  stitch  basil  with  cowhide  nor  with  calf 
for  any  furniture  of  what  kind  soever.  And  if  any  does  so 
the  work  should  be  burned. 

"  No  Saddler  may  put  hair  into  a  saddle  trimmed  with 
shoe-leather,  that  is  to  say,  (one)  of  which  the  seat  and  lappet 
are  of  shoe-leather,  and  if  he  do  so  the  saddle  should  be 
burned. 

"  No  Saddler  ought  to  make  a  sumpter  saddle,  or  saddle 
trimmed  with  shoe-leather  or  black  basil,  unless  the  currying 
thereof  is  well  and  sufficiently  curried. 

D  2 


30  Antiquity  and  Early 

"Also,  that  no  saddle  nor  harness  be  ornamented  with 
old  cloth  instead  of  new  cloth,  under  the  penalty  aforesaid. 

"  Also,  that  no  alien  nor  foreigner  of  the  said  mistery 
coming  to  the  said  City  be  suffered  to  keep  house 
or  shop,  but  that  he  be  first  examined  by  the  four 
masters  of  the  said  mistery,  who  are  elected  and  sworn, 
whether  he  be  able  and  sufficient  to  work  in  the  said 
mistery  or  not.  And  if  he  be  able  and  sufficient,  that 
they  cause  him   to  come   before  you   that  he  may  be 

"None  may  paint  in  gold  colour  the  back  of  a  saddle, 
unless  it  be  covered  with  fine  gold,  without  mixture  of  silver, 
which  is  called  parcel  gold  (or  parcel  gilt),  but  the  saddle-bow 
in  front  he  may  paint  with  what  he  pleases ;  and  if  such  a 
saddle  is  found  it  should  be  burned. 

"  None  may  put  on  a  saddle  or  buckler  anything  stamped 
or  laid  on  or  colour-stamped  (?)  {ieteiche  (festain)  unless  in  the 
case  of  one  who  is  obliged  of  necessity  to  remove  two  or  three 
(?)  {escuriaiis)ix<dWi  a  saddle  which  one  of  the  Viewers  has  bought, 
and  he  may  make  these  (?)  {escurians)  of  dyed  thread  at  the 
request  of  the  purchaser.  And  if  any  make  a  Saddle  con- 
trary to  this  regulation  the  saddle  should  be  burned. 

"  Saddlers  call  a  thing  stamped  or  laid  on  or  colour- 
stamped  when  any  one  works  on  moulds,  whatever  kind  of 
moulds  they  be,  and  afterwards  attaches  the  moulded  thing 
with  glue  to  the  saddle-bow,  and  of  such  work  they  say  that  it 
is  not  good  or  true,  nor  ought  so  to  be  sold,  for  all  rehef  work 
ought  to  be  made  in  pldtre  a  pencil  both  on  the  saddle  and 
on  the  buckler. 

"  No  Saddler  may  have  dealings  with  a  Silversmith  about 
covering  his  masterpiece,  that  is  to  say,  saddle,  buckler,  or 
targe,  with  gold  or  silver  from  the  Silversmith ;  for  the  Silver- 
smith when  he  has  dealings  with  their  gold  and  silver  does  not 
give  such  gold  or  silver  as  he  ought,  nor  so  that  there  may  be 
profit  or  honour  to  the  Saddlers.  And  if  any  does  so  he  shall 
pay  a  fine  of  5  sols  to  the  King. 

"  No  Saddler  may  trim  any  saddle  to  store  or  sell  unless  it 
has   been  first  twice  curried  well  and    truly,  that   is  to   say, 


History  of  the  Company.  31 

acknowledged  as  good  and  sufficient  before  the  com- 
monalty according  to  the  requirements  of  the  franchise 
of  the  City,  under  the  same  penalty. 

"  Also,  if  any  such  be  found  not  able  nor  experienced 
in  the  said  mistery,  be  he  foreign  or  alien,  let  him  be 
compelled,  by  the  four  masters  aforesaid,  to  serve  other 
masters  of  the  mistery,  until  he  be  able  and  sufficient 
for  the  common  weal,  and  also  [become]  free  of  the 
City,  under  the  penalty  aforesaid. 

besides  the  first  time.  And  if  any  do  otherwise  the  saddle 
should  be  burned. 

"  No  Saddler  ought  to  make  {?){kge)  on  his  sumpter-saddle 
or  any  other,  that  is  to  say,  that  which  is  put  on  the  end 
of  the  bows  of  the  sumpter  which  carry  the  coffers,  unless 
it  be  made  of  horsehide,  or  pigskin,  or  cowhide,  or  some  other 
suitable  leather,  and  all  in  one  piece,  and  if  it  be  made  in  any 
other  manner  the  saddle  should  be  burned. 

"  Saddlers  may  trim  for  a  man  who  is  not  of  the  trade  his 
saddle  or  sumpter-saddle  with  such  trimming  as  he  shall  bring 
to  them,  be  it  old  or  new,  and  may  put  in  canvas  with  hair  if 
he  brings  the  hair  from  without. 

"  None  may  buy  a  saddle  trimmed  with  shoe-leather  to  sell 
again  in  Paris  unless  he  have  purchased  the  trade  from  the 
King,  and  if  he  do  so,  he  who  sells  the  business  of  the  Cord- 
w^ainers  on  the  King's  behalf  may  take  the  saddle  and  do  with 
it  as  he  will. 

"  If  any  Saddler  have  lost  anything  belonging  to  his  trade, 
such  as  a  (?)  {boiidre\  which  is  what  they  call  the  covering  of  a 
saddle  for  a  horse  or  service-horse,  or  any  other  thing  whatso- 
ever it  be,  he  should  inform  the  Master  of  the  trade,  and  the 
Master  should  cause  it  to  be  given  up  to  him  if  he  knows 
where  it  is. 

"  If  any  Saddler  is  buying  anything  belonging  to  his  trade 
within  the  City  of  Paris  or  without,  and  any  of  the  trade  of 
Saddlers  has  given  the  earnest  penny,  or  the  hand-grasp,  or 
has  made  a  bargain^  he  may  have  a  share  and  bargain  of  what- 
soever it  be  belonging  to  his  trade,  be>>it  painting,  trimming  of 


32  Antiquity  and  Early 

"  Also,  if  any  master,  or  vadlet,  or  servant  disagree, 
owing  to  some  dispute  between  them,  let  no  other 
master  of  the  said  mistery  be  so  daring  as  to  put  or 
help  the  aforesaid  vadlet  to  any  work  until  the  master 
and  the  vadlet  shall  have  been  brought  to  a  reasonable 
agreement  by  the  four  masters  of  the  said  mistery, 
under  the  same  penalty. 

"  Also,  if  any  vadlet  or  servant  of  the  said  mistery  has 
served  any  master  in  the  said  mistery  for  any  fixed 
term,  by  covenant  between  them  made,  and  no  default 
be  found  in  the  vadlet  or  servant,  and  the  master,  from 

shoe-leather,  or  anything  else,  and  if  he  who  demands  a  share 
wishes  to  take  half  of  it,  he  shall  take  as  little  as  he  should 
pay  for  and  of  any  manner  of  thing  be  pleased  for  the  price 
he  should  pay. 

"None  of  the  trade  may  trim  a  saddle  if  it  be  not  sold 
before  it  is  trimmed  unless  they  be  saddles  for  store  or  var- 
nished saddles,  or  white  saddles  of  polished  white,  or  fustian 
saddles,  nailed  on  the  rings  behind  with  metal  nails,  without 
any  gold  nails,  and  if  any  makes  one  in  any  other  manner,  the 
saddle  may  be  given  up  and  sold  for  nothing,  for  work  which 
is  trimmed  before  it  is  sold  is  neither  good  nor  sufficient,  and 
(saddles)  are  not  trimmed  before  they  are  sold  with  any 
loyalty.  And  if  he  does  this  in  any  other  manner  he  shall 
pay  a  fine  of  lo  sols  to  the  King. 

"  No  Saddler  may  put  a  saddle  in  a  window  either  below 
or  above  overlooking  the  street  unless  it  be  on  a  peg,  that  is  to 
say,  that  the  saddle-bow  be  over  the  peg,  and  if  any  one  does 
so  he  shall  have  a  fine  of  12  deniers  *  to  pay  to  the  King. 

"  None  may  work  on  Sunday  nor  on  the  four  feasts  of  Our 
Lady,  that  is  to  say,  in  mid-August,  in  September,  at  Candle- 
mas, and  in  March,  unless  it  be  in  arms  for  a  shield  in- case  of 
need,  or  to  put  one  (?)  {estoiz)  and  one  breast  leather  to  a  saddle, 
or  to  attach  harness  to  a  sumpter-saddle,  that  is  to  say,  the 

*  Penny.  The  old  French  penny  equalled  in  value  the  tenth  part  of 
our  English  penny. 


History  of  the  Company.  ^;^ 

malice  or  evil  disposition,  will  not  pay  the  said  vadlet  or 
servant  his  wage  for  his  service,  according  to  the  agree- 
ment between  them  made,  or  that  the  master  wish  him 
to  do  service  against  his  will  after  his  agreement  has 
been  well  and  lawfully  fulfilled,  that  then  the  master 
suffer  the  same  penalty. 

"  Also,  if  any  vadlet  or  servant  of  the  same  mistery 
can  be  found  in  any  default  towards  his  master,  whether 
it  be  by  covin  or  enticement  of  another,  or  by  his  own 
malice,  let  him  suffer  the  same  penalty. 

"  Also,  if  anything  of  the  said   mistery,   in   manner 

crupper  and  the  breast  leather,  and  if  he  does  otherwise  he 
shall  pay  a  fine  of  20  sols,  half  to  the  King  and  the  other  half 
to  the  brotherhood. 

''  No  Saddler  may  have  more  than  two  apprentices  to  his 
trade,  that  is  to  say,  one  in  painting  and  one  in  trimming, 
unless  it  be  his  child  or  his  wife's  child,  or  some  poor  person 
whom  he  maintains  out  of  charity  and  without  agreement  for 
money  or  service. 

"  No  Saddler  may  take  apprentices  other  than  the  persons 
above  named  unless  he  take  them  at  least  for  a  term  of  three 
years'  service,  and  at  least  at  8  livres  of  deniers  *  and  5  sols  to 
the  brotherhood ;  and  for  more  money  and  longer  service  he 
may  take  them,  but  for  less  money  or  shorter  service  he  may 
not  take  them. 

"  The  apprentice  must  not  enter  on  the  business  until  he 
has  paid  his  5  sols,  and  the  master  5  sols  for  each  apprentice, 
to  the  brotherhood. 

"  The  three  Masters  of  the  trade,  or  two,  or  one  (of  them) 
ought  each  month,  once  at  least,  to  go  through  the  houses  to 
protect  the  above-named  trade  of  Saddlers,  and  ought  every- 
where to  take  bad  work  where  they  find  it,  show  it  to  the 
Viewers,  and  if  it  is  found  and  adjudged  as  bad  it  should  be 
burned  by  the  Provost  of  Paris. 

' '  Every  Saddler  and  every  one  of  his  varlets  ought,  and  is 

*  The  livre,  like  the  sol,  differed  in  value  in  different  parts  of  France. 


34  Antiquity  and  Early 

before-mentioned,  be  found  defective,  secretly  or  openly, 
which  can  lawfully  be  found  or  proved  by  the  four 
masters  of  the  said  mistery,  let  the  same  thing  be 
destroyed  by  the  decree  of  the  Mayor  and  discretion  of 
the  said  masters  and  let  him  in  whose  possession  such 
thing  be  found  suffer  the  same  penalty. 

"  Also,  that  it  be  allowed  at  any  time  to  the  four 
masters  aforesaid  of  the  said  mistery,  to  search  house, 
shop,  and  chamber  within  the  franchise  of  the  said  City, 


bound  by  oath,  to  make  known  to  the  Masters  of  the  trade  if 
any  one  of  the  trade,  be  he  their  master,  or  their  neighbour, 
or  another,   transgresses  in  any  of   the   things  above-named 
against  the  aforesaid  trade. 

"  No  Saddler  may  take  a  varlet  into  the  service  of  his 
trade  for  more  than  one  day  unless  the  varlet  has  sworn  on 
the  true  Saints  that  he  will  do  his  trade  well  and  truly,  and 
observe  the  above-named  regulations,  and  if  he  does  otherwise 
he  shall  pay  a  fine  of  5  sols  to  the  King ;  and  if  the  varlet 
has  not  been  willing  to  work  for  another  at  his  trade  for  two 
days  or  more  continually,  and  he  can  prove  it,  and  if  he  proves 
it  he  shall  be  quit  of  the  5  sols,  and  he  against  whom  he 
shall  prove  it  in  his  presence  shall  pay  them. 

"  None  may,  or  ought,  to  put  into  his  work  nails  of  ivory 
or  enamel  of  any  kind  soever,  and  if  he  do  so  the  work 
should  be  burned,  for  the  work  is  not  good  nor  true. 

"  No  Saddler  may  put  into,  his  work  goods  made  outside 
the  City  of  Paris  before  the  goods  shall  have  been  inspected 
by  the  Viewers  who  protect  the  trade,  that  is  to  say,  painting 
by  the  Painters,  coverings  and  thongs  and  saddles  by  the 
trimmers,  and  saddle-bows  by  the  Carpenters,  and  if  any  put 
them  into  his  work  he  shall  forfeit  the  work,  and  it  shall  be 
burned,  and  he  shall  pay  a  fine  of  10  sols  to  the  King. 

"  None  may  work  at  the  trade  of  Saddlery  in  Paris,  that  is 
to  say,  trim  shoe-leather,  unless  he  have  bought  the  trade 
from  the  King,  or  had  the  work  from  a  man  who  has  bought 
the  trade  fiom  the  King. 


History  of  the  Company.  35 

wherever  any  saddle  or  harness  appertaining  thereto 
can  be  found,  and  lawfully  to  examine  them  whether 
they  be  good  and  suitable  in  manner  aforesaid  or  not. 
And  whensoever  any  prove  rebellious  against  the  four, 
and  are  unwilling  to  allow  them  to  search  in  manner 
aforesaid,  then  let  them  take  a  serjeant  of  the 
Chamber  with  them  to  any  place  where  any  such  can 
be  found,  and  let  him  whosoever  rebels  suffer  the  same 
penalty. 


"  No  Saddler  or  any  other  may  deliver  a  trimmed  dyed 
saddle  before  it  has  been  varnished,  unless  it  be  a  sumpter- 
saddle,  and  if  he  do  so  he  shall  pay  a  fine  of  5  sols  to  the 
King, 

"  None  may  nor  ought  to  put  (?)  icontresangles)  nor  other 
harness,  unless  it  be  good  and  true,  that  is  to  say,  if  it  have  not 
one  border  of  (?)  {conane)^  that  is  to  say,  of  pigskin,  or  have  at 
least  one  border  of  new  leather  which  is  as  good,  and  whoever 
does  so  his  work  shall  be  burned. 

"  None  may  nor  ought  to  call  out  to  or  address  a  purchaser 
who  is  before  another's  stall,  nor  before  another's  house,  if  he 
do  so  he  shall  have  a  fine  of  5  sols  to  pay  to  the  King  and 
5  sols  to  pay  to  the  brotherhood. 

"  None  may  nor  ought  to  refuse  to  allow  anything  of  his 
trade  to  be  seen  by  the  Masters,  sworn  guardians  of  the  trade, 
to  see  of  them  is  anything  finable  therein.  And  if  he  do  so 
he  shall  have  a  fine  of  10  sols  to  pay  to  the  King. 

"  No  Saddler  or  Painter  owes  anything  in  respect  of  any- 
thing which  he  sells  or  which  he  buys  belonging  to  his  trade 
provided  he  uses  it  in  his  work,  save  40  sols  de  Paris,  which 
every  Saddler  of  Paris  and  every  Lorimer,  for  whatsoever  he 
sends  out,  ought  each  year  to  pay  to  the  King  at  the  fair  of 
Saint  Ladre  (Saint  Lazare),  and  thereby  is  he  free  to  go  to 
fairs  and  markets ;  and  these  40  sols  the  four  Viewers  of  the 
trade  assess,  more  on  one,  less  on  another,  as  it  seems  good  to 
them.  And  these  four  men,  or  two  of  them  at  least,  demand 
at  the  Chatelet  one  Serjeant  to  take  from  each  of  those  who 


36  Antiquity  and  Early 

"  Also,  if  any  covin  or  assembly  of  the  Company  be 
secretly  made  by  the  vadlets  and  servants  of  the  said 
mistery,  for  obtaining  from  their  masters  more  wages 
than  they  ought  (to  have)  in  their  mistery,  to  the  pre- 
judice of  the  people,  and  it  can  be  discovered  or  proved, 
let  such  suffer  the  penalty  beneath  written. 

"  Also,  if  any  master,  vadlet,  or  servant,  alien  or 
foreign,  be  discovered,  and  by  the  four  masters  proved 
in  any  default  aforesaid,  let  him  pay  for  his  first  offence 
to  the  Chamber  of  the  City,  6s.  Sd.  ;  for  the  second 
offence,  1 3 j.  ^d.  ;  for  the  third  offence,  20s. ;  and,  for  the 
fourth,  let  him  abjure  the  mistery  within  the  City  of 
London,  according  to  the  judgment  of  you  and  the  four 
masters  aforesaid. 

''  The  names  of  those  elected  before  the  Mayor  and 
Aldermen  for  keeping  the  aforesaid  articles,  viz. : — 

William  Lincolne,-^ 

John  Pountfreit, 

Roger  Excestre, 

Gerard  atte  Nook,  J 

are  assessed  what  is  assessed  on  him.  And  these  four  men 
elect  the  Master  of  the  trade  each  year. 

"  Saddlers  who  trim  with  shoe-leather  or  other  leather  of 
what  kind  soever,  and  those  who  sell  saddles  trimmed  with 
any  kind  of  curriery,  ought  to  aid  the  Cordwainers  in  paying 
the  (?)  {hueses)  to  the  King,  and  thereupon  they  may  work  in 
any  kind  of  curriery  they  please. 

"  The  Masters  who  shall  be  appointed  to  protect  the  trade 
are  quit  of  all  the  charges  and  all  the  expenses,  and  of  all  the 
outgoings  which  they  say  on  their  oath  they  have  paid  and 
disbursed  to  protect  the  trade,  and  they  may,  and  ought  to, 
assess  and  collect,  from  one  more,  from  another  less,  according 
to  what  seems  good  to  them,  saving  the  taxation  due  to  the 
Provost  of  Paris,  if  need  there  be." — Regulations  relating  to 
the  Trades  of  Paris,  collected  in  the  Xlllth  Century,  and 
known  under  the  name  of  the  Book  of  Trades  of  Stephen 


>  Saddler sr 


History  of  the  Company.  2)1 

In  the  year  1364,  we  learn  from  the  City  Books, 

AD  1364.     ^^^^  ^^  Saddlers'   Company,  among 

Contribution    Others,    Contributed  the  sum    of   one 

towards  Edward  1  ,        i      i   •n*  .  i       .1 

III. 's  French  hundred  shiilmgs  towards  the  support 
wars.  q£  ^^  King  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
French  wars.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest  instances 
of  a  general  levy  upon  the  Livery  Companies  for 
State  purposes,  although,  as  we  shall  presently  see, 
the  custom  was  destined  to  become  more  frequent 
and  extended.  In  return  for  this  patriotic  sup- 
port of  the  Companies,  but  more  probably  with 
a  view  to  encourage  their  development  —  for 
Edward  III.  was  a  thorough  protectionist — the 
King  gratified  them  by  a  more  liberal  distribution 
of  charters.  If  the  extent  of  the  contributions  of 
the  several  Companies  enumerated  in  the  manu- 
script is  any  measure  of  their  order  of  importance 
or  relative  wealth,  the  Saddlers'  Company  would 
appear,  at  this  time,  to  have  ranked  about  the 
twenty-first. 

The  same  year  Edward  III.  granted  the 
Saddlers'  Company  the  first  charter  or  license 
which  is  recorded  to  them  on  the  Rolls.^ 


Boileau ;  published  for  the  first  time  in  its  entirety  from  the 
Manuscripts  of  the  King's  Library  and  the  Archives  of  the 
Kingdom,  by  G.  B.  Depping  (Title  LXXVIII.). 

^  Patant  Roll,  37  Edward  III.,  part  2,  membrane  7.  The 
original  is  in  Latin.  This,  however,  must  not  be  misinter- 
preted as  a  Charter  of  Incorporation,  which,  it  is  claimed,  was 
granted  to  the  Company  in  1272, 

Carpenter,  in  the  "  Liber  Albus "  (Rolls  Series,  i.,  536), 
has   the   following   record   of    letters  patent   granted   to   the 


7,8  Antiquity  and  Early 

"  For  the  Saddlers  r The  King  to  all  to  whom,  &c., 
of  London.  \Greeting.  The  just  men, the  Saddlers 
of  our  City  of  London,  and  of  other  cities,  burghs,  and 
AD.  1-^64.  ^^^^^  ^^  o^^  Kingdom,  have  besought  us, 
Charter  from  by  their  petition  exhibited  before  us  and 
Edward  III.  q^j.  (Council,  in  our  last  Parliament,  that 
whereas  very  many  Saddlers  dwelling  in  divers  parts  of 
our  said  Kingdom,  not  being  content  with  lawful  gain, 
do  daily  make  saddles  for  sale  of  rotten  and  ill-seasoned 
wood,  and  of  false  and  weak  hides,  cloths,  and  trappings, 
causing  them  to  be  garnished  with  nails  of  lead,  tin,  and 
pewter,  and  do  not  desist  daily  to  make  divers  other 
deceits  and  deceptions  in  their  works,  and,  nevertheless, 
sell  those  saddles  at  a  great  price,  to  the  damage  and 
deception  of  us  and  all  our  people,  and  also  to  the 
manifest  scandal  and  disgrace  of  just  and  faithful 
Saddlers.  We  wish,  for  the  common  good  and  profit  of 
the  said  Kingdom,  and  for  preserving  the  honour  of  that 
trade,  and  of  the  faithful  workmen  of  the  same,  to  ordain 
a  fit  remedy  for  such  faults.  We,  for  such  failings  and 
deceptions,  and  for  avoiding  the  injuries  and  grievances 
which  might  happen  to  us  and  our  people  upon  this, 
Being  willing  to  assent  to  their  prayer  in  this  behalf,  of 
our  special  grace  have  granted  for  us  and  our  heirs,  that 
as  well  in  the  said  City  of  London  as  in  every  other 
city,  burgh,  or  vill  of  the  said  Kingdom,  where  the  trade 
of  saddle-making  is  now    exercised,  or  hereafter  may 


Saddlers'  Company  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  this  reign  : 
"  Charta  Sellariorum  in  Hustengo  de  Communibus  Placitis 
tento  die  Lunae  proximo  post  festum  Sancti  Petri  in  Cathe- 
dra anno  regni  Regis  Edwardi  Tertii  quadragesimo  septimo. 
(Hist.  Roll  of  Common  Pleas,  No.  97.) 

N.B. — The  letters  patent  are  dated  ist  December,  37 
Edward  III.  but  were  apparently  not  enrolled  till  47  Edward 
III. 


History  of  the  Company.  39 

happen  to  be  exercised,  one  or  two  just  and  faithful 
men  of  the  said  trade  shall  be  elected  and  assigned  by 
the  Saddlers  dwelling  there  to  overlook  and  take 
charge  of  that  trade,  and  to  make  scrutiny  of  the 
defaults  which  may  happen  to  be  found  there  in  the 
work  of  Saddlers,  as  often  as  there  shall  be  occasion, 
and  present  all  those  defaults  to  the  Mayor  and  Bailiffs 
or  Keepers  of  the  vills,  places,  and  markets  where  those 
defaults  shall  be  found  [We]  being  willing  that  all  such 
false  works  so  presented  may  be  burnt  by  the  discretion 
of  the  said  Mayor,  Bailiffs,  or  Keepers,  and  that  the 
Saddlers  making  them  may  be  punished  by  heavy  amer- 
ciaments, which  same  amerciaments  shall  remain  for 
ever  with  the  aforesaid  Mayor,  Bailiffs,  and  Keepers  and 
Commonalty  of  the  places  where  those  defaults  shall 
happen  to  be  found,  and  that  they  who  are  elected  to 
make  such  scrutiny  in  the  City  of  London  may  present 
in  form  abovesaid  such  defaults  found  in  other  cities, 
burghs,  and  vills,  together  with  others  elected  there.  In 
[witness]  whereof,  &c. 

"  Witness  the  King  at  Westminster,  the  first  day  of 
December. 

''  By    the    King    himself    and     Petition     of    Parlia- 
ment." 

In  the  50th  year  of  the  same  reign,  a.d.  1377, 
the  Saddlers'  Company  are  recorded 
as  sending  four  members  to  the  Com- 
mon Council,  which  at  that  time  was  composed  of 
representatives  of  the  guilds  ;  only  nine  of  the 
Companies  sent  more  members  than  the  Saddlers, 
who  contributed  as  many  representatives  as  the 
Cloth  workers,  Ironmongers,  and  Salters,  and 
twice  the  number  of  the  Leathersellers,  Brewers, 
and  other  important  crafts. 


40 


Antiquity  and  Early 


In  the  same  and  the  succeeding  years  we  have 
the  following  record  of  the  election  of  the  Com- 
pany's Executive  : — 


"  Election  of  Masters  of  Saddlers. 


Rumbold  Bodd 


Walter  Yong 
John  Cole 
Simon  Byrthorp 


Masters  of  Saddlers  sworn  to  faith- 
fully discharge  their  duty,  and  such 
defects  as  they  shall  find  in  the 
same  mistery  faithfully  to  present 
to  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen,  and 
^  to  rule  and  supervise  the  same 
mistery,  to  wit  Thursday  next  be- 
fore the  Feast  of  S.  Peter  ad  Vin- 
cula  [i  Aug.],  the  50th  year  of  the 
reign  of  King  Edward  the  Third 
after  the  Conquest  [a.d.  1376]."^ 


''  Masters  of  Saddlers  sworn. 


Richard  Stacy 
Thomas  Soysse 
Robert  Forster 
William  Sherewode 


< 


These  are  elected  Masters  of  the 
Saddlers  and  presented  by  good 
men  of  the  same  mistery,  and 
sworn  the  9th  day  of  July  in  the 
1st  year  of  the  reign  of  King 
Richard  the  Second  after  the 
Conquest  [a.D.  1377]  to  rule  well 
the  said  mistery  and  to  faith- 
fully present  such  defects 
as  they  shall  find,  and  faithfully 
to  perform  ail  other  duties  as 
appertain  to  the  said  office, 
&c." ' 


^  Letter  Book  H.,  fol.  43  b. 
2  Ibid.,  fol.  68  b. 


History  of  the  Company.  41 

In  the  tenth  year  of  Richard  II.  we  find  the 
A  D  1386.  Saddlers'  Company  championing  the 
A  despotic  Lord  Hbertles  of  the  City,  which  were  as- 
^^^^'  sailed  by  the  then  Mayor,  Sir  Nicholas 
Brembre.  Sir  Nicholas  Brembre  was  elected 
Lord  Mayor  in  1377,  and  re-elected  In  1383,  and 
the  two  following  years.  A  Chronicle  of  London^ 
has  the  following  account  of  his  proceedings  : — 
''Also  In  this  year  (1385-6)  Sir  NIcholl  Brembre 
was  chosen  maire  ageyne  be  the  said  craftes  and 
be  the  men  of  the  contre  at  Harrowe,  and  the 
contre  there  aboughte,  and  not  be  fre  elecclon  of 
the  citee  of  London  as  It  oweth  to  be  ;  and  the 
oolde  halle  was  stuffed  with  men  of  armes  overe 
even  be  ordlnaance  and  assente  of  S^  NIcholl 
Brembre  for  to  chese  hym  maIre  on  the  morwe  ; 
and  so  he  was." 

A  further  account  of  the  111  deeds  of  this  mag- 
nate Is  furnished  in  a  petition  by  the  Saddlers' 
Company  to  the  King  and  Parliament,  which  Is  still 
preserved  In  the  Public  Record  Office,  among  the 
Rolls  of  Parliament,'^  although  unfortunately  it  Is 
in  a  very  fragmentary  condition  ;  It  Is  In  Norman 
French,  and  the  following  Is  a  translation  of  as 
much  as  can  be  deciphered  : — 

"  To  the  most  excellent  and  most  powerful  Lord  our 
most  dread  Lord  the  King  and  to  the  most  noble  and 


^  A  Chronicle  of  London  from  108 9- 148 3,  written  in  the 
fifteenth  century,  and  printed  from  MSS.  in  the  British 
Museum;  Ed.  by  Sir  W.  H.  Nicolas,  1827.  There  is  a  copy 
in  the  Guildhall  Library. 

^  Parliamentary  Petitions,  No.  7,484. 


42  Antiquity  and  Early 

wise  Lords  of  this  present  Parliament  Their  poor 
Heges  the  Saddlers  of  London  most  humbly  beseech 
and  complain  against  Sir  Nicholas  Brembre,  Knight, 
that  whereas  the  said  Master  Nicholas,  in  his  Mayoralty, 
in  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  our  said  Lord  the  King, 
demanded  of  the  Wardens  of  the  said  Mystery  the 
Charter  granted  and  confirmed  to  them  by  the  noble 
progenitors  of  our  said  Lord  the  King,  in  which  Charter 
were  granted  divers  articles  in  prohibition  of  the  deceits 
practised  by  divers  strangers,  as  plainly  appears  by  the 
copy  annexed  to  this.  At  which  time  the  Wardens  of 
the  said  Mystery  answered  the  said  Sir  Nicholas,  that 
they  would  not  deliver  their  said  Charter  to  him  with- 
out command  of  the  King  or  Parliament.  The  said 
Nicholas  grievously  threatening  them  that  he  would 
drive  them  out  at  the  point  of  the  sword  and  cause  the 
whole  of  the  said  City  to  rise  upon  the  said  Mystery. 
For  fear  of  which  and  for  the  safety  of  their  lives  they 
delivered  to  him  their  Charter,  which  he  has  detained 
and  still  detains  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Crown  of  our 
said  Lord  the  King,  and  the  great  damage  and  injury 
of  the  said  Mystery.  Wherefore  they  pray  a  remedy 
and  upon  that  which  the  law  demands  for  the  sake  of 
God  and  as  an  act  of  charity.  Also  the  said  suppliants 
complain  against  the  said  Sir  Nicholas  and  others  his 
accomplices  of  this,  that  the  said  Sir  Nicholas,  with  the 
assent  of  others,  his  confederates  aforesaid,  usurped  to 
himself  royal  power  in  this,  inasmuch  as  it  had  been 
usual  in  the  said  City,  time  out  of  mind,  and  by  their 
royal  charters  granted  and  confirmed,  [that]  when  the 
Mayor  of  London  shall  be  elected  his  election  shall  be 
by  the  Commonalty  and  free  men  of  the  said  City, 
until  the  aforesaid  Sir  Nicholas  and  the  others,  his 
accomplices,  by  their  conspiracy  and  evil  imaginings  to 
destroy  the  good  men  of  the  said  City  and  oppose  the 
freedom  of  the  same,  caused  certain  men  who  were  their 


History  of  the  Company.  43 

confederates  to  be  summoned  to  the  Guildhall  of  the 
said  City  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Edward  the  King  in  the 
seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  our  Lord  the  King  who 
now  is,  to  elect  a  Mayor.  And  the  said  Sir  Nicholas, 
by  the  assent  of  all  the  others,  proclaimed  in  divers 
parts  of  the  said  City  and  charged  every  man  of  the 
said  City  on  pain  of  imprisonment  and  on  pain  of   .  .  . 

towards  the  King  that  none  be  so  daring  as 

to  be  at  the  said  election  but  those  who  were  summoned, 
and  those  who  were  summoned  were  summoned  by  the 

consent  of  the  said  Sir  Nicholas  and  his 

to  that  election  who  would  be  caused  to  oppose  their 
Franchise.  The  said  Sir  Nicholas  and  the  others,  his 
confederates,  ordained  certain  men,  as  well  strangers  as 

others,  to  the  great at  the  Guildhall  aforesaid 

to  make  that  election,  and  to  put  to  death  all  other  men 
who  wxre  not  summoned  if  they  came  there  to  the  said 
election,    by  which   he   willed  .......  and    the    most 

noble  and  wise  Lords  in  this  present  Parliament  of  this 
horrible  thing  done  against  the  law  and  the  Crown  there 
may  be  made  a  due  remedy,  for  the  sake  of  God  and  as 
an  act  of  charity. 

" complain  against  the  said  Sir  Nicholas 

that  whereas  he,  with  the  consent  of  others,  his  accom- 
plices, usurped  to  himself  royal  power  by  coming  to  the 
*  Chepe '  with  a  great  multitude  of  men  ...  (to  the) 
fear  of  all  the  good  men  of  the  said  City,  and  there  put 
to  death  John  Costantyn,  Cordwainer,  and  afterwards 
came  to  the  shops  of  divers  Saddlers  and  threatened 

them  to  have in  the  same  manner  by  which 

each  of  them  should  be  put  out  of  the  said  City,  and 
not  allowed  to  come  there  for  fear  of  losing  their  lives. 
And  afterwards  the  said  Sir  Nicholas  took  certain  men 

Mystery  and  put  them  in  prison  without 

any  answer  in  the  law,  to  the  great  fear  of  their  lives 
and  the  loss  of  their  goods,  so  that  he  and  the  others, 

E 


44  Antiquity  and  Early 

his   confederates,   usurped    to   themselves    royal   power 

Lord  the  King  that  it  please  our  said  Lord 

the  King  and  the  Lords  aforesaid,  for  this  deed  done 
against  the  Crown  and  the  law  of  the  land,  to  cause 
them  accordingly " 

The  rest  of  the  document  is  too  fragmentary 
for  a  connected  translation  to  be  made.^  The 
career  of  this  despotic  Mayor,  however,  was 
brought  to  an  untimely  end  the  following  year, 
when  he  was  implicated  in  a  treasonable  con- 
spiracy and  executed. 

In  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  20th  March, 
A.D.  1395.      1395,  Richard    IL  granted  the   Com- 
incorporation   pany  a  Charter  of   Incorporation,   in 
Richard  IL     the  following  words  : — 


"  Richard,  by  the  Grace  of  God  King  of  England 
and  France,  and  Lord  of  Ireland,  to  all  to  whom  the 
present  letters  may  come.  Greeting.  Our  well  beloved 
liege  men  of  the  Mystery  of  Saddlers  of  our  City  of 
London  have  besought  us  that  whereas  many  men  of  the 
Mystery  aforesaid,  of  venerable  estate,  and  very  often 
being  by  old  age  and  feebleness  and  other  infirmities 
and  misfortunes  come  to  so  great  poverty  and  need  that 
they  know  not  (how)  to  live,  nor  fitly  to  keep  themselves, 
and  our  said  lieges  piously  sympathizing  with  the  estate 
of  such  poor,  feeble,  and  infirm  old  men,  as  well  present 
as  to  come,  by  means  of  our  license  purpose  to  acquire 
lands,  tenements,  and  rents,  to  the  value  of  twenty 
pounds  by  the  year  for  the  sustentation  of  the  said  poor, 

^  In  the  same  bundle  are  like  petitions  from  the  Mercers, 
Founders,  Painters,  Armourers,  Embroiderers,  Spurriers^  and 
Bladesmiths. 


History  of  the  Company.  45 

feeble,  and  infirm  old  men,  and  of  one  Chaplain  to  cele- 
brate divine  service,  for  the  healthful  estate  of  us  and 
for  the  souls  of  our  progenitors,  and  for  the  souls  of  the 
founders  and  sustainers  of  the  aforesaid  alms  for  ever. 
We  wish  graciously  to  grant  to  them  our  royal  license  in 
this  behalf  We  being  favourably  inclined  towards  the 
pious  intention  and  laudable  purpose  of  our  well 
beloved  lieges,  especially  since  they  manifestly  tend  not 
only  towards  mercy  and  inward  affection  towards  one's 
neighbour,  but  also  to  the  increase  of  divine  worship,  of 
our  special  grace,  and  for  sixty  pounds,  which  the  same 
our  liege  men  of  the  Mystery  aforesaid  have  paid  to  us, 
into  our  hanaper.  We  have  granted  and  given  license 
for  us  and  our  heirs  to  the  same  men  of  the  Mystery  afore- 
said, that  they,  for  the  good  governance  of  the  Mystery 
aforesaid  may  have  a  Commonalty  of  themselves  for 
ever.  And  that  the  men  of  the  Mystery  and  Commonalty 
aforesaid  may  every  year  elect  and  make  four  Keepers 
from  the  men  of  the  Commonalty  and  Mystery 
aforesaid,  to  supervise,  regulate,  and  duly  govern  the 
Mystery  aforesaid,  and  every  member  of  the  same.  And 
also  from  time  to  time  for  ever,  to  correct  and  amend 
the  faults  of  the  Mystery  aforesaid,  and  that  the  same 
Keepers  and  Commonalty  and  their  successors  may  ac- 
quire lands,  tenements,  and  rents  with  appurtenances  to 
the  value  of  twenty  pounds  by  the  year,  as  well  within 
our  City  of  London  as  without,  provided  that  those 
which  shall  be  without  our  said  City  be  not  held  of  us 
in  chief  To  have  and  to  hold  to  the  same  Keepers  and 
Commonalty,  and  their  successors,  in  aid  of  the  susten- 
tation  of  the  said  poor,  feeble,  and  infirm  old  men,  and 
of  one  Chaplain  to  celebrate  divine  service  for  our 
healthful  estate  while  we  live,  and  for  our  souls  when 
we  shall  have  migrated  from  this  light,  and  for  the  souls 
of  our  progenitors,  and  for  the  estate  and  souls  of  the 
men    of  the  Mystery  and    Commonalty  aforesaid,  and 

E  2 


46  Antiquity  and  Early 

for  the  souls  of  all  the  faithful  dead,  for  ever,  according 
to  the  order  of  the  aforesaid  Guardians  and  Commonalty 
thereof  to  be  made.  In  witness  whereof  we  have  made 
these  our  letters  to  be  made  patent.  Witness,  Edmund, 
Duke  of  York,  Keeper  of  England,  at  Westminster,  in 
the  twentieth  day  of  March,  in  the  eighteenth  year  of 


our  reign." 


Two  years  later  (20  Rich.  II.)  we  obtain  from 

A.D.  1397.     ^^^  ^^^y  Letter  Books  an  interesting 
Dispute  between  account     of    a   disputc    between    the 

1\'T n^l^PT*^  inri 

Yeomen  Sad-  masters  and  the  yeomen  or  serving- 
diers.  j^^jj  of  the  Saddlers'  trade,  which  gives 
us  an  excellent  insight  into  the  customs  of  the 
guild  at  that  early  period.  The  record,  which 
is  partly  in  Latin  and  partly  in  Norman  French, 
narrates  that  : — 

"  Whereas  there  had  arisen  no  small  dissension  and 
strife  between  the  masters  of  the  trade  of  Saddlers  of 
London,  and  the  serving-men,  called  yeomen,  in  that 
trade ;  because  that  the  serving-men  aforesaid,  against 
the  consent,  and  without  leave  of  their  masters,  were 
wont  to  array  themselves  all  in  a  new  and  like  suit  once 
in  the  year,  and  oftentimes  held  divers  meetings,  at 
Stratford  and  elsewhere  without  the  liberty  of  the  said 
City,  as  well  as  in  divers  places  within  the  City ; 
whereby  many  inconveniences  and  perils  ensured  to 
the  trade  aforesaid  ;  and  also,  very  many  losses  might 
happen  thereto  in  future  times,  unless  some  quick  and 
speedy  remedy  should  by  the  rulers  of  the  said  City  be 
found  for  the  same  ;  therefore  the  masters  of  the  said 
trade,  on  the  loth  day  of  the  month  of  July,  in  the 
20th  year,  &c.,  made  grievous  complaint  thereon  to  the 


History  of  the  Company.  47 

excellent  men,  William  More,  Mayor,  and  the  Alder- 
men of  the  City  aforesaid,  urgently  entreating  that,  for 
the  reasons  before  mentioned,  they  would  deign  to  send 
for  Gilbert  Dustone,  William  Gylowe,  John  Clay,  John 
Hiltone,  William  Berigge,  and  Nicholas  Mason,  the  then 
governors  of  the  serving-men  aforesaid,  to  appear  before 
them  on  the  12th  day  of  July  then  next  ensuing. 

"And  thereupon,  on  the  same  loth  day  of  July 
precept  was  given  to  John  Parker,  Serjeant  of  the 
Chamber,  to  give  notice  to  the  said  persons  to  be  here 
on  the  said  12th  day  of  July,  &c.  Which  governors  of 
the  serving-men  appeared,  and,  being  interrogated  as  to 
the  matters  aforesaid,  they  said  that  time  out  of  mind 
the  serving-men  of  the  said  trade  had  had  a  certain 
Fraternity  among  themselves,  and  had  been  wont  to 
array  themselves  all  in  like  suit  once  in  the  year,  and 
after  meeting  together  at  Stratford,  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  [15  August] 
to  come  from  thence  to  the  Church  of  St.  Vedast,  in 
London,  there  to  hear  Mass  on  the  same  day,  in  honour 
of  the  said  glorious  Virgin. 

"  But  the  said  masters  of  the  trade  asserted  to  the 
contrary  of  all  this,  and  said  that  the  Fraternity,  and 
the  being  so  arrayed  in  like  suit,  among  the  serving- 
men,  dated  from  only  thirteen  years  back,  and  even  then 
had  been  discontinued  of  late  years  ;  and  that  under 
a  certain  feigned  colour  of  sanctity,  many  of  the  serving- 
men  in  the  trade  had  influenced  the  journeymen  among 
them,  and  had  formed  covins  thereon,  with  the  object 
of  raising  their  wages  greatly  in  excess  ;  to  such  an 
extent,  namely,  that  whereas  a  master  in  the  said 
trade  could  before  have  had  a  serving-man  or  journey- 
man for  40  shillings  or  5  marks  yearly,  and  his  board, 
now  such  a  man  would  not  agree  with  his  master  for 
less  than  10  or  12  niarks  or  even  10  pounds  yearly  ;  to 
the  great  deterioration  of  the  trade. 


48  Antiquity  and  Early 

"And  further  that  the  serving-men  aforesaid,  accord- 
ing to  an  ordinance  made  among  themselves,  would 
oftentimes  cause  the  journeymen  of  the  said  masters  to 
be  summoned  by  a  bedel,  thereunto  appointed,  to  attend 
at  Vigils  of  the  dead,  who  were  members  of  the  said 
Fraternity,  and  at  making  offerings  for  them  on  the 
morrow,  under  a  certain  penalty  to  be  levied,  whereby 
the  said  masters  were  very  greatly  aggrieved,  and  were 
injured  through  such  absenting  of  themselves  by  the 
journeymen  so  leaving  their  labours  and  duties,  against 
their  wish. 

"  For  amending  and  allaying  the  which  grievances  and 
dissensions  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen  commanded  that 
six  of  the  said  serving-men  should  attend  in  the  name 
of  the  whole  of  the  alleged  Fraternity,  and  communicate 
with  six  or  eight  of  the  master  Saddlers  aforesaid,  etc.  ; 
both  parties  to  be  here,  before  the  said  Mayor  and 
Aldermen,  on  the  19th  day  of  July  then  next  ensuing, 
to  make  report  to  the  Court  as  to  such  agreement 
between  them  as  aforesaid.  And  further,  th'e  Mayor 
and  Aldermen  strictly  forbade  the  said  serving-men  in 
any  manner  to  hold  any  meeting  thereafter  at  Stratford 
aforesaid,  or  elsewhere,  without  the  liberty  of  the  said 
City,  on  pain  of  forfeiture  of  all  that  unto  our  Lord 
the  King,  and  to  the  said  City,  they  might  forfeit. 

"On  which  19th  day  of  July,  came  here  as  well  the 
masters  aforesaid  as  the  governors  of  the  serving-men  ; 
and  presented  to  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen  a  certain 
petition,  in  these  words  : — 

" '  Gilbert  Dustone,  William  G5dowe,  John  Clay,  John 
Hiltone,  William  Berigge,  and  Nicholas  Mason,  do 
speak  on  behalf  of  all  their  Fraternity,  and  do  beg  of 
the  Wardens  of  the  Saddlers  that  they  may  have  and 
use  all  the  points  which  heretofore  they  have  used.' 

"  Which  petition  having  been  read  and  heard,  and  divers 
reasons  by  the  said  masters  unto  the  Mayor  and   Alder- 


History  of  the  Company.  49 

men  shown,  it  was  determined  that  the  serving-men  in 
the  trade  aforesaid  should  in  future  be  under  the 
governance  and  rule  of  the  masters  of  such  trade  :  the 
same  as  the  serving-men  in  other  trades  in  the  same 
City  are  wont  and  of  right  are  bound,  to  be  ;  and  that 
in  future  they  should  have  no  Fraternity,  meetings,  or 
covins,  or  other  unlawful  things,  under  a  penalty,  etc. 
And  that  the  said  masters  must  properly  treat  and 
govern  their  serving-men  in  the  trade,  in  such  manner 
as  the  serving-men  in  like  trades  in  the  City  have  been 
wont  to  be  properly  treated  and  governed.  And  that  if 
any  serving-men  should  in  future  wish  to  make  com- 
plaint to  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen,  for  the  time  being, 
as  to  any  grievance  unduly  inflicted  upon  him  by  the 
masters  aforesaid,  such  Mayor  and  Aldermen  would 
give  to  him  his  due  and  speedy  meed  of  justice  as  to 
the  same."  ' 

Henry   VI.,    in    the    third    year   of    his    reign 

A.D.  1424.      (i2th  October,  1424),  confirmed  the 

First  Charter     Charter  of   Ed  Ward   HI.,   v^hich  he 

from  Henry  VI.  .  ,  i  •    i     i  11  1  • 

recites,  and  to  v^hich  he  adds  nothing 

of  importance  in  his  own.^     In  the  twenty-fourth 

year  of  his  reign  (3rd  February,    1446)  he  con- 

A.D.  1446.      firmed   the    Charter  of  Richard  II., 

A  second  Charter  which  he  recites  by  inspeximus,  con- 

from  Henry  VI.       it  •  i         i  r  n         •  i 

eluding  With  the  loUowmg  words, 
which  are  all  that  are  added: — "And  we  the 
Letters  aforesaid  and  all  and  singular  in  the  same 
contained  have  ratified  and  confirmed  by  the  tenor 
of  these  presents,    and   for  us   and  our  heirs  as 


^  Letter  Book  H.,  fol.  309  (Riley's  "  Memorials,"  pp.  542-544). 
*  Patent  Roll,  3  Henry  VI.,  part  i,  mem.  27. 


50  Antiquity  and  Early 

much  as  in  us  lies  accept,  approve,  ratify,  and 
confirm  them  to  our  well -beloved  Laurence 
Braunche,  John  Sawyer,  Richard  Danton,  and 
William  Coddesdon,  now  Keepers  of  the  Mystery 
of  Saddlers  of  the  City  aforesaid,  and  the  Com- 
monalty of  the  same  and  their  successors  as  the 
Letters  aforesaid  reasonably  witness.  In  (witness) 
whereof,  &c.,  witness  the  King  at  Westminster, 
on  the  third  day  of  February,  a.d.  1446.  For 
two  marks  paid  into  the  hanaper."  ^ 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1463,  being  the  third  year 
AD  146-.  o^  his  reign,  Edward  IV.  granted  a 
Charter  from  Charter  to  the  Company.  This  is  an 
inspeximus  of  that  granted  by  Richard 


Edward  IV. 


II.,  after  reciting  which  it  concludes  with  the  follow- 
ing words  : — ''  But  we  the  Letters  aforesaid  and  all 
and  singular  contained  in  the  same  having  ratified 
and  confirmed  for  us  and  our  heirs  as  much  as  in 
us  lies,  do  accept,  approve,  and  to  our  well- 
beloved  William  Bird,  Thomas  Hertwell,  William 
Portlouthe,  and  John  Abell,  now  Wardens  of  the 
Mystery  of  the  Saddlers  of  the  City  aforesaid, 
and  to  the  Commonalty  of  the  same  and  their 
successors  by  the  tenor  of  the  presents,  do  ratify 
and  confirm  them  as  the  Letters  aforesaid  reason- 
ably testify.  In  witness  whereof  we  have  caused 
these  our  Letters  to  be  made  patent.  Witness 
ourself  at  Westminster  the  fifth  day  of  May,  in 
the  third  year  of  our  reign,  a.d.  1463.' 


>)0. 


»  Patent  Roll,  24  Henry  VI.,  part  i,  mem.  13. 
-  Patent  Roll,  3  Edward  IV.,  part  i,  mem.  19. 


History  of  the  Company.  51 

Henry  VH.,  by  Charter  granted  in  the  eleventh 

A.D.  149-.     y^^^  ^^  ^'^^  reign,  28th  October,  1495, 

Charter  from   recites  and  confirms  the  first  of  Henry 

enry      .     yj^^  which,  as  already  stated,  is  an  in- 

speximus  of  that  of  Edward   HI.     The  Charter 

of  Henry  VH.  contains  no  additional  words. ^ 

A  Return  in  the  Public  Record  Office  of  all 
The  Company  in  the  Companies'  members  for  the  year 

A.D.  1537.  1537  places  the  Saddlers'  Company 
twenty-sixth  in  order  of  precedence,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  sixty.  The  last  three  names  men- 
tioned in  the  list  of  the  Company's  members  are  : 
**  The  good  wife  Pounde,  the  good  wif  Coupir, 
and  the  good  wif  Yong." 

Henry  VHL,  in  the  thirty-second  year  of  his 

A.D.  1540.     reign   (nth    June,    1540),  granted    a 

Charter  from    Charter  which    confirms   and    recites 

that  of  Henry  VH.,  but  adds  nothing 

to  it.^ 

In    this   year  we    have    the    earliest   historical 
notice  of    Saddlers'   Hall,  which  was 

A.D.   1545.  r      1  •     1  r 

the  scene  of  one  of  the  trials  ot  poor 
Anne  Askew,  one  of  the  first  English  protestant 
martyrs,  who  was  burned  at  Smithfield  the  follow- 
ing year.^ 


^  Recited  in  Charter  of   Elizabeth.      Patent  Roll,  i   Eliz., 
part  2,  mem.  4. 
2  Ibid. 
2  Foxe's  "  Acts  and  Ordinances." 


52  Antiquity  and  Early 

In   the   first  year  of  Edward  VI.,   1547,  when 

^  ^  ,-,^       Enp^land    was    on    the   crest    of   the 

Statute  of  Chan-  wave  of  the  Reformation,  the  Crown, 

by  the  re-enactment  of  an  Act  passed 

In   the  last  year  of  the   reign  of    Henry  VIII., 

confiscated    all    chantries,    colleges,    chapels,   and 

bequests   for  superstitious  uses,    such  as  masses, 

obits,  etc.     After  appropriating  the  revenues  from 

this  source  for  two  years,  the  King  allowed  the 

Companies  to  redeem  the  charges  at  twenty  years' 

purchase.      In  order  to  do  this  the  Companies  were 

obliged  to   sell   other   property.     The    following 

particulars  of    the    redemption   by  the   Saddlers' 

Company  are  furnished  by  Strype  : — 

£    s.    d. 
"They  purchased  of  the  Kinge  in  Rente 

per  ann.       . .  . .  . .  ..      32   05    02 

They  sould  tenements  to  buy  the  same 

per  ann.       .  .  . .  . .  . .      21    14   08 

Sum  of  the  yerelie  payments  out  of  the  Rents 

purchased — 

Xi       S.       d. 

In  pensions  to  poor  decased  Brethren     14   00   00 
In  Exhibitions  to  Schollers     . .  .  .      05    06   08 

To  ther  Almesmen        . .  . .  .  .      21    16   08 


Sum  of  the  yerelie  payments      . .      41    05    04" 

The  Charter  granted  by   Elizabeth  in  the  first 

A.D.  1558.     y^^'^   of   her    reign    (9th    November, 

Charter  from    1 558)  Is  a  long  and  ample  one,  setting 

out  the  Charters  of  Edward  III.  and 

Richard  II.,  and  their  confirmation  by  Edward  IV. 


COPY    OF    ILLUMINATED    INTRODUCTION    TO    CHARTER    OF    QUEEN    ELIZABETH 
TO    THE    SADDLERS'    COMPANY. 


History  of  the  Company. 


53 


and  subsequent  monarchs,  together  with  a  long 
incorporation  Charter  by  EHzabeth  herself.  The 
Company  are  therein  incorporated  by  the  name 
of  the  Wardens  or  Keepers  and  Commonalty  of 
the  Mystery  or  Art  of  Saddlers  of  the  City  of 
London,  and  are  empowered  to  receive  and 
possess  lands,  tenements,  and  franchises  ;  to  en- 
force a  quarterage  of  "^d.  upon  all  freemen  of  the 
Company  for  the  sustenation  of  the  feeble  poor 
and  old  men  of  the  Mystery  or  Art  aforesaid,  and 
for  the  improvement  of  the  state  of  the  common- 
w^ealth  of  the  Wardens,  &c.  ;  to  enforce  payment 
of  any  sums  levied  upon  the  commonalty  by  the 
Wardens,  with  the  assent  of  eight  Assistants  ;  and 
generally  to  do  and  manage  all  the  affairs  of  the 
Company.  The  Charter,  moreover,  confirmed  to 
the  Company  power  to  exercise  supervision, 
scrutiny,  and  correction  over  all  makers  of  sad- 
dles, bridles,  bits,  reins,  stirrups,  girdles,  and 
harness,  or  other  things  pertaining  to  the  art  of 
saddlery,  as  well  aliens  as  freemen,  within  the 
vills  of  Southwark  and  Westminster,  and  a  two- 
mile  circuit  of  the  City.  The  Company  were 
also  empowered  to  deface  and  destroy  all  deceitful 
wares  and  to  punish  their  makers,  "  so  that  the 
correction  and  punishment  of  such  be  not  exer- 
cised against  the  law  of  England  or  the  ordi- 
nances and  statutes  thereof  made,  or  against  the 
customs  and  liberties  and  privileges  of  the  City  of 
London."  ^ 


^  The  original  Charter  is  still  in  the  Company's   possession. 


54  Antiquity  and  Early 

The  powers  conferred  upon  the  Company  in  this 
A.D.  1561.       Charter  were   supplemented  by  the 
^rmed^^^EHza     ratification,  three  years  afterwards,  of 
beth.  the  Company's  ordinances. 

An  Act  of  PaHiament  of  the  19  Henry  VII., 
25th  January,  1503,  enacted  among  other  things  : 
That  no  Master,  Warden,  or  Fellowship  of  Crafts 
or  Mysteries,  or  any  of  them,  or  any  Rulers  of 
Guilds  or  Fraternities,  should  take  upon  them  to 
make  any  acts  or  ordinances,  nor  to  execute  any 
acts  or  ordinances  by  them  heretofore  made  in 
''  disheriting  or  diminishion  "  of  the  King's  pre- 
rogative or  any  other,  or  against  the  common 
profit  of  the  King's  subjects  and  liege  people, 
unless  such  acts  or  ordinances  were  examined  and 
approved  by  the  Lord  Chancellor  and  Treasurer 
of  England,  the  Chief  Justice  of  either  Bench,  or 
three  of  them,  or  else  before  the  Justices  of  Assize 
when  on  circuit  in  that  shire  where  the  ordinances 
were  made.  The  confirmation  recites  that  "  the 
Wardens,  cominaltye  and  fellyshippe  of  the  Mys- 
terie  of  Sadlers  enfranchized  w'^'in  the  Citye  of 
London  havinge  divers  auncient  rules  ordynnces 
and  othes  heretofore  tyme  out  of  mynde,  by  their 
predecessors  ordeyned  devised  and  made  for  their 
conservacon,  rule,  good  order  and  governance  of 
the  same,  their  Misterie  and  fellishipp,  w'^  War- 
dens and  Comminaltie  not  willinge  in  any  wise  to 
infringe  in  any  thinge  the  foresaide  Acte  of  Par- 
lyament,  but  myndfull  in  all  things  to  have  the 
same  observed  and  kept  and  being  also  desirous 
to  have  their  foresaide  auncient  rules  ordynnces 


History  of  the  Company.  55 

and  othes  to  be  dulye  executed  vppon  their  fore- 
sayde  fellowshippe  and  misterie  for  the  good 
governannce  and  maytennance  of  the  good  order 
of  the  same,  and  the  abolyshments  of  the  con- 
trarye,  have  thereuppon  exibited  and  p'nted  vnto 
vs  their  peticion  withe  a  booke  contaynynge  the 
same  new  Rules  Ordinannces  and  othes  instantlye 
desiring  vs  that  we  all  and  everye  the  said  Rules 
Ordinannces  and  othes  wolde  oversee  pervse  and 
examyne  and  the  same  correcte  reforme  and 
amende  and  also  to  allow^  ratifie  and  approve  after 
due  manner  and  forme  as  by  the  foresaide  Acte  of 
Parliamint  is  required." 

The  ordinances,  confirmed  a.d.  1561,  are 
twenty-seven  in  number.  They  set  forth  the 
rules  for  the  guidance  and  government  of  the 
Company,  and  appoint  the  oaths  to  be  taken  by 
the  Wardens,  Assistants,  and  freemen. 

The  year   1567   was  remarkable    for  the  first 

A.D.  1567.       Lottery  which  took  place  in  England. 

The  first  English   It  was   introduced  bv   Queen   Eliza- 

°"^^^*         beth,  who  is  stated  to  have  borrowed 

this   expedient   for  publicly  raising    money  from 

the   practice   of   continental  governments.      The 

Lord   Mayor,  in  obedience  to  Royal  commands, 

issued  a  precept  to  the  Companies,  requiring  them 

to    participate    in    the    venture.      The    Saddlers' 

Company's   Audit   Book  for  the  year   1568  bears 

the  following  entry  in  reference  to  the  incident : — 

"  Item  we  fynde  disborsed  into  the  Lottarie  of 

thouse  stocke,  xv^." 


56  Antiquity  and  Early 

The  allusion  to  "  the  house  stock "  indicates 
that  the  contribution  was  made  from  the  Trea- 
sury chest  of  the  Company,  and  that  It  was  not, 
as  was  usually  the  case,  levied  by  "  the  pole  "  upon 
the  members  of  the  fellowship.  In  the  per- 
emptory demands  which  Elizabeth  was  In  the 
habit  of  making  upon  the  Companies,  she  con- 
siderately commanded  that  the  money  to  be  lent 
(sic)  to  her  should  be  raised  In  this  manner.  This 
degree  of  consideration,  however,  does  not  appear 
to  have  mollified  the  Companies,  who  were  In- 
variably the  poorer  by  the  amount  they  furnished 
her,  If  not  in  their  Individual,  certainly  in  their 
corporate,  capacity.  The  stipulation  afforded  in 
Itself  a  trustworthy  prospect  of  the  chances  of 
repayment.^ 


^  According  to  Stow,  the  drawing  for  this  Lottery  was 
commenced  at  the  west  door  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  on  the 
nth  January,  and  continued  uninterruptedly  by  day  and  by 
night  until  the  6th  of  May  following.  As  an  assuring  feature 
it  was  stated  that  the  Lottery  was  to  consist  of  all  prizes,  but 
the  amounts  drawn  were  ridiculously  trivial.  Mr.  Alfred 
Kempe  gives  an  interesting  account  of  this  Lottery,  derived 
from  the  Loseley  MSS.,  and  instances  a  number  of  the  mottoes 
used  by  the  City  Companies  and  others,  some  of  which  are 
very  quaint  and  amusing. 

"  We  Brewers  God  sende  us 
A  good  lot  to  mende  us. 
Per  John  Bankes,  of  the  parish  of  St.  Gyles,     s.    d. 
(No.)  47,699  ...         ...         ...         ...     I     3 

God  make  all  sure  for  the  Armorers. 
Per  Thomas  Tindal,  London,  (No.)  182,833      i      2 


History  of  the  Company.  57 

In  the  Company's  Audit  for  the  year  1584-1585, 
we  find  an  allusion  to  one  of  those  royal  progresses 
which  Oueen  Elizabeth  was  so  fond  of  making: 
from  time  to  time  through  various  parts  of  the 
country.  The  incident  of  the  Queen's  return  on 
the  occasion  is  described  by  Stow,  who,  in  his 
annals,  informs  us  that  on — 

"  The  1 2th  November  the  Oueene's  maiesty  (returning 
after  her  progresse)  came  to  her  Manor  of  St.  James, 
where  the  citizens  of  London,  to  the  number  of  200 
— the  gravest  sorts  in  coats  of  velvet  and  chaines  of 
gold,  on  horsebacke  —  and  1,000  of  the  companies 
on  foote  (having  with  them  1,000  men  with  torches, 
ready  there  to  give  light  on  every  side,  for  that  the 
night  drew  on)  received  and  welcomed  her." 

The    Company's    record   of    the    event    is    as 

follows  : — 


We  Cookes  of  London,  which  work  eariy  and  late, 
If  anything  be  left  God  send  us  part.  s.    d. 

Per  Rich.  Tomson,  Lond.,  (No.)  268,094    ...     i     2 
For  the  Haberdashers. 
Our  sum  put  in 
Is  in  hope  to  win.  ...     3     4 

I  am  a  pore  maiden  and  faine  would  marry, 
And  the  lacke  of  goods  is  the  cause  that  I  tarry. 
Per  Sibbel  Cleyon,  (No.)  51,832       2     i 

We  putt  in  one  lotte,  poer  maydens  we  be  ten, 
We  pray  God  send  us  a  good  lotte  that  we  all  may 
say  amen. 
Per   Dorothie    Hawes,     of   Cheapside, 

(No.)  44,963  •••     I     2." 

Lotteries  were  suppressed  by  an  Act  10  William  III.,  c. 
23,  which  declared  them  nuisances,  but  they  were  revived  in 
subsequent  reigns. 


58  Early  History  of  the  Company. 

"  Item,  we  the  saide  auditors  have  receavid  and 
brought  in  for  certayne  of  our  yeomandrie,  w^^  were 
assigned  to  holde  certayne  torche  lights  at  hir  Ma*^^ 
comyng  by  the  Parke  Corner  to  St.  James,  w'^^  they 
p'digally  and  laciviously  burned  homeward,  being  whole 
and  vnoccupied      viij'  iiij*^  (Fine)." 

The    Company   received    their   first    grant   of 

arms,  with  supporters,  on    the    20th 

A.D.  1585.       October,  i^Ss-     The  oriQ^Inal  Qfrant 

Grant  of  Arms.  '       o     u  &  t> 

has  unfortunately  not  been  preserved. 
The  arms  are: — Azttre :  a  chevron  between  three 
manage  saddles  complete,  07\  Crest:  on  a  wreath 
a  horse  passant,  argent,  crined,  bridled,  saddled, 
and  trappings,  or ;  on  his  head  a  plume  of  three 
feathers,  argent.  Stippoi4ers  :  two  horses  argent, 
maned,  hoofed,  and  bridled,  or ;  on  each  head  a 
plume  of  three  feathers,  aigent. 

Two  mottoes  were  recorded  to  the  Company 
in  the  original  grant :  "  Hold  fast,  Sit  sure  "  over 
the  crest,  and  ''  Our  trust  is  in  God  "  under  the 
arms.  Both  mottoes  are  recorded  to  the  Com- 
pany at  the  Visitation  of  London  in  1633.  The 
first  motto  has  subsequently  been  dropped,  but 
the  reason  cannot  be  ascertained.  In  a  collection 
of  the  arms  of  the  City  Companies  in  the  Library 
at  Guildhall,  entitled  "  London's  Armoury,"  and 
engraved  in  1677,  the  first  motto  only  is  recorded. 
But  in  MS.  No.  6,860,  of  the  Harleian  Collec- 
tion, which  appears  by  the  handwriting  to  belong 
to  a  somewhat  earlier  period,  the  second  motto 
only  occurs,  and  this  Is  likewise  the  case  in  the 
Had.  MS.  No.  472. 


History  of  the  Company.  59 


1  i 


CHAPTER     H. 

iSTORiCAL  Notices  Continued. 


Company's  Order  Books  Commence.— A  Glance  at  the  State  of  the 
Company  in  the  beginning  of  the  XVIIth  Century,  internally  and 
in  Relation  to  the  Craft. — Cheapside  in  1600  a.d. — Its  Churches. — 
The  Little  Conduit,  Cross,  and  Standard. — The  "Mermaid." — The 
Compters. — Ludgate.  Historical  Notices  Continued  :  Gun- 
powder Plot. — King  of  Denmark  Visits  the  City. — ^James  I.  grants 
the  Company  a  Charter. — Frequent  Occurrence  of  Plagues  during 
this  Century  ;  that  of  1607. — Company's  Ordinances  Ratified. — 
Gowrie  Conspiracy. — *' Ayde  Money." — Colonization  of  Virginia. — 
Interference  by  the  Crown  in  Company's  Domestic  Concerns. — 
Company's  Scholars  at  the  Universities. — The  Colonization  of 
Ulster. — The  Palatinate. — Introduction  of  Coaches  ;  opposed 
by  the  Company. — Coronation  of  Charles  I. — Whifflers. — The 
Plague  of  1630. — The  Incident  of  Dr.  Lambe. — The  Restoration  of 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral. — St.  George's,  Southwark. — The  Era  of  the 
Revolution.— Heavy  Exactions  from  the  Companies. — Bury  St. 
Edmund's,  Plague  at. — Ship-money. — Loans  to  Charles  I.  and  the 
Parliament. — Plate  sold  to  raise  Money,  and  Money  borrowed  by 
the  Company. — Trouble  in  Ireland. — Further  Demands  upon  the 
Company. — The  "  Solemn  League  and  Covenant." — The  Company 
and  the  Supply  of  Saddles  to  the  Army. — Gunpowder  Stock. — 
Battle  of  Worcester. — "Ye  States  Armes." — Saddlers'  Hall  in 
1653. — The  Restoration. — Straitened  Circumstances  of  the  Com- 
pany.— Their  Contribution  to  Charles  II. — More  Exactions. — 
Coronation  of  Charles  II. — War  with  Holland  ;  enforced  Contri- 
butions.— The  Ship  "  Loyall  London." — The  Great  Plague  of  1664. 
—  The  Great  Fire. — Arrangements  for  the  Re-building  of  the  Hall. 
— Lord  Mayors'  Shows  ;  Processions  by  Water. — Alderman  Dash- 
wood  ;  his  Gift. — The  Company's  Barge  Cloth. — Attractions  of  the 
Water  Pageant  for  the  Company. — The  Custom  Discontinued. — 
"Stands," — The  King's  Esquire  Saddler.- — The  Company  and  the 
Coachmakers. — Quo  Warranto. — The  Company  Surrender  their 
Charter.— New  Charter  Granted  by  Charles  II.,  1684. — Tyranny  of 
James  II. — His  Removal  of  the  Wardens  and  Assistants. — The  same 
removed  from  the  Livery  of  the  Company. — Their  Restoration. — 
The  threatened  Invasion  by  William  of  Orange  frightens  James  — 

F 


6o  History  of  the  Company. 

He  returns  the  former  Deed  of  Svirrender,  and  offers  to  grant  the 
Company  a  New  Charter. — Abdication  of  James  II.  and  Succession 
of  William  III.  and  Mary  II. — The  Company  propose  to  raise  two 
Dragoons. — Loans  to  William  III.  Repaid. ^ — Sir  Richard  Blackmore 
and  Saddlers'  Hall.- — Saddlers'  Hall  in  the  Eighteenth  Century  ;  De- 
scription of,  by  Hatton  and  Maitland. — Entry  of  George  I.  into 
London. — "A  Good  Trumpett  and  Kettledrum." — The  Company 
in  iheir  "  Stands." — Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  visits  Saddlers' 
Hall,  1736. — Accepts  the  Freedom  of  the  Company,  and  is  elected 
Perpetual  Master. — Presents  his  and  the  Princess's  Pictures. — The 
Freedom  of  the  Company  conferred  on  Members  of  his  Household. 
— Birth  of  George  III. — The  Company  attend  and  congratulate 
Princess  Augusta. — -A  Bonfire  in  Cheapside,  "  when  the  Princess  is 
brought  to  Bed." — -The  Scotch  Rebellion  ;  Devotion  of  the  Com- 
pany.— Death  of  the  Prince  in  1751. — Voluntary  Fund  for  the 
Defence  of  the  Country. — Saddlers'  Hall  partially  destroyed  in 
1815  ;  completely  destroyed  in  182 1  ;  re-built  in  1822. — Worthless 
Saddles  destroyed  in  1822. — Aldf-rman  Sir  Peter  Laurie's  Mayor- 
alty.— -Processions  by  Water. — Almshouses  at  Isleworth. — Saddlers' 
Company  Prizes  for  improvements  in  Military  Saddles. — Livery 
Companies'  Commission,  1880. 


E  have  now  arrived  at  a  period  when  the 
earliest  extant  minutes  of  the  Company 
commence,  and  when,  in  consequence, 
we  cease  to  be  dependent  upon  the 
records  of  the  Corporation  and  upon  the  informa- 
tion derivable  from  other  sources.  The  condition 
The  Company  in  of  the  Company  in  the  beginning  of 
\he^e5emeenth^^^^  Seventeenth  century,  as  it  Is  ex- 
century,  hiblted  to  us  In  the  light  of  their  own 
records,  presents  a  peculiarly  Interesting  picture. 
The  Company  then  represented  practically  the 
whole  saddlery  craft  of  London,  and  the  powers 
vested  In  them  by  their  Charter  from  Elizabeth, 
and  by  their  ordinances,  constituted  them  a  very 
impermni  in  iniperio  for  all  purposes  touching  the 
problems  and  customs  of  the  trade.     They  fixed 


History  of  the  Company.  6r 

the  term  of  apprenticeship,  protected  the  ap- 
prentice from  the  tyranny  of  the  master,  and 
supported  the  master  in  exacting  due  obedience 
from  the  apprentice.  They  settled  the  differences 
of  wages  and  other  questions  between  journey- 
men and  the  Saddlers  who  employed  them  ;  de- 
cided the  eligibility  or  otherwise  of  a  journeyman 
to  set  up  in  trade  for  himself,  and  examined  his 
wares  from  time  to  time  to  see  that  they  were 
honestly  wrought.  These  prerogatives,  however, 
were  only  in  conformity  with  existing  statutes  of 
the  realm,  in  the  framing  of  which,  when  they 
related  to  the  trades  carried  on  in  the  capital,  the 
City  took  an  active  part,  either  by  petitioning  the 
Crown  and  Parliament,  or  by  other  methods 
of  representation ;  but  the  powers  vested  in 
the  City  were  commonly  extended  to  the  other 
cities  and  corporate  boroughs  of  the  country, 
many  of  which  had  their  own  separate  craft 
guilds,  with  similar  powers  of  trade  supervision, 
search,  &c.,  as  we  gather  from  the  Charter  granted 
to  the  Saddlers'  Company  by  Edward  1 11.^ 

The  insiofht  afforded  into  the  internal  condition 
of  the  Company,  its  corporate  customs,  and  the 
relationship  existing  between  its  members,  is  no 
less  interesting.  The  Wardens,  with  eight  or 
more  of  the  Assistants,  constituted  an  authority  in 
all  cases  of  trade  as  well  as  internal  disputes,  and 
against  their  dicta  there  was  no  appeal  ;  at  least, 
few  or  none  cared  to  appeal  if  the  privilege  were 

1  See  p.  37  et  seq. 

F  2 


62  History  of  the  Company. 

open  to  them.  The  repeated  employment  of  the 
word  ''fellowship  "  in  the  early  minutes,  under  cir- 
cumstances where,  In  modern  times,  the  word  Com- 
pany Is  usual,  furnishes  us  with  a  key  to  the  whole 
principle  which,  as  It  were,  underlay  and  pervaded 
the  corporate  fabric — the  principle  of  mutual  pro- 
tection and  support.  But  this  bond  was  never, 
for  one  moment,  allowed  to  Interfere  with  the 
punishment  of  any  member  of  the  guild  for  an 
offence  committed  In  trade,  when  the  punishment 
would,  under  similar  circumstances  and  for  a  similar 
offence,  be  visited  upon  those  not  free  of  the  guild. 
Indeed,  It  happens  singularly  and  curiously  enough, 
that  the  heaviest  punishments  recorded  in  the  Com- 
pany's books  are  those  imposed  upon  members  of 
the   Company. 

On  certain  occasions  in  the  year,  the  Company 
In  their  several  ranks,  Wardens  and  Assistants, 
cloathing  and  yeomanry,  dined  together,  and  the 
loving  cup  —  still  a  familiar  institution  in  the 
entertainments  of  to-day — Is  a  vestige  of  the 
earliest  and  remotest  of  those  fraternal  gatherings, 
although  the  precise  antiquity  of  the  custom  Is 
unknown.  A  common  "  house  "  fund  was  raised 
by  contributions,  quarterage,  and  fines,  supple- 
mented by  occasional  legacies  and  bequests. 
From  this  fund  doles  were  distributed  by  the 
Wardens  at  the  Hall  door,  after  every  assembly 
of  the  Company,  and  the  poor  were  sustained,  In 
old  age  and  decay,  by  quarterly  allowances  or 
pensions.  When  a  member  died,  his  remains 
received  a  last  tribute  of  respect  by  the  attend- 


History  of  the  Comtany.  6 


ance  of  the  whole  Company  at  the  funeral,  and,  if 
the  circumstances  of  the  widow  and  orphans  were 
destitute,  they  were  relieved  from  the  common 
"  stock  "  or  "  house  "  fund. 

It  has  not  been  thought  expedient  to  Interrupt 
the  thread  of  historical  narrative  by  more  than  a 
passing  allusion  to  the  internal  affairs  of  the  Com- 
pany at  this  stage  ;  a  more  ample  account  of  their 
ordinances  and  of  the  curious  and  interesting 
incidents  arising  out  of  their  application,  will  be 
found  In  a  separate  and  subsequent  chapter. 

It    Is    pleasant    to    conjure    up    In    our    minds, 

.J   .     however,    an  approximate    picture    of 

the  seventeenth  Cheapsldo  as  It  appears  at  this  period, 

century.  ■■  .  ,      .  ,   .  , 

and  we  are  assisted  m  this  mental 
effort  by  the  frequent  mention  In  the  Company's 
Order  Books  of  places  once  famous  landmarks,  but 
now,  alas,  known  to  us  only  In  name.  Cheapside, 
or  Westchepe,  as  It  was  more  commonly  called, 
was  undoubtedly  the  most  historically  Important 
thoroughfare  In  Old  London,  the  probable  con- 
sequence of  Its  being  the  high  road  from  the 
City  to  the  west — from  the  Tower  to  Whitehall 
and  Westminster — the  favourite  route  of  State 
pageants  and  processions.  Its  two  rows  of  shops 
were  at  once  the  richest  and  handsomest  In  Old 
London,  the  south  side  being  mostly  occupied  by 
wealthy  goldsmiths.  Great  has  been  the  change 
In  the  commercial  life  of  the  citizens  since  then. 
Then,  each  tradesman  or  merchant  worked  at  his 
craft,   or    "  set  forth    his  wares  to  the   she  we  "  in 


64 


History  of  the  Company. 


an  open  chamber,  or  seld,  which  projected  from 
the  general  front  outhne  of  the  house  into  the 
street  to  the  heio-ht  of  the  first  floor.  The  same 
four  walls  that  contained  his  stock  In  trade  con- 
tained his  lares  and  penates ;  the  same  roof 
sheltered  his  family  and  his  apprentices. 

Cheapslde  was  famous  for  Its  churches ;  the 
number  of  which  to  be  met  with  In  the  City 
before  the  Great  Fire  seems  to  us  marvellously 
out  of  proportion  to  the  population.  Three 
churches  formerly  stood  In  Cheapslde  ;  all  were 
destroyed  In  the  Fire,  but  two  disappeared  en- 
tirely from  the  scene  and  were  not  rebuilt.  These 
were  the  parish  churches  of  St.  MIchael-le-Querne 
and  of  St.  Peter  Cheap.  ^  The  former  stood  at  the 
western  extremity  of  the  street,  on  a  spot  now 
occupied  by  Peel's  Monument ;  the  latter  at  the 
west  corner  of  Wood  Street.  Happily,  the  church 
of  St.  Mary-le-Bow%  which  was  rebuilt  after  the 
Fire,  still  remains  to  recall  much  that  Is  dear  to 
Londoners  In  the  legendary  past  of  their  historic 
City.  From  the  spire  and  arches  of  Its  tower 
were  hung  lanterns  at  night  as  beacons  to  the 
few  solitary  travellers  that  frequented  the  streets 
of  the  City  after  nightfall  ;^  while  from  the  belfry 
of  the  same  church  curfew  rang  out  at  nine 
o'clock  each  night  for    centuries,   after   Henry  I. 


^  The  parishes  of  St.  Michael-le-Querne  and  St.  Peter 
Cheap  are  now  joined  with  that  of  St.  Vedast,  with  which  the 
Company  are  still  associated. 

^  These  are  shown  in  the  View  of  London,  1643,  in  the 
Sutherland  Collection. 


\ 


CHEAPSIDE    N    A.D.    1639. 


THE    EARLIEST   AUTHENTIC   VIEW   OF   CHEAPSIDE.   WITH    THE   CROSS   AND   STANDARD,   ILl-"SATlNa-rHE   PROCESSION   OF   MARY    DE  MEDICI,    MOTHER   OF   THE   CONSORT   OF   CHARLES 

AND    SHOWING   THE    LIVERY   ^O""*^     _  ,,,.  ^,"     "   STANDS.       A   NORTH-EAST   VIEW. 


History  of  the  Company.  65 

had  withdrawn  the  despotic  Injunction  imposed  by 
the  Conqueror  upon  the  citizens.  Nearly  opposite 
Foster  Lane  stood  the  Little  Conduit/  a  famous 
meeting  place  for  the  city  housewives  and  others 
who  gossiped  over  their  buckets  and  pitchers  ; 
and  a  rendezvous  for  City  apprentices  after  their 
day's  work  was  over.  Nearly  opposite  Wood 
Street  stood  the  famous  Cheapside  Cross,  one  of 
a  number  erected  by  Edward  L  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  his  beloved  Queen  Eleanor.^  Close 
to  It,  and  nearly  opposite  Honey  Lane,  stood  the 
Standard,  with  its  executions,  and  Its  readings  of 
royal  edicts  and  State  decrees.  Every  house 
or  shop  was  known  by  Its  distinctive  sign,  which 
projected  over  the  footway  to  the  road  to  such 
an  extent,  moreover,  as  sometimes  to  require  its 
temporary  removal  to  make  way  for  public  pro- 
cessions passing  through  the  street.  The  houses 
belonging  to  the  Company,  and  let  out  by  them, 
are  generally  spoken  of  in  the  Order  Books  by 
the  signs  by  which  they  were  known.     Thus,  for 

^  So  called  in  contradistinction  to  the  Great  Conduit  at  the 
east  end  of  Chepe,  between  Bucklersbury  and  the  Poultry, 
which  brought  the  first  supply  of  sweet  water  from  Paddington 
to  London. 

2  There  were  twelve  in  all,  viz.,  at  Lincoln,  Grantham, 
Stamford,  Stoney  Stratford,  Woburn,  Dunstable,  St.  Albans, 
^Vestcheap,  Charing,  Geddington,  Northampton,  and  Waltham 
— the  several  stages  at  which  the  body  of  the  Queen  rested 
during  the  journey  from  Hardeby,  near  Lincoln,  where  the 
Queen  died,  and  Westminster.  Cheapside  Cross  was  erected 
in  1293,  rebuilt  in    1441,  defaced  in   1581,  and  demolished  in 

1643- 


66  History  of  the  Company. 

instance,  we  have  mentioned  the  *'  Adam  and  Eve 
without  Temple  Bar,"  the  "  Crown  at  Holborn 
Conduit,"  the  "  Blue  Boar  at  Holborn  Conduit," 
the  ''Talbot"  or  ''White  Talbot"  in  Wood 
Street,  the  "  Golden  Bull  in  Chepe  "  the  "  Goat  in 
Chepe,"  the  "Dolphin  in  Westchepe,"  the  "White 
Lion  in  Cheap,"  and  lastly,  and  most  famous  of 
all,  the  "  Mearmayd  Taverne  in  Westchepe." 

Very  little  interest  attaches  to  any  of  these,  ex- 
The"Mermayd    ceptiug  the  "  Mermaid,"  which  stood 

Tavern."  q^i  the  Same  side  of  the  street  as, 
and  close  to  Saddlers'  Hall,  on  a  spot  w^hich  may 
be  identified  with  a  fair  amount  of  ease,  between 
Gutter  Lane  and  Foster  Lane.  The  earliest 
mention  of  it  in  the  Company's  books  is  on  the 
14th  February,  1614: — 

"  This  dale  likewise  Richard  Harrison  is  fyned  in  ten 
shillings  for  fetching  of  wyne  the  last  q'ter  daie-at  the 
Mearemayd,  in  West  Chepe,  being  formerly  inty- 
mated  to  fetch  it  elsewhere  by  reason  of  an  offence 
committed  by  the  new  Tennt  vpon  the  Lord  Mayor's 
daie  last." 

Again,  on  the  27th  May,  1628  : — 

"At  this  Court  Thomas  Clowes  desired  to  have  his 
Lease  of  the  Mearemayd  Tavern,  made  equal  with  the 
terme  he  hath  in  the  house  some  tyme  graunted  to 
Mr.  Fleet  out  of  w''^'  hee  hath  taken  three  roomes  to 
add  vnto  the  Taverne.  The  w^^'  his  request  it  is  referred 
to  the  view  of  Mr.  Warden  Houghton  Mr.  Warden 
Symson  John  Laney  and  Nathaniel  Bush." 

This  tavern  was  destroyed   in   the  Great  Fire, 


History  of  the  Company.  67 

but  the  Company's  tenant  at  the  time  refused  to 
rebuild  it,  notwithstanding  that  they  offered  him 
an  extended  lease.  The  stones  remaininir  in  the 
ruins  of  the  Hall  after  the  Great  Fire  of  London 
were  ordered  to  be  collected  and  secured  in  the 
vaults  of  the  "  Mermaid." 

How  far  the  ''  Mermaid  Tavern  "  is  identical 
with  the  ''Mermaid"  of  Jonson,  Beaumont  and 
Fletcher,  and  contemporary  wits,  is  a  question 
which,  notwithstanding  its  attractiveness,  w^e 
refrain  from  entering  upon.  All  the  property 
owned  by  the  Saddlers'  Company  in  Cheapside 
was  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  street 
between  Foster  Lane  and  Gutter  Lane,  and  has 
been  retained  by  them  to  the  present  day.  It 
may  be  mentioned  that  the  position  of  this  '*  IMer- 
maid  "  is  clearly  discernible  in  La  Serre's  print 
attached,  which  represents  it  as  situated  some 
fifteen  houses  westward  of  St.  Peter,  at  the  corner 
of  Wood  Street,  a  distance  which,  if  any  one  will 
take  the  trouble  to  inspect  that  part  of  Cheapside, 
allocates  it  with  a  fair  amount  of  precision  to  the 
position  claimed  for  It,  namely,  midway  between 
Gutter  Lane  and  Foster  Lane. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Cheapside  or  West- 
chepe  stood  two  famous  institutions  repeatedly 
mentioned  in  the  Order  Books  of  the  Company. 
These  were  the  Compters  or  Counters.  They 
were  prisons  for  debt  and  minor  offences,  and 
were  under  the  control  of  the  Sheriff  One  stood 
in  the  Poultry,  upon  the  site  of  the  present  Grocers' 
Alley,  the  other  on  the  east  side  of  Wood  Street. 


6S  History  of  the  Company. 

The  Wood  Street  Counter,  however,  from  Its 
proximity  to  the  Hall,  occurs  the  more  frequently 
in  the  Company's  records.  To  this  prison  were 
committed  offending  and  recalcitrant  members  of 
the  Company,  and  all  contumacious  makers  of 
bad  saddles.  The  rapacity  and  extortion  practised 
by  the  gaolers  In  these  Counters  were  notorious, 
and  whenever  a  mild  remonstrance  from  the 
Company  failed  to  Induce  conformity  with  its 
laws,  a  short  lodging  therein  was  usually  sufficient 
to  produce  the  desired  effect,  and  the  quondam 
offender  would  quit  the  Counter  a  sadder,  per- 
haps a  wiser,  but  certainly  a  poorer  man. 

1622.     Apri/  30///. 

"  To  be  given  to  Will™  Boyton  a  poore  brother  in  the 
Counter  in  the  Poultrie  for  to  free  him  out  of  prison  at 
the  discreacon  of  o""  M*"  soe  as  it  exceed  not  thirtie  or 
fortie  shillings." 

1 6 10.    March  \2th. 

*'  Item  given  to  Edmond  Reynolds  for  his  releasement 
out  of  the  prison  of  the  Counter  three  pounds." 

1 6 1 9.     Novembei'  1 1  th. 

"  This  dale  Roger  Lloyd  was  committed  to  the 
Counter  for  that  he  refused  to  laye  down  his  fynes  for 
not  appearing  three  several  tymes  (to  attend  the  Lord 
Maior)  vpon  suiTions  given  him  by  the  Beadle,  and 
afterwards  vpon  his  submission  his  ymprisonemcnt  was 
remitted  and  hce  payed  ij'  vj*'  w*^^''  was  given  to  the 
officer." 


THE    OLD    WOOD    STREET,    COMPTER. 


History  of  the  Company.  69 

1620.     October  yd, 

"  The  same  dale  Robert  Dowgill  was  questioned  for 
his  vnseemely  behauio""  in  o""  hall  on  that  daic  the 
wardens  of  the  yeomandric  were  chosen.  And  also 
for  abusing  his  late  m""  Mr.  Robert  Labourne  and 
Mr.  Daniel  Holdenbie  in  unseemely  speeches  as  also 
for  carrying  himself  in  unseemely  manner  towards  this 
Court  ffor  w'^''  misdemeanors  he  was  ordered  to  laye 
downe  sevcrall  fines  and  submitt  himself  to  this  Court 
^ych  j^g  refused  to  doe  ffor  w^''  his  contempt  he  was 
comiitted  to  the  Compter  from  whence  vpon  his  submis- 
sion and  laying  downe  his  fines  vz.  xx'  hee  was  released 
w'^^'  was  given  him  back  the  next  Court  daie  upon  his 
late  m/  his  request  whom  he  had  offended  except 
iiij^  vj"^  w*"''  the  officers  had." 

1622.     September  lytk. 

"  The  same  daie  Thomas  Smythsby  complayned  of 
Robt.  Dowgill  ffor  that  he  had  disgraced  him  to  S"" 
Anthony  Ashley  concerning  the  making  and  allowance 
of  velvet  of  a  sadle  for  his  Ladie  vpon  hearing  (of  w'^'' 
complainte)  the  p'ties  on  both  sides.  It  is  thought 
mete  and  soe  ordered  that  the  said  Dowgill  shall  layc 
downe  his  fine  according  to  o""  orders  and  submit  him- 
self to  the  table  w''^'  he  refused  to  doe.  Wherevpon  it 
is  thought  mete  and  soe  ordered  that  the  said  Dowgill 
be  comited  to  the  Counter  (vpon  the  Lord  Maior  his 
command)  wherevpon  (the  officer  being  p'sent)  the  said 
Dowgill  being  called  againe  before  his  going  to  the 
Counter  to  knowe  his  resolucon  submitted  himself  and 
laid  downe  his  fine  accordingly  being  xl^  whereof  hee 
had  given  him  xx'  and  paid  xx'  w'^''  was  delivered  to 
Warden  Pilchard.  Given  to  the  officer  that  came  to 
carry  him  to  the  Counter  ij'  vj'^  paid  by  the  Renter." 


70  History  of  the  Company. 

Fennor,  an  actor,  describing  In  1617  the  Wood 
Street  Counter,  alludes  to  the  frequent  occupation 
of  this  prison  by  members  of  the  Saddlers'  craft. 
He  says:  "As  In  a  citty  there  Is  all  kinds  of 
trades,  so  Is  there  heere,  for  heere  you  shall  see  a 
cobler  sitting  mending  olde  shooes,  and  singing  as 
merrily  as  If  hee  were  under  a  stall  abroad  ;  not 
farre  from  him  you  shall  see  a  taylor  sit  crossed- 
legged  (like  a  witch)  on  his  cushion  threatning 
the  rulne  of  our  fellow  prisoner,  the  ^Egyptian 
vermlne  ;  In  another  place  you  may  behold  a 
Sadler  empannelling  all  his  wits  together  how  to 
patch  this  Scotch  padde  handsomely  or  mend  the 
old  gentleman's  crooper  that  was  almost  burst  In 
pieces.  ^ 

Frequent  mention  occurs  of  another  famous 
prison.  Old  Ludgate  :  This  was  anciently  a  free 
debtors'  prison,  and,  according  to  Strype,  Its 
tenants  were  chiefly  merchants  and  tradesmen 
who  had  been  driven  to  want  by  losses  at  sea.  Its 
mention  In  the  Company's  books  Is  mostly  In 
connection  with  the  relief  of  poor  members  of 
the  Company,  who  found  themselves  Involuntary 
inmates. 

1607.     April  18///. 

"  It  was  then  ordered  and  agreed  that  John  Atkinson, 
being  a  prisoner  in  Ludgate,  shulde  have  of  the  howse 
charge  to  kepe  him  to  werke  a  hide  of  Icthcr  and  a  cople 
of  calves  skyns  w^'*  cost  xxiiij^" 

^  ''The  Compter's  Commonwealth,  or  a  voiage  made  to  an 
infernall  Island,"  by  William  Fennor,  a.d.  1617.  In  the 
Library  of  the  B.  M. 


History  of  the  Company.  71 

16 10.    July  i-jth. 

"  Item  given  to  James  Mathewc  for  his  rcleascmcnt 
out  of  the  pryson  of  Ludgat  xlvijV 

On  a  later  occasion  the  Company's  Beadle  was 
incarcerated,  and  the  Court,  perforce  for  the  credit 
of  the  Company,  were  fain  to  bail  him  out  for 
Twenty  Pounds ;  notwithstanding  which,  when,  on 
another  occasion  the  Beadle's  son-in-law  found 
himself  In  the  same  situation,  the  Company 
entertained  Jiis  application  with  less  grace  and 
placability, 

Less  frequently,  but  under  similar  circum- 
stances, we  find  mention  of  the  old  Marshalsea 
Prison,  which  stood  In  High  Street,  Southwark. 

The  year   1605  was  memorable    for  the  Gun- 
powder Plot,  to  return  thanks  for  the 
Gunpotder    frustration    of    which    the     Company 
^^°^-         attended   at   St.  Paul's,  and   the  occa- 
sion Is  alluded  to  In  the  following  minute  :— 

1605.     November  \2tJL 

"This  Court  Day  there  was  given  to  a  woman  at 
Pole's  Crosse  for  setting  out  a  forme  for  the  Companye 
xviijd." 

The    following   year   the     King    of  Denmark, 
brother  to    the    consort    of  James    I., 

1600.  •        J    u 

The  King  of   vislted  England,  and  was  received  by 

Denmark.     ^^^  citlzeus  of  Loudou  wIth  cvery  sign 

of  rejoicing.     As  was  usual  on  such  occasions,  the 


72  History  of  the  Company. 

Companies  all  turned  out  In  their  Liveries.  The 
Incident  Is  fully  described  by  the  Chronicler 
Howes,^  but  Is  only  casually  alluded  to  In  the 
Company's  records  In  the  following  minute  : — 


^  The  description  given  by  Howes  is  very  picturesque,  and 
affords  an  excellent  idea  of  the  character  of  these  early 
pageants  and  spectacles  : — 

"  They  were  received  by  the  Lord  Maior  at  the  east  end 
of  Tower  Streete,  in  a  robe  of  crimson  veluet,  bearing  a 
golden  sceptre  in  his  hand  before  the  Kings  vntill  he  came  to 
Temple  Barre;  as  these  greate  Potentates  with  their  sumptuous 
trayne  passed  along  the  streetes,  the  King  of  Denmark 
seriously  observed  the  huge  multitudes  of  common  people 
thronging  in  every  corner,  and  the  unimaginable  number  of 
gallant  ladies,  beauteous  virgins,  and  other  delicate  dames, 
filling  the  windowes  of  euery  house  with  kinde  aspect,  saluting 
their  worthinesse  with  health  and  hearty  welcome  wheresoever 
they  past.  Vpon  the  great  fountain  in  Cheapeside  was  erected 
the  bower  of  the  Muses,  with  pleasant  musicke.  At  the  west 
end  of  Cheapeside,  by  the  Goldsmith's  Row,  neere  vnto  the 
pageant,  sate  the  great  Elders  of  the  Citie  in  scarlet  robes, 
where  the  Recorder,  after  he  had  made  a  solemne  oration  in 
Latine  on  the  behalfe  of  the  Citie,  presented  the  King  of 
Denmark  with  a  faire  cup  of  gold,  who,  with  as  great  kind- 
nesse  accepted  it ;  then  the  pageant,  after  it  had  ceased  her 
melodious  harmony,  began  to  express  the  purpose  thereof,  viz., 
Diuine  concord,  as  sent  from  Heauen,  descended  in  a  cloud 
from  the  top  vnto  the  middle  stage,  and  with  a  loude  voyce, 
spake  an  excellent  speech  in  Latine,  purporting  their  hearty 
welcome,  with  the  heavenly  happines  of  peace  and  unity 
amongst  Christian  Princes,  &c.,  but  through  the  distemperature 
of  the  vnruly  multitude,  the  Kings  could  not  well  heare  it 
although  they  enclined  their  eares  very  seriously  thereunto 
At  the  faire  Fountaine  in  Fleet  Streete  was  a  pleasant  pastorall 
device,  with  songs  wherewith  the  Kings  were  much  delighted ; 
this  Fountaine,  and  divers  others  ranne  cleare  wine." 


SEAL   OF  JAMES    I. 

ATTACHED  TO   HIS   CHARTER   TO  THE 

SADDLERS'    COMPANY. 

OBVERSE. 


SEAL    OF    JAMES   I. 

ATTACHED  TO  HIS  CHARTER  TO  THE 

SADDLERS'  COMPANY, 

REVERSE. 


History  of  the  Company.  7 


1 


1606.     November  18//^. 

"  This  Courte  Daye  Will*^  Bedford  promysed  the 
Company  to  bringe  in  his  fyne  imposed  upon  him  the 
next  Court  Day  for  y^  he  attended  not  vpon  y^  Com- 
pany at  the  two  kinges  rideing  throwe  the  Cytie  and 
other  absence  and  misdemeanors." 

On  the  20th  March  in  the  following  year,  being 
the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  James  I.  granted  the 
Company  a  Charter,  which  is  an  inspeximus  and 
confirmation  of  that  of  Oueen  EHzabeth.  It 
confers  no  new  powders,  and  concludes  with  the 
following  words,  which  are  all  that  are  added  : — 
"  And  we  the  Charters,  letters  patent,  and  all  the 
grants  and  confirmations  aforesaid,  and  all  and 
singular  in  the  same  contained,  having  ratified  and 
confirmed  them  for  us,  our  heirs  and   successors, 

Charter  from  ^^  much  as  In  US  llos,  do  accopt  and 
James  I.  approvo,  and  to  our  well  -  beloved 
Nicholas  Holbeame,  John  Byngham,  Thomas 
Solomon,  and  John  Hall,  now  Wardens  or 
Keepers  of  the  Mystery  or  art  of  Saddlers  of  the 
City  of  London  aforesaid,  and  the  Commonalty 
of  the  same  Mystery  or  art  and  their  successors 
by  the  tenor  of  the  presents  do  ratify  and  confirm 
(them)  as  the  Charter,  letters,  grants,  and  confir- 
mations aforesaid  In  themselves  reasonably  testify. 
In  witness  whereof,  &c.,  witness  the  King  at 
Westminster  the  twentieth  day  of  March.  By  six 
pounds  thirteen  shillings  and  four  pence  paid  Into 
the  hanaper."^ 

^  This  Charter  is  still  in  the  Company's  possession. 


74  History  of  the  Company. 

The  seventeenth  century  was  memorable  among 
other  things  for  a  series  of  fatal  epidemics  which 
visited  England  at  various  intervals,  and  were 
particularly  felt  in  the  capital.  The 
first  occurred  in  1603-4,  and  destroyed 
over  30,000  lives  in  London  alone.  The  second 
broke  out  in  the  summer  of  1607,  and  is  alluded 
to  in  the  following  minutes  :  — 


1607.    Jidy  2%tJi. 

"John  Williams  o^  Tenn*  in  Dayes  Alley  hath 
graunted  to  avoide  his  Cellar  of  the  Costermonger 
(for  fear  of  infection)  betwixt  this  Courte  Day  and 
Christmas  next  and  soner  if  he  can. 

"  Goodwif  Fourche  is  warned  to  avoide  the  Costerd 
monger  out  of  hir  house  at  Christmas  next  or  afore  if 
she  can  possible." 

On  the  17th  April,  1608,  the  Company  obtained 
an  amendment  and  ratification  of  their  ordinances. 
The    powers    therein    conferred    were    but    little 

A.u.  1608.  modified  from  the  ordinances  ratified 
Ordinances  rati- j^  the  previous  reign;  the  order  for 

the  search  was  enlarged  and  the  necessary  quali- 
fications for  a  householder — i.e.,  a  shopkeeper — 
defined,  and  the  remedies  and  penalties  against 
any  violation  of  the  rules  made  for  the  good 
government  of  the  Company  were  increased.^ 


^  The  ordinances  of  James   I.   are  signed  by  the   Earl  of 
Dorset  and  Chief  Justices  Fleming  and  Edward  Coke. 


History  of  the  Company.  75 

In  August  of  the  same   year,  the  anniversary 
A.D.  1608.     of  the  King's  deHvery  from  the  Gowrie 

The  Gowrie      /->  •  •    i,  ^  •  i   .  i 

Conspiracy.  Conspiracy  eight  years  previous/  the 
Company  again  attended  at  Paul's  Cross  to  return 
thanks,  a  custom  which  they  annually  observed 
until  1616. 

In  June  of  the  following  year  the  Court  of  the 

Company  were  specially  convened  to 

A.D.  1609.     j-alse    "  ayde    money,"    a    tax     levied 

"  Ayde  money. "  i  i        i  •         i  i 

throughout  the  kingdom,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  knighting  of  Prince  Henry.  The 
following  May  the  Prince  was  created  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  the  Company,  in  common  with  the 
other  Companies,  took  part  in  the  processional 
ceremony  ;  on  this  occasion  It  Is  recorded  that  a 
Liveryman  of  the  Company,  for  absenting  him- 
self from  the  ceremony,  was  committed  to  prison. 

In  the  year  1609  mention  occurs  of  the  scheme 
for  colonizing  Virginia.  That  country 
had  been  taken  possession  of  by 
Raleigh  in  the  previous  reign,  and  unsuccessful 
attempts  had  been  made  to  colonize  it.  James 
was  very  desirous  of  accomplishing  this,  and  in 
1606  and  1 6 10  granted  patents  for  the  formation 
of  two   expeditions.       In    1609  the   Lord    Mayor 


^  This  was  a  conspiracy  to  dethrone  James  VI.  of  Scotland. 
James  was  decoyed  into  the  Earl  of  Cowrie's  house  at  Perth, 
5th  August,  1600 ;  the  plot,  however,  was  frustrated,  and 
the  Earl  and  his  brother  slain. 


"](>  History  of  the  Company. 

issued  a  precept  to  the  Companies,  to  induce  them 
to  join  in  an  adventure.  The  Saddlers'  Company 
joined  in  the  undertaking,  but  the  amount  sub- 
scribed by  them  is  not  stated  ;  it  was  levied  upon 
the  cloathing  and  subsequently  repaid. 

The  following  minute  furnishes  an  example  of 
the  custom  of  interference  by  the  King  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Companies,  when  favourites  were 
concerned. 

1610.     November  6th, 

"  At  this  Courte  Mr.  Richard  Lucy  o""  Tennt  in  Cheape 
bein  a  Suter  to  o'"  Company  for  a  newe  lease  of  his  house, 
and  to  obtayne  the  same  he  brought  the  King's  high- 
nesse's  hon'able  letters  w'^^  were  w^^'  due  Revrence  and 
in  all  humblenesse  receaved.  At  which  tyme  in  respect 
of  the  said  letters  the  said  Mr.  Lucy  was  offered  (that 
if  he  wolde  depart  from  the  same  howse  at  the  ende  of 
his  terme  of  yeres  that  he  hath  yet  to  come  therein) 
the  some  of  ffyftie  pownds  in  lawfuU  money  gratis 
w^''  money  he  the  said  Mr.  Lucy  refused." 

The  records  of  other  Companies,  notably  the 
Grocers,  Ironmongers,  Merchant  Tailors,  and 
others,  afford  similar  instances  throughout  the 
reigns  of  Elizabeth,  James  L,  and  Charles  L,  of 
attempts  by  the  Crown  to  influence  them  in 
matters  of  purely  domestic  concern.^ 


Vide  Herbert's  "  Hist.  Essay." 


History  of  the  Company.  "]"] 

The  Company  appear  from   a  very  early  date 
Company's     to  have  Supported  a  number  of  poor 
tl'erskie^.'  Scholars  at  the  Universities  of  Oxford 
and  Cambridge. 

1613.    July  2'jtk. 

"  It  was  this  day  ordered  that  Giles  Rankin  the  sonne 
of  John  Rankin  being  now  a  Scholler  in  St.  John 
Baptist's  colledge  in  Oxford  was  graunted  to  have  fortie 
shillings  a  yeare  paied  hym  towards  his  maintenance  of 
his  studie  in  good  literature  in  Oxford  the  first  payment 
to  be  made  him  at  the  feast  of  St.  Michael  the  Arch- 
anngell  next  ensewing." 

162 1.     October  gth. 

"  This  daie  a  peticon  from  Thomas  Akers  was  read  in 
Co""*  (being  one  of  o''  Schollers)  whereby  hee  desired  to 
have  his  exhibicon  of  xP  p.  ann.  encreased  w'^^  was 
raysed  to  fower  marks  p.  ann.  {£2  13^".  4^.)." 

Frequent  gifts  were  also  made  to  other  poor 
Scholars  to  buy  books.  Each  of  the  Company's 
Scholars  at  Oxford  or  Cambridge  "  going  out  " 
B.A.  received  from  the  Company  a  gift  of  5 
marks  (^3  6s.  Sd.),  which  was  doubled  upon  his 
passing  M.A.^ 

In  1 6 14   St.  Vedast   Church  was  repaired  and 

St.  Vedast's    enlarged, and  the  Company  contributed 

Church.       ^]^Q  s^j-Q   Qf  ^^^  pounds  towards   the 


1  The  Company's  Scholarships  are  now  awarded  to  boys  of 
the  City  of  London  School. 

G    2 


7^  History  of  the  Company. 

cost  thereof.  Strype  tells  us  that  at  the  same 
time  "  to  this  Church  at  the  Chancell  end,  the 
breadth  being  20  yards  and  above,  was  added  20 
feet  of  ground,  which  ground  so  to  lengthen  the 
Church  was  given  unto  the  Parish  out  of  a  faire 
Court  then  belonging  to  the  Saddlers'  Hall." 
This  may  have  been  so,  as  the  Company  owned  a 
small  court,  leading  from  a  lane  which  anciently 
connected  Foster  Lane^  with  Gutter  Lane.  The 
lane  itself  appears  to  have  belonged  to  the  Com- 
pany. 

The  gift  of  land,  however,  although  mentioned 
by  Strype,  is  not  recorded  in  the  Company's 
books. 

An  entry  in  the  Company's  books  for  this  year 
Colonization  of  uiakes  meutiou  for  the  first  time  of  a 
^^^^*  matter  which  exercised  an  important 
influence  in  the  affairs  of  the  Livery  Co'mpanies 
of  London,  viz.,  the  colonization  and  settlement 
of  Ulster.  In  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of 
James   L  a  considerable  part  of  the  province  of 


1  Foster  Lane  is  of  very  great  antiquity :  under  the  name 
of  St.  Vedast  Lane  it  is  mentioned  in  the  Letter  Books  of  the 
Corporation  as  early  as  1281,  and  in  1305  there  is  mention  of 
the  lease  of  a  house  therein  to  Sir  John  de  Leek,  who  was 
Clerk  to  Prince  Edward,  son  of  Edward  L  (Riley's 
"  Memorials.")  Both  the  lane  and  the  church  are  frequently 
mentioned  by  the  old  chroniclers  and  historians,  by  some 
they  are  called  St.  Foster,  and  by  others  St.  Vedast.  The 
correct  name  was  probably  a  compound  of  the  two — St.  Vedast 
Foster,  under  which  designation  the  church  is  known  to  this 
day. 


L. 


History  of  the  Company.  79 

Ulster,  including  the  six  counties  of  Armagh, 
Tyrone,  Coleraine,  Donegal,  Fermanagh,  and 
Cavan  was  vested  in  the  Crown  by  an  act  of 
attainder  of  certain  Roman  Catholics  of  distinc- 
tion who  had  rebelled  against  the  Crown  in  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth.  James  proposed  to  the  City 
to  undertake  the  settlement  of  these  forfeited 
estates  and  the  formation  of  a  Protestant  colony 
An  agreement  was  arrived  at  between  the  Privy 
Council  and  the  Corporation,  one  article  of  which 
was  that  ^20,000  should  be  levied,  ^15,000  of 
which  was  to  be  expended  upon  the  plantation, 
and  ^5,000  towards  clearing  away  private 
interests.  A  Committee  was  appointed  by  the 
Common  Council,  consisting  of  a  Governor, 
a  Deputy-Governor,  and  24  Assistants,  known  as 
the  Irish  Society,  and  they  were  put  in  possession 
of  their  estates,  a  Charter  being  granted  to  them 
on  the  29th  March,  161 3.  Arrangements  were 
next  made  in  the  City  for  raising  and  collecting  the 
sum  agreed  to.  This  was  at  length  determined 
The  Company  to  be  done  by  the  twelve  principal 
compelled  to    Companies,     and     the     Lord     Mayor 

purchase  Irish     ^  ■••  «' 

lands.  issued  a  precept  for  that  purpose. 
The  sum  originally  agreed  upon  was,  however, 
found  insufficient,  and  other  assessments  were 
made  from  time  to  time,  which  eventually  ex- 
ceeded the  sum  of  ^60,000.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Council,  on  December  1 7, 
161 3,  the  newly  acquired  lands  were  allotted  in 
twelve  portions  to  the  twelve  chief  Companies. 
The   money  actually  disbursed  upon   the  planta- 


8o 


History  of  the  Company. 


tlon  at  the  time  of  the  allotment  amounting  to 
^40,000,  was  divided  into  twelve  shares  of 
;^3,333  6^.  8^.,  payable  by  each  of  the  said  twelve 
Companies,  who  were  required  to  associate  with 
themsejves  certain  of  the  minor  Companies. 
This  was  arranged  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
whole  of  the  Companies  participated  in  the  under- 
taking— four  or  five  of  the  smaller  Companies 
being  associated  with  each  of  the  principal  ones. 
The  Saddlers'  Company  were  associated  with  the 
Salters'  Company  in  chief,  with  whom  were  also 
grouped  the  Dyers,  Cutlers,  Joiners,  and  Wool- 
men.  The  following  were  the  amounts  of  their 
several  contributions 


JllLilUaLlUllt)   . 

£ 

Salters 

"      1,954 

Dyers 

580 

Saddlers 

390 

Cutlers 

225 

Joiners 

164 

Woolmen     . . 

20 

^3,333 

In  November,  1620,  Frederick  V.,  Elector 
AD  1620  Palatine,  and  son-in-law  of  James, 
Palatinate.  ^^\lQ  h^d  accepted  the  Crown  of 
Bohemia,  and  shortly  afterwards  been  driven 
from  his  possessions,  appealed  to  the  Lord  Mayor 
for  pecuniary  aid,  and  a  contribution  of  ^5,000 
was  levied  upon  the  Companies.^     The  Saddlers' 


1    n 


Remembrancia,"  p.  414. 


History  of  the  Company.  8i 

Company  were  called  upon  for  their  quota  of  ^50, 
which  was  levied  upon  the  cloathing,  as  we  read  in 
the  following  minute  : — 

1620.     December  I'^th. 

*'  It  is  this  daie  ordered  that  the  L;^  w^^  o""  Companie 
is  topaie  by  p'ceptinto  the  Chanib  of  London  p^'sently 
toward  the  release  of  the  Pallatinate  shalbe  Jevyed  on 
the  cloathing  of  this  fellowship  by  the  pole  each  man 
paying  xx^  a  peece." 

This  sum  was  repaid  to  the  cloathing  by  the 
Court  in  the  following  July. 

The  introduction  of  coaches  ^  into  England  was 

A  D  1620       ^  distasteful  innovation  to  the  Com- 

Coaches  intro-    pany,  presumably  as  being  calculated 

"^^  '         to  interfere  with  the  custom  of  riding, 

and  consequently  to  injure  their  trade.     On  the 

1 6th  July,  1620,  the  minutes  relate  that  : — 


1  Coaches  were  almost  unknown  in  England  during  the 
middle  ages.  The  knights  were  proud  of  their  horsemanship, 
and  disdained  any  such  means  of  conveyance.  The  few 
"  chares  "  in  use  in  early  times  were  the  object  of  perpetual 
ridicule.  As  represented  in  ancient  manuscripts  they  were 
rude,  cumbrous,  and  inconvenient  contrivances  on  four  wheels. 
Taylor,  the  Water  Poet,  pubUshed  in  1623  a  curious  satire  on 
coaches  under  the  title  of  "  The  world  runnes  on  Wheeles,  or 
Oddes  betwixt  Carts  and  Coaches."  He  tells  us  facetiously 
that  "in  the  year  1564,  one  William  Boonen,  a  Dutchman, 
brought  first  the  use  of  coaches  hither,  and  the  said  Boonen 
was  Queene  Elisabeth's  coachman  ;  for  indeede  a  coach  was 
a  strange  monster  in  those  dayes,  and  the  sight  of  them  put 
both  horse  and  man   into   amazement.     Some  said  it  was  a 


82  History  of  the  Company. 

"  This  day  upon  request  made  unto  the  Wardens  and 
Assistants  both  by  the  Clothing  and  Coaltie  of  this 
Fellowship  and  also  by  divers  Country  Sadlers  that  they 
would  be  pleased  to  p'fer  a  Bill  in  P'liament  to  re- 
dresse  the  multitude  of  coaches  interlopers  and  hawkers 
It  is  ordered  by  this  Court  that  there  shall  be  a  Bill 
drawne  and  p'ferred  in  P'liament  for  redresse  of  the 
same  inconveniences  and  there  is  appoynted  for  the 
following  of  the  same  business  Mr.  Robt.  Labourne 
Tho.  Porter  Tho.  Mills  John  Lawney  Nathaniell  Burt 
and  Cyprian  Morse.  At  the  same  assemblie  Henry 
Gardiner  of  Maidstone  and  Solomon  Bishop  of  Cran- 
brook  in  the  Countie  of  Kent,  Sadlers,  undertooke  to 
send  unto  o'"  M""  betweene  this  and  this  dale  fortnight 
the  some  of  X*  towards  the  said  charge." 


great  crab  shell  brought  out  of  China,  and  some  imaginde  it 
to  be  one  of  the  pagan  temples  in  which  the  cannibals  adored 
the  devill ;  but  at  last  all  these  dowbts  were  cleared,  and 
coachmaking  became  a  substantiall  trade.  .  .  .  The  cart 
is  an  open  transparent  engine  that  any  man  may  perceive  the 
plain  honesty  of  it,  there  is  no  part  of  it  within  or  without 
but  it  is  in  the  continual  view  of  all  men.  On  the  contrary, 
the  coach  is  a  close  hipocrite,  for  it  hath  a  cover  for  any 
knavery,  and  curtaines  to  raile  or  shadow  any  wickedness. 
Moreover,  it  makes  people  immitate  sea-crabs  in  being  drawne 
side-wayes,  as  they  are  when  they  sit  on  the  boote  of  the 
coach ;  and  it  is  a  dangerouse  kinde  of  carriage  for  the 
commonwealth  if  it  be  rightly  considered,  for  when  a  man 
shall  be  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  a  Serjeant,  or  a  Counsellour  at 
Law,  what  hope  is  it  that  all  or  many  of  them  should  use 
upright  dealing,  that  have  beene  so  often  in  their  youth  and 
daily  in  their  maturer  or  riper  age  drawne  aside  continually  in 
a  coach,  some  to  the  right  hand  and  some  to  the  left,  for  use 
makes  perfectnesse,  and  often  going  aside  willingly  makes 
men  forget  to  goe  upright  naturally." 


History  of  the  Company.  St, 

On  several  occasions  steps  were  taken  to 
restrict  the  use  of  coaches.  In  the  supplementary 
calendar  of  the  Records  in  the  House  of  Lords 
there  is  a  Draft  Bill,  dated  5th  November,  1601, 
which  it  is  not  unlikely  the  Company  were  instru- 
mental in  promoting.  It  is  entitled  "an  Act  to 
restrain  the  Excessive  and  Superfluous  use  of 
Coaches  within  the  realm  of  England."  It  sets 
forth  that  in  consequence  of  the  great  increase  in 
the  use  of  coaches,  the  Saddlers'  trade  is  likely  to 
be  ruined  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  evil  disposed 
persons  who  dare  not  show  themselves  openly  for 
fear  of  correction,  shadow  and  securely  convey 
themselves  in  coaches  and  cannot  be  discerned 
from  persons  of  honour,  besides  which  the  roads 
are  cloyed  and  festered  and  horses  lamed.  In 
future,  no  one  under  the  degree  of  a  Knight  or 
a  Privy  Councillor,  Queen's  Counsel,  &c.,  or 
paying  /^^o  to  the  subsidy  assessment,  shall  ride 
or  travel  in  coaches  under  penalty  of  ^5  for  every 
offence,  and  no  person  shall  let  coach  or  coach- 
horses  to  any  but  those  hereby  authorised  to  use 
them  upon  pain  of  forfeiting  the  same.  It  was 
read  for  the  first  time  on  November  5,  but  on 
the  second  reading  two  days  later  it  was  rejected, 
and,  as  a  compromise,  a  Bill  touching  the  breed 
and  maintenance  of  horses  was  ordered  to  be 
brought  in  by  Mr.  Attorney-General.^  In  1635 
they  had  become  so  numerous  as  to  be  con- 
sidered a  nuisance  by  the   Court,  and  had  to  be 


84  History  of  the  Company. 

limited  by  the  Star  Chamber.  Pepys,  writing  on 
the  7th  November,  1660,  says,  ''notwithstanding 
this  was  the  first  day  of  the  King's  (Charles  II.) 
proclamation  against  hackney  coaches  coming 
into  the  streets  to  stand  to  be  hired,  yet  I  got 
one  to  carry  me  home." 

The  introduction  of  stage  coaches  was  similarly 
resented  by  the  Company,  and  In  1670  a  Bill  was 
ordered  by  them  to  be  drawn  up  and  preferred  In 
Parliament  against  the  obnoxious  vehicles.  The 
Company  also  resolved  to  reward  any  person  who 
should  be  Instrumental  In  procuring  the  enact- 
ment of  the  Bill.  The  Clerk's  services  in  this 
direction  were  recognised  by  a  gift  of  one 
hundred  pounds,  but  the  steps  taken  were  without 
any  material  effect,  as  events  have  shown. 

In    1624-5,    the  City  was  visited    by  a "  pesti- 
lence in  which  35,403  persons  perished, 
pia  ue        ^^  each  occasion  of  these  plagues  the 
Lord     Mayor    prohibited    all    public 
feasts  and  assemblies,  and  the  following  minute  is 
probably  In  reference  to  this  interdict : — 

1626.     August  lot/i. 

"  At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  there  shall  be  a 
Masters'  dynner  kept  in  private  manner  w^houte  any 
solemnitie  as  hath  byn  accustomed." 

Charles  I.  succeeded  to  the  throne  In  1625, 
and  on  the  3rd  of  May  In  that  year,  we  read  that — 


History  of  the  Company.  85 

"At  this  Court  were  appointed  to  be   Whiflcrs  at  the 
..1TT1 -^      55    Kinq-'s  Coronacon,  viz.,  Abell  Caine,  Daniell 

"Whiflers.  ^  '  '  '      . 

Haldenby,  Thomas  Carter,  Michael 
Helmsley,  Edward  Hill,  Edmund  Sheppard,  Richard 
Cervices,  and  John  Burgess  (members  of  the  Livery)." 

The  precise  derivation  of  the  term  '' Whifler"  has 
exercised  the  minds  of  many  v^rlters.  It  seems 
tolerably  clear,  however,  that  "  Whiflers  "  were  so 
called  from  their  custom  of  carrying  long  wands, 
which  they  brandished  about  to  clear  the  way 
for  the  pageant,  thereby  making  a  whifling  noise. 
The  word  Is  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the 
Company's  books,  as  every  year  the  Company 
appointed  a  number  of  the  junior  members  of  the 
Company  to  act  as  Whiflers  In  the  Lord  Mayor's 
procession.     Other  Companies  did  the  same. 

A  plague  broke  out  again  in    1630,  resembling 

a  spotted  fever,  and  was  particularly 

'^*  ^  ^°'     fatal,  destrovins^  life  within  four  or  five 

rlague.  i  t 

days.  All  public  assemblies  were 
suppressed  by  an  order  of  the  Lords  of  the 
Council,  and  a  precept  was  Issued  by  the  Lord 
Mayor  to  the  Companies  accordingly.  The 
Company's  records  refer  to  it  as  follows  : — 

1630      May  25///. 

"  At  this  Court  the  Lord  Mayor's  letter  sent  vnto  the 
Companie  being  read  whereby  it  was  desired  that 
meetings  at  o'"  Hall  be  forborne  during  the  tyme  of  the 
visitacon   It  is  ordered  accordingly  that  all  extraordinary 


86 


History  of  the  Company. 


meetings    be    forborne  except    Midsomer   daie    for  the 
elecon  of  officers  at  the  Guyldhall  and  on  q^®''  daies." 

On  the  same  day  we  read  that — 

"At  this  Court  their  was  given  to  Captayne  Whistler 
our  old  Armor  and  14  Calervers  compleate  The  Armor 
when  hee  sawe  them  refused  it  and  toke  onely  the 
Calervers." 

In   1628    a  noteworthy  incident  took  place  In 
the   City.      On    the    i8th    June,    Dr. 

A.D.  1628.        T         u  •  J  ^  r 

Dr  Lamb  Lamb,  a  conjuror,  and  a  creature  01 
the  unpopular  Duke  of  Buckingham, 
was  mobbed  by  a  crowd  In  Cheapside,  and  so 
severely  handled  that  he  died  the  same  day  In  the 
Poultry  Compter,  where  he  had  been  taken  for 
attention  to  his  Injuries.  Tidings  of  the  Incident 
reached  the  ears  of  the  King,  who  was  so  incensed 
thereat,  that  he  Imposed  a  fine  of  ^6,000  upon 
the  City,  and  threatened  to  withdraw  Its  Charter. 
The  fine  was  subsequently  reduced  to  1,500  marks, 
the  burden,  as  usual,  falling  heavily  upon  the 
Companies.  The  Saddlers'  Company's  proportion 
was  £10  and  Is  thus  alluded  to  : — 


1633.    January  30/'//. 

"  This  Court  beinge  called  by  p'cept  from  the  Lord 
Maior  and  Court  of  Aldermen  for  the  Levyinge  of  x^  by 
the  pole  accordinge  to  the  p'cept  for  the  death  of  Doctor 
Lambe  was  leavyed  the  same  daie  accordingly." 

On  the  25th  May,  1630,  we  learn  that — 


History  of  the  Company.  87 

"  At  this   Court   upon  a  petlcon  exhibited  vnto  this 

Court  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  p'ish  of  St. 

A.D.  1630.      George  in   Southwarke  for  reHefe  towards 

St.  George's,    \-\^q  re-edifvinge  of  their  p'ish  Church   and 

Southwark.  t      •  i  ^     ^  i   -       r^  , 

bteeple  It  is  ordered  by  this  Court  that 
there  shalbe  given  them  towards  it  Fortie  ShilHngs  to 
be  paid  by  the  Renter  Warden." 

In  1 63 1,  Bishop  Laud,  who  three  years  before 
^  ^  ,^^,  had  been  raised  to  the  see  of  London, 
St.  Paul's  took  in  hand  a  project  for  the  res- 
Cathedrai.  ^^j-^tion  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  then 
imperfect  and  in  decay.  In  April  of  the  same 
year  he  obtained  a  commission  for  that  purpose 
from  Charles  I.,  who  was  strongly  interested  in 
the  undertaking,  not  only  from  his  attachment  to 
Laud,  but  by  reason  of  his  own  personal  in- 
clinations and  tastes — being  a  great  lover  of  the 
aits.  The  work,  consisting  chiefly  of  a  new  west 
portico,  was  entrusted  to  Inigo  Jones,  but  the 
undertaking,  although  liberally  subscribed  to  by 
the  City,  by  Laud,  and  the  King  himself,  was  not 
popular,  and  gave  great  offence  to  the  Puritans. 
The  work  got  on  but  slowly.  The  Lord  Mayor 
received  an  exhortation  from  the  King,  to  assist 
in  raising  the  funds  for  the  purpose,  and  the  Com- 
panies were,  as  usual,  called  upon  to  contribute. 
The  following  are  the  Company's  records  : — 

163 1.     February  l6th. 

"  At  this  Court  the  Bishop  of  London's  Ire  was  read 
for  repairinge  of  Paule's  Church  To  give  an  answere 
the  next  Court  daie." 


88  History  of  the  Company. 

1632.     May  loth. 

"  At  this  Court  the  repalringe  of  Paule's  Church  was 
considered  of  and  it  is  ordered  that  there  shalbe  given 
towards  it  the  sum  of  fifteen  pounds  to  bee  paid  by 
X.^  a  yeare  if  the  worke  goe  on,  if  not  to  cease  The 
first  to  be  paid  p'sently." 

Ten  years  afterwards,  a  sum  of  nearly  ^17,000 
remaining  in  hand  of  the  restoration  fund  for  the 
still  unfinished  works,  was  appropriated  by  the 
Parliament.  The  edifice  Itself  was  turned  Into  a 
barracks  for  Cromwell's  Iconoclasts,  and  Its  sacred 
precincts  Into  a  ninepin  court  for  his  profane  and 
brawling  troopers.  Archbishop  Laud  was  be- 
headed In  1644. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  era  of  the  Revolution, 
,,    the  period  from    which   to  the- Res- 

The  period  of  the  \  ,  i  i        •         i  i 

Revolution  and  toration   IS    memorable  m  the  annals 

the  Restoration.       r    .^  r^  i  r    ^i. 

01  the  Company,  by  reason  01  the 
prolonged  strain  upon  Its  resources  consequent 
upon  the  rapacity  of  Charles  I.,  and  the  exigencies 
of  the  State  during  the  subsequent  Internecine 
struggles  of  the  country. 

The  first  demand  of  Charles  I.  upon  the  City 
for  money  which  affected  the  Saddlers'  Company- 
appears  In  their  minutes  on  the  20th  December, 
1627,  which  record  a  precept  received  from  the 
Lord  Mayor  for  the  loan  of  ^600,  and  the  money 
Is  ordered  to  be  borrowed  at  Interest  upon  the 
Company's  seal.  The  reason  for  the  precept  Is 
not   stated,  but,  according   to  the   City  records,  it 


History  of  the  Company.  89 

was  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  Common  Council, 
passed  the  same  month,  agreeing  to  furnish  the 
King  with  a  loan  of  ^120,000/  From  the  same 
source  we  learn  that  the  Wardens  of  the  Saddlers' 
and  of  the  Founders'  and  Glaziers'  Companies 
were  committed  to  Newgate  for  not  having  used 
their  best  endeavours  to  carry  out  the  Lord 
Mayor's  precept,  although,  curiously  enough,  the 
incident  is  nowhere  recorded  in  the  Company's 
books.^ 

The  town  of  Bury  St.  Edmunds  suffered 
terribly  from  a  plague  in  1636-7,  and  the  distress 
of  the  inhabitants  evoked  the  sympathy  of  the 
Company.     We  read  that  on  the  7th   November, 

1637— 

"  At  this  Courte  there  was  given  to  the  Town  of  St. 
Edmunds  Bury  being  visited  w''  the  plague  11^  paid 
by  y""  Renter." 

The    attempt  of  Charles   to   levy  ship-money 

A.D.  1640.     was   not   more  palatable  to  the  Sad- 

Ship  Money,     dlers'   Company  than   to  the   City  at 

large.     On  the  27th  June,  1640,  a  Special  Court 

was  convened  to  consider  the  precept   from  the 

Lord  Mayor  for  ship-money.     It  is  recorded  that — 

"  At  this  Co""'^  the  cause  for  ship-money  was  debated 
accordinge   to    the  direcon  of  y*"  R.  Honble.  the  Lord 


"  Reraembrancia,"  p.  196. 
Ibid.,  footnote. 


90  History  of  the  Company. 

Maior,  w''  the  Courte  doth  not  conceave  they  ought  to 
pay." 

The  sequel  to  this  odious  Impost  forms  a 
famihar  incident  in  EngHsh  history. 

In  August  of  the  same  year,  when  the  great 
civil  struggle  was  plainly  impending,  and  the  dis- 
contented Scottish  Covenanters  were  about  to 
cross  the  English  border  against  the  King's 
troops,  the  Lord  Mayor  issued  a  precept  to  the 
City  Companies  for  the  provision  of  ammunition. 
Accordingly,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Court  of  the 
Company,  on  the  2  7th  of  that  month — 

"  Itt  was  ordered  that  there  shalbe  3  barrels  of  gun- 
powder  provided    according   to    a   p'cept 
from  the  Lord   Maior,   and    also    maches 
and  Bulletts." 

The  following  month,  Charles,  in  his  dilemma, 
created  by  the  successes  of  the  Scots,  who,  un- 
flushed  with  their  victories,  had  opened  negotia- 
tions with  him,  summoned  a  council  of  the  peers 
to  York,  to  meet  him  on  the  24th  September. 
The  peers  met  in  Council  and  sent  a  deputation 
of  six  of  their  number  to  London,  and  obtained 
from  the  City  a  loan  of  ^200,000,  the 

Enforced  Loans.  .  -  r        i  •    i  ^      r  ^- 

burden  01  which,  as  usual,  tell  upon 
the  Companies.  The  Saddlers'  Company  were 
called  upon  for  ^600,  and  their  record  Is  as 
follows  : — 

"A  Co"""-'  Day  kept  on  Wednesday,  the  7th  day  of 
October,  by  direcon  of  the  Lord  Maior,  for  the  Loane 


History  of  the  Company.  91 

of  600°^  to  ye  King's  Ma*^^,  all  the  Wardens  and  Assist- 
ants being  p'scnt.  Att  this  Co'"*"  a  Ire  from  y°  ryhte 
jvjqIiic  yc  Lq  Maior,  directed  to  o''  M""  and  Wardens,  was 
read,  wherein  was  enclosed  a  Ire  to  y*^  Lo  Maior  from 
y^  King,  and  a  Ire  from  y""  Lords  from  Yorke,  w"^''  were 
all  read,  whereupon  it  is  ordered  that  the  said  money 
shalbe  taken  up  att  interest." 

In  June,  1642,  the  Court  were  again  specially 
A.D.  1642.  summoned  to  consider  a  precept  from 
Compulsory    the  Lord  Mayor,  demanding  the  loan 

Loan  of  ;^i,ooo.      r      r  r  i         t*      i*  r 

01  ^  1,000  tor  the  rarliament  tor  one 
year,  which  was  ordered  to  be  complied  with. 
In  order,  however,  to  raise  the  money,  the  Com- 
pany were  reduced  to  selling  ^100  worth  of  plate, 
and  to  borrowing  the  other  ;^900  at  interest. 

The   following   is  a  list  of  plate  sold  on   the 
occasion : — 


The  ounce. 

oz.  dwts.         s. 

d. 

£     s.     d. 

Eleaven  dozen  of  spoones. 

p'cell  guilt,  weighing  ... 

24    12    @  V. 

J- 

62  03     0 

Four  flat  guilt  bowles     . . . 

98    10    „    V. 

•  •  • 

nj. 

25   1/     3 

Three     flat     p'cell     guilt 

Dowles  ... 

46    15    „    V. 

•  •  • 

nj. 

12  05     3 

One  guilt  bowle  w*"  a  cover 

20    10    „    V. 

•  •  ■ 

iij. 

5  vij.  viij. 

One  guilt  bowle  and  cover 

15   10   „     5 

3 

4  02     6 

cix^ 

xv^  viij*^. 

In  the  following  August,  a  further  demand  from 
Parliament  for  ^200  was  read,  but  the  Company 
"  in  regard  of  the  greate  somes  of  mony  they 
have  alreadie  borrowed,  were  unwillinge  to  lend 
any  more  ;"  and,  immediately  ensuing,  an  order 
is  made  discontinuing  all  feasts  and  dinners. 

H 


92  History  of  the  Company. 

The    next    month,    on    the   3rd    September,   a 
Court  was  hastily  summoned  "  upon  a 

Loan  of  Arms.  i       i  i         r-> 

request  made  by  the  Committee,  to 
borrowe  the  Companie's  armes  to  helpe  to  furnish 
the  Lord  Generall.  It  was  ordered  that  there 
shalbe  lent  sixteene  swords  and  Belts  D'^  by 
appoynt"^*  to  Mr.  Swayne,  the  keep'' of  the  Guyld- 
hall.  This  Companle  Is  p'mlsed  to  have  such 
warrant  for  the  receipt  of  them  back  agalne  as 
other  Companies  of  the  CIttle  haue." 

The  same  month  (13th  September)  the  Com- 
Loan  of  ;^2oo.  pany  agreed  to  lend  the  supplemen- 
tary ^200  to  the  Parliament. 

These    continual    demands    told    heavily    upon 

Impoverishment  the  Company.     Their  meetings  were 
of  the  Company.  Qj-jgi-g^j   ^' ■^q  ]jq  sparingly  and  not  to 

exceed  at  any  Court  dale  above  thirtle  shillings." 
The  whole  of  the  Company's  plate  was,  about 
this  time,  ordered  to  be  taken  out  of  the  Treasury 
and  sold,  a  decision  which  appears  to  have  cost 
the  Court  an  effort,  for  we  find  the  Court  resolv- 
ing "  that  when  the  Company  Is  out  of  debt  there 
shalbe  new  plate  bought  In  the  room  of  that 
plate  which  was  given  under  the  last  will  and 
testament  of  any  of  the  Company,  and  of  as  good 
value."  The  step,  moreover,  was  held  to  be  one 
of  such  unusual  moment  and  importance,  that  the 
whole  of  the  Livery  and  Yeomanry  were  assem- 
bled to  consider  It,  but  they  adjourned  without 
giving  their  adherence  to  the  proposal,  although  at 
a  subsequent  meeting  they  did  so. 

Demand  followed  demand,  until  the  Company 


History  of  the  Company.  9 


o 


had  scarcely  a  penny  In  their  exchequer,  and  were 
moreover  largely  in  debt.  So  exhausted  had 
their  condition  become  that  they  were  even  com- 
pelled to  sell  their  old  Corselet  in  the  Hall. 

Whilst  civil  war  was  raging  in  England  troubles 

1641         were  brewing  in  Ireland.     The  native 

Afifairs  in  Ire-   IHsh  had  Hscn  upon  the  English  and 

Compulsory    Scotch  colonlsts  In  Ulster,  perpetrating 

contribution.    ^^^^^^  ^f  vlolence  unsurpassed  by  those 

of  more  recent  times.  The  distress  caused  to  the 
Protestant  colonists  in  Ireland  was  sufficient  excuse 
for  a  fresh  demand  upon  the  City  Companies,  and 
on  the  4th  July,  1643,  "  the  Wardens  Assistants 
Liverie  and  Commonaltle  being  assembled  there 
was  a  Ire  read  being  sent  from  the  right  honour- 
able the  Lord  Maior  according  to  direcons  from 
the  Lords  and  Cofnons  in  Parliament  thereby 
desiring  the  Companle  to  collect  what  sums  of 
money  they  could  for  the  relief  of  the  Protestants 
in  Ireland  whereupon  the  greater  p*  p'sent  rated 
themselves  accordingly." 

In  August  of  the  same  year  the  threatened 
1643.  approach  of  the  Royal  troops  upon  the 
Loan  of  ^^500.  capital  Induced  the  City  authorities  to 
pass  an  Act  for  obtaining  a  loan  of  ^50,000  from 
the  Companies  upon  the  City  Seal  for  defensive 
preparations,  and  a  precept  was  issued  to  the 
Saddlers'  Company  for  ^600.  The  Company, 
however,  expressed  themselves  "  unwilling  to 
borrow  this  sum  in  regard  of  the  great  sums  they 
owe  already  ;"  but  they  were  willing  there  should 

H  2 


94  History  of  the  Company. 

be  *'  borrowed  ^500,  according  to  the  Company's 
old  proportion  of  100  quarters  of  wheat." 

The  reference  here  to  the  Company's  propor- 
tion of  100  quarters  of  wheat  deserves  a  passing 
explanation.      The  City  of  London  had  from  an 
early  period    adopted   the    custom   of 

Corn  Custom.  ...  r        i  r 

mamtammg  a  store  01  wheat  lor  pro- 
viding food  for  the  inhabitants  and  preventing 
extortion  and  "  corners "  in  times  of  scarcity. 
The  origin  of  the  custom  is  unknown,  but  in  the 
early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  Companies 
appear  to  have  been  rated  for  a  contribution  to 
enable  the  City  to  purchase  a  store.  In  1578, 
however,  the  Companies  determined  to  keep  their 
own  stores,  and  the  City  allotted  them  granaries 
at  Bridge  House  for  the  purpose,  but  as  their 
control  of  these  granaries  was  subject  to  inter- 
ference, they,  in  course  of  time,  removed  their 
several  stocks  to  their  own  Halls.^  The  allusion  to 
the  custom  in  the  Company's  books  is  rare,  and,  as 
in  the  previous  minute,  only  indirect.  The  Com- 
pany's quota  here  stated  as  100  quarters  of  wheat 
is  in  the  City  books  stated  to  have  been  90 
quarters.  Rye  and  meal  were  subsequently 
added  : —    . 

1630.     March  2^th. 

"  The  p'cept  for  3  quarters  of  meale  to  be  delivered  to 
the  Alorcs  deputies  of  Lyme  Street  and  Cordwayners' 
Wards  was  read   whereupon  it    is   ordered    that   there 


1 


Herbert's  "Hist.  Essay,"  p.  130  et  seq. 


History  of  the  Company.  95 

shalbe  given  to  Mr.  Rayment  towards  the  serveing  of 
the  said  three  quarters  of  Meale  ij^  ij-^  weekly  during 
the  Companyes  pleasure." 

163 1.    Jitiie  2/^th, 

"At  this  Court  the  p'cept  for  Rye  was  read.  It  is 
ordered  that  the  Wardens  shall  give  such  order  as  they 
thinke." 

1636.     August  i^th. 

"  At  this  Court  Warden  Newton  having  one  hundred 
Pounds  of  the  Companies  on  his  hand  towards  the 
furnishing  of  the  Granarie  at  the  Bridge  house  allowed 
the  Companie  for  o''  corne  wh"^''  he  had  undertaken  for 
three  yeares  w''^  expired  at  Midsomer  last  w""^'  was  d*^  to 
our  M^" 

Directly  after  the  Fire  of  London  the  Company 
directed  the  Wardens  to  inspect  their  granary, 
and  after  this  no  reference  to  it  whatever  occurs 
in  their  books. 

In  the  following  September  (1644)  the  Parlia- 
ment   adopted    the    famous    Solemn 

A.D.   1644.  ^ 

Solemn  League  League  and  Covenant,  which  was  a 
and  Covenant.  Declaration  to  preserve  the  Reformed 
Church  in  Scotland,  to  promote  the  reformation  of 
religion  in  England,  and  to  "abolish  all  popery, 
prelacy,  and  schism."  The  adoption  of  the 
Covenant  was  enforced  in  Scotland,  and  many 
of  all  ranks  were  compelled  to  subscribe  to  it  in 
England,  including  the  Saddlers'  Company,  as  we 
gather  from  the  following  minute  : — 


96  History  of  the  Company, 

1644.     March  20th. 

At  this  Court  It  is  ordered  that  the  Wardens  Assts. 
and  clothinc^e,  and  the  new  liverie  that  is  to  bee  taken 
in,  shall  bringe  in  their  Certificate  that  they  have  taken 
the  last  Covenhte/ 

On  the  17th  April,  1645,  the  following  minute 
1645.        occurs  : — 

"At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  the  peticon  now  read 
shalbe  ingrossed  and  delivered  in  the  name  of  the 
Company  unto  the  Comittee  that  p'vide  sadles  for  the 
armie." 

We  may  safely  construe  the  object  of  this 
petition  as  being  to  obtain  a  contract  for  the 
manufacture  and  supply  of  saddles  for  the  army. 
The  Calendars  of  State  Papers  about  this  period 
contain  numerous  records  relating  to  the  part 
taken  by  the  Company  and  its  members  in 
furnishing  the  army,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
following  excerpts  : — 

1639.    January  \/\th. 

"  Order  of  the  Committee  of  the  Council  of  War. 
That  some  of  the  principal  saddlers  of  London  attend 
the  Earl  of  Essex,  who  is  to  treat  with  them  touching 
the  furnishing  a  proportion  of  good  saddles,  with  bits, 
straps,  and  other  appurtenances  according  to  a  pattern 

1  The  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  was  a  modification  of 
the  National  Covenant,  drawn  up  at  Edinburgh  five  years 
previously,  as  a  protest  against  the  attempt  of  Charles  to 
enforce  Episcopacy  upon  the  Scotch. 


History  of  the  Company.  97 

brought  out  of  the  Low  Countries,  which  was  sent  to 
the  Earl  by  his  Comptroller,  and  to  know  at  what  prices 
they  will  furnish  the  same,  and  how  many  a  month, 
whereof  the  Earl  is  to  make  certificate."  ^ 

1640.    January  2\th. 

'*  Order  of  the  Committee  of  the  Council  of  War. 
The  Earl  of  Newport,  as  Master  of  the  Ordnance,  to 
certify  what  number  of  serviceable  saddles  are  in  each 
of  his  Majesty's  store  houses  here,  or  in  the  north,  and 
what  number  of  saddles  the  Company  of  Saddlers  will 
undertake  to  deliver  monthly."  ^ 

Also  warrants  by  the  Council  of  State  for  the 
payment  of  money^ — 

165 1.    June  '^rd. 

"  From  the  Treasurer  of  War  to  William  Pease,  Daniel 
Holdenby,  Thomas  Webb,  Joshua  Shepheard,  Nathaniel 
Walters,  Henry  Ward,  William  Hussey,  and  William 
Chevall,  Saddlers,  for  1,000  saddles  delivered  into  the 
stores,  the  sum  of  ^^850 ;"  also 

165 1.    Jime  i6th. 

"  From  the  same  to  Nathaniel  Walters,  Humphry 
Gaywood,  and  William  Storer,  Saddlers,  for  100  pack 
saddles  with  their  furniture  for  the  army  in  Scotland, 

£7S'' 

165 1.    July  ()th. 

''  From  Major-General  Harrison  to  Nathaniel  Walters 
William  Stoarer,  and  Humphry  Gaywood  for  200  pack 
saddles  for  the  army  in  Scotland,  ;^I50." 

^  "State  Papers,  Domestic,"  Charles  I.,  vol.  ccccix..  No.  78, 
'  Ibid,  vol.  ccccxlii. 
'  Ibid 


98  History  of  the  Company. 

A  minute  of  the  Company's  proceedings  in 
July,  1652,  records  that  the  above-mentioned 
Nathaniel  Walters  was  fined  30^'.  by  the  Com- 
pany ''  for  makeing  defective  saddles  for  y^  State's 
service." 

Among  the  numerous  other  obligations  imposed 
upon  the  City  Companies,  was  a  re- 
quirement to  keep  a  store  of  gun- 
powder for  the  defence  of  the  City;  the  Saddlers' 
Company  appear  to  have  had  their  "  gunpowder 
house "  in  the  garden  of  a  house  belonging  to 
them  at  London  Wall.  On  the  22nd  January, 
1649,  we  read  that — 

"  At  this  Court  our  master  receaved  nyneteene  pounds 
tenn  shillings  for  the  gunpowder  he  sold  of  the  Com- 
panies." 

On     the     3rd     September,     165 1,     Cromwell 

Battle  of      defeated  the  Royalist  troops  at  Wor- 

Worcester.     cester,    and    his    army    entered     and 

plundered  the  City,  and  on  the  19th  December 

ensuing,  the  following  minute  occurs  : — 

"  Att  this  Corte  upon  y°  peticon  of  Anthony  Norris 
of  Worcester  a  member  of  this  fellowship  being 
plundered  there  at  the  comeing  in  of  the  army.  It 
is  ordered  that  y''  Renter  Warden  shall  deliver  forty 
shillings  to  Mr.  William  Freeman  to  bee  sent  to  him  as 
the  guifte  of  this  Company." 

On  the  17th  October,  165 1,  it  was  ordered 
that — 


History  of  the  Company.  99 

"  There  shalbe  a  Banner  made  an  ell  square  against 
y"  next  Lord  Maior's  day  with  the  States  armes  upon 
it." 

About  this  time  an  order  was  Issued  from  the 
The  King's  Councll  of  State,  commanding  the 
Arms.  removal  of  the  arms  and  pictures  of 
the  late  King  from  all  churches,  common  halls  of 
the  Companies,  and  other  public  places,  and 
accordingly  we  find  the  following  minute  Im- 
mediately ensuing  upon  the  one  just  quoted  : — 

"  Att  this  Corte  it  is  ordered  that  y*"  late  King  his 
armes  shalbee  pulled  downe  and  destroyed,  and  white 
glasse  put  in  y^  place." 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  period  of  civil  war 
The  Fine  of  ^^^  Halls  of  the  City  Companies  were 
Marlborough,  nearly  all  occupied  by  various  Depart- 
ments of  the  State  for  the  transaction  of  public 
business.  The  Guildhall  was  used  as  a  Parlia- 
ment House.  Weavers'  Hall  was  the  office  of  the 
Exchequer,  Goldsmiths'  Hall  the  national  bank, 
and  so  on.  Saddlers'  Hall  In  1653  was  occupied 
by  the  Commissioners  for  collecting  funds  for  the 
relief  of  the  City  of  Marlborough,  which  In  the 
April  of  that  year  was  almost  totally  destroyed  by 
fire.  Curiously  enough,  the  circumstance  of  this 
occupation  of  their  Hall  Is  nowhere  alluded  to  In 
the  Company's  books,  although  mention  occurs  of 
a  subscription  towards  the  relief  of  the  Inhabitants. 
In  the  archives  of  the  City  of  Chester,  however, 
there    are    preserved    letters    from    the    Commis- 


loo  History  of  the  Company. 

sloners  for  managing  and  ordering  collections  for 
the  distressed  inhabitants  of  Marlborough  dated 
9th  June,  1653,  from  Saddlers'  Hall,  accompany- 
ing orders  of  the  Council  of  State  for  the  same 
purpose.^ 

The  Restoration  took  place  eleven  years  after 
the  execution  of  Charles  I.,  and  on  the 

The  Restoration  ^^^^  February,  1660,  occurs   the   first 
indication  of  the  return  of  the  Com- 
pany's loyalty  to  the  throne. 

''  Ordered  y*  y°  Master  and  Wardens  doe  forthwith 
agree  with  some  able  workmen  to  sett  up  the  King's 
Armes  in  painted  glasse  in  the  hall-window  where  it 
formerly  stood." 

The  occasion  of  the  public  entry  of  Charles  H. 
into  London  on  the  29th  May,  1660,  was  made 
one  of  surpassing  splendour.  Evelyn  pictu- 
resquely describes  the  rejoicing  occasioned  by  the 
event. 

*' This  day  his  majestie,  Charles  II.,  came  to  London 
after  a  sad  and  long  exile  and  calamitous  suffering,  both 
of  the  King  and  Church,  being  17  yeares.  This  was 
also  his  birthday,  and  with  a  triumph  of  above  20,000 
horse  and  foote  brandishing  their  swords  and  shouting 
with  inexpressible  joy ;  the  waycs  strewed  with  flowers, 
the  bells  ringing,  the  streets  hung  with  tapestry,  foun- 
taines  running  with  wine,  the  Maior,  Aldermen,  and  all 


^  Reports  of  the  Hist.  MSS.    Commission,  Appendix  viii., 
p.  386. 


History  of  the  Company.  ioi 

the  Companies   in  their    Liveries,   chaines  of  gold  and 
banners." 

To  such  straitened  circumstances  had  the 
Saddlers'  Company  been  reduced  by  the  late 
excessive  exactions  and  enforced  loans,  that  we 
find  them  compelled  to  order  that  ''  no  allowance 
should  be  made  to  any  member  who  rode  to 
bring  in  the  King's  ma''''  and  the  two  Dukes 
but  y^  every  man  beare  his  owne  charges." 

The    City,    however,    exemplified    its  joy    in 

Contribution  to  ^  ^^'^^^    moTQ   Substantial    manner,   by 
Charles  II.     voting  in  Common  Council  the  sum  of 
;^i  2,000  to  the  Royal   Purse.      The  following  is 
a  record  of  the  Company's  contribution  : — 

1660.     May  2W1. 

"  P*^  into  the  Chamber  of  London  according  to  an  act 
of  Common  Councell  of  the  2*^  of  May,  1660,  144^ 
being  soe  much  assessed  upon  the  Company  to  be 
p'sented  to  his  Maiestie  and  the  two  Dukes." 

In  September  following  the  Company  were 
again  called  upon  to  contribute,  this  time  pur- 
suant to  an  Act  of  Parliament,  "  for  y^  speedy  p'vi- 
sion  of  money  for  y^  disbanding  the  forces  of  this 
kingdome  both  by  land  and  sea." 

On  the  25th  of  that  month  it  was — 

"  Ordered  y*  Hanley  y^  Beadle  doe  warne  in  all  the 
Assistants  and  Liverie  to  appeare  upon  Saturday  next, 
being  Michaelmas  day,  to  bring  in  their  pole  money,  and 
Mr.  Beighton  and  Mr.  Thos.  Pease  (are)  appointed  \.o 
receive  y^  same." 


102  History  of  the  Company. 

The  coronation  of  Charles  II.  in  the   following 
A.D.  1661.     spring   gave    occasion    for    more    re- 
Coronation  of  joicing,   and   afforded  another  oppor- 
tunlty  for  extorting  money  from  the 
impoverished   Companies.      The   Saddlers'  Com- 
pany appear  to  have  been  called  upon   for  two 
contributions  towards  the  cost   of  the   civic   pre- 
parations ;    the   amount    of  the   first  sum  is   not 
however   stated.       The    followinof    record    ogives 
some  idea  of  the  financial  destitution  to  which  the 
Company  had  been  brought  : — 

1 66 1.     May  gth. 

"  Borrowed  of  Mr.  Edward  Smith  for  the  use  of  the 
Company,  Aprill  15,  1661,  36.^,  w'^^'  he  is  to  be  allowed 
interest  from  that  time. 

"  P'^  the  same  tyme  the  sayd  sume  of  ^6£  into  the 
Chamber  of  London,  being  a  second  p'portion  assessed 
upon  y°  Company  by  an  act  of  Common  Council  dated 
(f  Aprill  instant,  towards  the  finishing  of  y°  triumphall 
arches  erected  against  his  ma*^^^  intended  passage 
through  the  Citye  as  by  S''  Thomas  Slayer  his  acquit- 
tance doth  appeare." 

On  the   27th  November,  1662,  the  City  Com- 
panies    turned    out    to    receive    the 

A.D.   1662.         T.  .  A         1  1  1 

Russian  Amt)assador,  and  at  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Court  of  the  Company  on  the  following 
month  it  was  ordered  ''  y^  those  gent'  who  ridd  to 
bring  in  y^  ambassador  should  be  allowed  their 
charges."  The  expense  individually  involved  on 
this  occasion,  however,  was  apparently  less  than 
that  incurred  on  the  occasion  of  the  incoming  of 


History  of  the  Company.  103 

the  King,  when  the  members  were  compelled  to 
bear  their  own  charges,  for  Pepys  informs  us  that 
"  their  black  velvet  coats  and  gold  chains  remained 
of  their  gallantry  at  the  King's  coming  in." 

On  the  29th  September,  1663,  the  Company 
assembled  to  receive  a  precept  from 
the  Lord  Mayor,  ''  signifying  the 
King's  Royal  intention  of  passing  through  this 
Citye  at  his  return  from  his  progresse  with  his 
royal  consort,  and  to  p'vide  xiiij  of  y®  grauest  and 
best  of  the  Company  to  be  on  horsebacke  appar- 
relled  with  velvet  coats  and  Gold  Chaines.  To  be 
in  a  readynesse  to  attend  y*  service  this  Court  did 
then  appointe  those  persons  hereunder  named  to 
ride,  viz.,  the  Foure  Wardens,  Mr.  Clowes,  Mr. 
Mason,  Mr.  Freeman,  Mr.  Holdenby,  Mr.  Dash- 
wood,  Mr.  Smith,  Mr.  Pease,  Mr.  Tanner,  Mr. 
Milson,  and  Mr.  Sheppard." 

In  1664  the  City  again  came  to  the  assistance 
1664.  of  the  State,  and  granted  the  King  a 
Dutch  wars.  Iq^h  of  ^100,000  towards  the  support 
of  the  war  with  Holland.  Recourse  was  had  as 
usual  to  the  Companies,  and  the  contribution  of 
the  Saddlers'  Company  was  assessed  at  as  much 
as  £700.  Their  exchequer  being  empty,  the 
Company  were  compelled  to  borrow  the  whole 
sum  at  interest,  as  the  following  minute  shows  : — 

1664.     November  $th. 

"  Upon  reading  of   a  letter  from  the   right  hon^^^  S"^ 
John   Lawrence,   Knight,  Lord    Maior  of  the    Citye  of 


I04 


History  of  the  Company. 


London,  thereby  signifyeing  y^  the  Citye  had  under- 
taken to  serue  his  Ma^^*"  with  the  Loan  of  100,000^  upon 
speciall  occasion,  and  thereby  did  desyre  for  the  repu- 
tation of  the  Company  that  the  Company  should 
advance  ^700  towards  the  same  upon  such  security  as 
the  Citye  had  taken  of  his  Ma^^S  and  y*  the  Company 
would  certifye  y*'  Court  of  Aldermen  upon  Tuesday 
next  the  tyme  when  they  would  pay  in  the  same,  where- 
upon it  was  ordered  y*  y^  Warden  should  forthwith  take 
upp  700;^  upon  the  Company's  security,  and  pay  in  the 
same  with  as  much  speede  as  might  be,  whereupon  Mr. 
Edward  Smith  p'mised  to  prude  them  CCC^  from  the 
parrish  of  Lambeth  at  5^^  p.  cent.  p.  ann.  and  CCC^ 
more  he  would  lend  them  at  y^  same  rate,  and  Mr.  Milson 
promised  C;^  at  y^  same  rate,  whereupon  y*  was  ordered 
yt  ye  Wardcns  should  give  the  Company's  security  for 
y^  same." 

The  next  contribution  the  Company  was  called 
Ship  "  Loyaii  ^P^n  to  make  v^as  In  1665.  One  would 
London."  think  that  the  enforced  loans  which  had 
so  Impoverished  the  Companies  would  have  left 
little  Inclination  on  their  part  for  spontaneous  con- 
tribution. This  time,  however,  their  patriotism 
was  stirred,  the  occasion  being  the  war  with  the 
Dutch,  which  had  again  broken  out.  The  City 
resolved  to  present  the  King  with  a  war-ship,  and 
to  call  It  the  "  Loyall  London,"^  partly  doubtless 
to  Identify  It  with  the  City,  and  partly  to  replace 


^  Evelyn  has  the  following  entry  in  his  diary,  8th  June, 
1666:  "I  saw  the  London  Frigate  launched,  a  most  stately 
ship,  built  by  the  City  to  supply  that  which  was  burnt  by 
accident  some  time  since.  The  King,  Lord  Maior,  and 
Sheriffs  being  there  with  a  greate  banquet." 


History  of  the  Company.  105 

the  old  ship,  the  "  London,"  one  of  the  navy  of 
the  Commonwealth,  which  had  been  destroyed. 
The  cost  was  ^^  10,000,  and  the  proportion  paid 
by  the  Saddlers'  Company  was  ^124. 

Dryden  has  the  following  lines  upon  the   inci- 
dent : — 

"The  goodly  London  in  her  gallant  trim, 

The  phoenix-daughter  of  the  vanished  old, 
Like  a  rich  bride  does  to  the  ocean  swim, 
And  on  her  shadow  rides  in  floating  gold. 

Her  flag  aloft,  spread  ruffling  to  the  wind, 

And  sanguine  streamers  seem  the  flood  to  fire  ; 

The  weaver,  charmed  with  what  his  loom  designed. 
Goes  on  to  sea  and  knows  not  to  retire. 

With  roomy  decks,  her  guns  of  mighty  strength, 
Whose  low-laid    mouths    each  mounting   billow 
laves. 

Deep  in  her  draught,  and  warlike  in  her  length, 
She  seems  a  sea-wasp  flying  on  the  waves. 

This  martial  present  piously  designed, 
The  loyal  city  give  their  best-loved  King, 

And,  with  a  bounty  ample  as  the  wind, 

Built,  fitted,  and  maintained  to  aid  him  bring." 

The  Great  Plague  of  London  first  appeared  in 
AD  166";      1664.      hicreasing    in    malignity,   and 
The  Great     Spreading    with    fearful     rapidity,     it 
^^"^'       carried  off  in  its  ravages,   it  is  said, 
nearly  100,000  persons.    No  meetings  of  the  Com- 
pany took  place  between  July,  1665,  and  January, 
1666,  and  the  annual  election  of  Master  and  War- 
dens, which  should  have  taken  place,  according 
to  custom,  in  the  August  of  1665,  was  postponed 


io6  History  of  the  Company. 

until  the  January  following,  the  cause  being 
ascribed  in  the  minute  to  "  y'"  late  contagion." 
The  Company  appears  to  have  suffered  heavily 
from  the  pestilence,  as  in  July,  1666,  only  four 
members  were  assembled  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Court,  which  could  not,  in  consequence,  be  held. 
This  deduction  is  likewise  supported  by  the 
numerous  appointments  which  were  shortly  after- 
wards made  to  the  Court  and  Livery. 

The  desolation  produced  by   the    Plague   was 
consummated     by     the    Great     Fire, 

A.D.    1666.  ^    .  .  T  1  T^l 

The  Great  Fire  which  immediately  supervened.     This 
of  London,     fga^j-f^l  conflagration,  which  within  four 

days  destroyed  13,200  houses  and  89  churches, 
including  St.  Paul's,  and  laid  waste  400  streets, 
gave  the  finishing  blow  to  the  material  possessions 
of  the  Company.  Nearly  all  the  Companies' 
Halls  were  destroyed,  the  exceptions  being  the 
very  few  outside  the  area  of  conflagration,  and  of 
these  the  principal  were  the  Leathersellers'  and 
the  Carpenters'.  Saddlers'  Hall  perished  with 
the  others,  but  the  Company  fortunately  rescued 
their  plate — what  little  mercifully  remained  to 
them — the  burial  cloth  or  pall,  and  a  few  of  their 
books,  such  as  appear  to  have  been  in  use  at  the 
time,  and  thus  easily  accessible.  The  system  of 
insurance  of  houses  and  furniture  was  not  intro- 
duced until  the  following  year,  consequently  this 
final  catastrophe,  coming  upon  the  Company  in 
their  already  impoverished  condition,  completely 
prostrated    them.       Moreover,   with    the    loss    of 


History  of  the  Company.  107 

their  property,  which  nearly  all  lay  within  the 
area  of  the  Fire,  they  were  temporarily  deprived 
of  their  immediate  source  of  income.  The  Fire 
raged  from  the  2nd  to  the  6th  September,  and  on 
the  25th  of  that  month  the  Court  met  at  Christ's 
Hospital,  and,  after  viewing  the  ruins  of  the  Hall, 
ordered — 

"That  Mr.  Braithwaite  forthwith  employ  some 
labourers  or  workmen  to  digg  up  the  bricks,  and  take 
up  all  such  lead  and  iron  as  belongeth  to  the  Hall,  and 
to  secure  them  in  the  vaulte  lately  belonging  to  the 
Mermayde  Tavern,  and  make  up  the  same  w"'  bricks  to 
preserve  the  same." 

At  the  same  meeting  it  was  ordered — 

"  That  the  Wardens  shall  sell  all  the  Companye's 
plate  (except  the  two  cupps  given  by  Alderman  Dash- 
wood  and  Mr.  Fisher),  and  convert  it  into  money,  to 
helpe  to  pay  the  Companye's  debtes." 

Two  Assistants  were  ordered  to  "  go  downe 
into  Kent "  to  try  and  dispose  of  the  Company's 
estates  near  Maidstone.  The  Wardens  were  like- 
wise ordered  to  "  make  sale  of  all  the  iron,  pewter, 
lead,  and  linnen  that  shalbe  found  in  the  mines  of 
the  late  fire."  Indeed,  so  hard  were  the  Com- 
pany now  pressed,  that  they  were  compelled  to 
dispense  with  the  services  of  their  under-beadle, 
and  porter,  and  even  to  discharge  a  number 
of  their  pensioners.  The  next  assembly  of  the 
Court  was  held  at  the  house  of  an  Assistant, 
Mr.  Pease,  at  Bishopsgate.  On  the  30th  October 
we  have  the  following  record  : — 


io8  History  of  the  Company. 

''  Sould  by  the  Wardens,  by  order  of  Court,  two 
hundred  eighty-two  ounces  and  a  hahe  of  guilt  plate, 
at  5'  6'^  p.  ounce,  and  four  hundred  twenty-seaven  ounces 
and  a  halfe  of  white  plate  w''^  came  to  one  hundred 
eighty-fower  pounds  twelve  shillings  and  nine  pence, 
w"^^  was  left  w*^  the  Wardens. 

"There  is  now  remayneing  in  the  Wardens  hands  by 
order  of  Court  one  guilt  bowle  w*^  a  cover  of  Mr. 
Alderman  Dashwood's  guift,  weight  sixty-two  ounces 
and  a  halfe,  one  silver  and  guilte  bowle  w*^  cover,  weight 
sixty-two  ounces,  of  the  guift  of  Mr.  Fisher,  one  nutt- 
megg  cupp^  slipped  with  silver  and  guilt,  seaven  browne 
dishes  with  silver  tippes,  and  one  scale  in  a  box." 

And  Immediately  ensuing  is  a  record  of  tv^o 
hundred  pounds  and  interest  paid  with  this  sum 
for  debts  owing  by  the  Company. 

A  small  Committee  was  now  appointed  "  to 
supervise  the  worke  and  workemen  for  the  re- 
building of  the  Hall,"  although  nearly  two  years 
slipped  by  without  any  start  being  made.  How- 
ever, the  following  minutes  occur  in  1668  : — 

''  Ordered  that  Mr,  Thos.  Davis  shalbe  ymployed  on 
the  rebuilding  of  the  Hall,  and  that  he  be  allowed  xv*^ 
a  yard  for  sifting  and  carrying  away  the  rubbish  at 
fifty-five  shillings  a  rodd  for  workmanshipp  and  lyme 
to  the  first  floor." 

October  Zth. 

"  Ordered  that  Mr.  Braithwaite  shalbe  the  bricklayer 
for  the  rebuilding  of  the   Hall  at  Zl  6s   iid  a  rodd,  for 

^  This  evidently  refers  to  the  cocoa-nut  cup  still  preserved 
by  the  Company. 


History  of  the  Company.  109 

all  worke  that  shalbe  done  between  this  and  the  first  of 
April  next." 

November  ^iOth. 

"■  It  is  ordered  that  Mr.  Davis,  Bricklayer,  shalbe 
workman  to  the  Company  for  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Hall  and  the  other  concernes  of  the  Company,  and  that 
he  shal  be  allowed  Yn]£  a  rodd,  he  being  to  rubb,  gage, 
and  sett  all  the  brickwork  there  to  be  done, 

"  It  is  ordered  that  Mr.  Hodgkin  be  carpenter  for 
the  erecting  of  the  Hall  at  five  pounds  tenn  shillings 
per  square  (?  nothing  stated),  without  flooreing,  the 
sunners  to  be  xviij  inches  every  way,  the  girders  xiij 
inches  every  way,  and  the  joysts  9  inches  by  3." 

In  the  following  August  also  occurs  an  order 
for  the  wainscotting  of  the  Hall  at  10  shillings  per 
yard.  The  cost  of  rebuilding  the  Hall  v^as  in  a 
measure  provided  for  by  the  summoning  of  sixty- 
three  persons  to  take  up  the  Livery,  the  fee 
for  v^hich  had  recently  been  increased  to  £10. 
Apart,  hov^ever,  from  the  expediency  of  replenish- 
ing the  Company's  treasury,  such  a  step  had 
indeed  become  almost  a  necessity  by  reason  of  the 
attenuation  of  the  Company  caused  by  the  recent 
Plague.  A  few  of  the  members  so  summoned 
pleaded  poverty  caused  by  their  losses  in  the  Fire, 
and  were  excused  from  serving  for  a  time,  for 
which  many  of  them  gratified  the  Company  by  a 
gift  of  money  towards  the  rebuilding  of  the  Hall. 
During  the  two  years  ensuing,  numerous  pay- 
ments made  to  the  workmen  occur  from  time  to 
time,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  ^1,708  i6s. 

I  2 


no  History  of  the  Company. 

In  addition  to  this  sum  there  is  an  entry  of  £2  i6i-. 
paid  to  an  ironmonger  for  ''  Bandeleers  and 
Musketts,"  and  on  the  15th  August,  1670,  it  was — 

"  Ordered  that  the  Master  shall  provide  one  dozen 
and  a  halfe  of  Turkey  worke  chayres  for  the  use  of  the 
Company,  and  two  dozen  of  cushions." 

During  the  rebuilding  of  the  Hall  the  Company 
usually  assembled  at  Christ's  Hospital,  but  on  one 
occasion  it  was  recorded  that  they  met  at  the 
Cooks'  Hall,  for  which  accommodation  they  paid 
10  shillings.  The  Hall  appears  to  have  been 
completed  by  the  end  of  1670,  having  taken  two 
years  to  rebuild,  and  immediately  ensuing  we  find 
an  order  letting  It  to  the  Distillers'  Company  for 
their  Court  meetings,  for  which  they  paid  ^10 
per  annum  rent. 

On  the  15th  August,  1692,  it  was  ordered — 

"  That  the  Hall  or  any  rooms  below  Stayers  now 
layd  thereunto  shall  not  be  lett  to  any  conventicle  or 
Dancing  Master,  or  such  like  concerne,  But  the  same 
may  and  shall  be  let  for  Companyes  or  Pattentees  to 
meete  in,  and  every  one  of  this  Company  are  desired  to 
use  their  endeavours  to  engage  such  and  as  many  Com- 
panyes or  Pattentees  as  possible  they  can  to  take  the 
same  to  meete  in." 

In  1694  the  Hall  was  let  for  eight  months  for 
the  drawing  of  a  public  Lottery  for  ;^6i,ooo. 
The  same  year  the  Company  granted  a  lease  for 
21  years  of  "  the  greate  roome,  or  Court  Parlor, 
toofether  with  two  other  rooms  to  the  Governor 
and    Company   for  smelting   downe    Leade  with 


History  of  the  Company.  hi 

Pitt  Coale  and  Sea  Coale,"  at  the  yearly  rent  of 
Thirty  Pounds. 

Again,  on  the  12th  February,  1718,  it  is 
recorded — 

"  That  the  Clerk  have  Hberty  to  lett  the  Hall  and 
Court  Parlour  for  Funerals  and  sales  of  goods  during 
pleasure  of  y''  Court,  he  making  good  all  damages 
arising  thereby." 

In  the  rebuilding  of  the  Hall  the  Company 
appears  to  have  infringed  the  right  of  light 
belonging  to  St.  Vedast  Church  adjoining,  and  on 
the  20th  July,  1669,  the  Company  subscribed  £60 
towards  rebuilding  St.  Vedast,  or  St.  Foster,  as  it 
is  called  in  the  minutes,  on  condition  that  they 
should  be  exempt  from  all  claims  by  the  Church 
in  respect  of  the  said  infringement,  and  from  all 
liability  of  taxes  for  the  rebuilding.  Shortly 
afterwards  we  find  the  Company  refusing  effec- 
tually to  pay  a  rate  levied  on  the  parish  for 
pewing  the  Church.  In  1698  the  Court  appointed 
a  Committee  of  their  number  to  wait  upon  Sir 
Christopher  Wren,  the  architect  of  St.  Vedast, 
and  to  request  him  to  take  steps  to  put  sufficient 
bars  to  the  Church  windows  to  prevent  all  possi- 
bility of  access  from  the  Church  to  the  Company's 
premises. 

The  Company's  Order  Books  contain  frequent 

Lord  Mayors'    ^llusion  to  the  great  civic  pageant  of  the 

Shows.       year,  the  Lord  Mayor's  Show.     The 


I  12 


History  of  the  Company. 


ancient  custom  of  the  Livery  Companies  in  attend- 
ing the  Lord  Mayor  in  State  by  water,  in  a  stately 
procession  of  canopied  barges  rowed  by  liveried 
oarsmen  with  gay  music,  ''drummes  and  ffifes,"  and 
banners  and  streamers  flying,  must  have  furnished  a 
very  picturesque  spectacle.  Every  year  the  Com- 
pany engaged  a  barge  or  '*  ffoyste  "  decorated  wuth 
an  awning  or  '*  barge  cloth  "  and  a  score  or  two  of 
silk  pennants  and  banneroles  ;  and  the  following 
minute  is  one  of  a  number  of  similar  records 
occurring  regularly  every  year  : — 

1609.    July  nth. 

"  Xxofer^  Topping  was  this  Quarter  Day  admytted  o"" 
Waterman  to  fynde  vs  a  barge  to  holde  xl  nrien  on  the 
least." 

By    the    year     1662,    however,    the     Company 
Company's     would  appear    to    have    followed  the 
State  Barge,    example  of  Other   Companies,  and  to 
have  obtained  a  barge  of  their  own. 

1662.     September  26tlL 

"  Ordered  y*  y*"  M^'and  Wardens  with  the  advice  of  Mr. 
Smith  shall  take  caretop'vide  a  house  for  y''  Company's 
bardge  against  y*"  Lorde  Mayor's  day  next." 


1 68 1.     October  6th. 

"  Ordered  the  Comp'^  attend  by  water  on  the  Lord 
Mayor's  day  and  that  Mr.  Frith  Master  of  the  Windsor 
Barge  seruc  with  his  said  Barge  and  Two  Wherry es  and 


^  Christopher. 


History  of  the  Company.  113 

haue  ffive  pounds  and  tenn  shillings  for  the  same  and  his 
mens  Breakfasts  and  Dinners  and  they  to  fetch  and 
bring  back  the  Comp''  Banners  and  Streamer." 

In  1 67 1  Mr.  Alderman  Francis  Dashwood,  an 
enthusiastic  member  of  the  Company,  presented 
them  with  ^100,  a  considerable  sum  in  those 
days,  to  purchase  bunting  for  their  State  Barge. 
This  sum  we  read  was  invested  in  the  following 
manner  :— 

"  Two  Streamers  each  of  them  sixteen  feet  long,  the 
whole  breadth  of  the  Taffety. 

"  Three  Banners  each  to  be  six  feet  square. 

"Two  dozen  Pendants  an  ell  of  Taffety  to  make 
four  of  them." 

The  banners  and  streamers  were  to  cost  ten 
pounds  a  piece,  and  the  pennants  twenty  shillings 
each.  The  balance  of  the  sum  was  laid  out  in  a 
handsome  canopy,  or  barge  cloth,  of  the  character 
of  which  we  shall  get  some  notion  from  the 
following  minute  : — ^ 

1672.     Febi'uary  26th. 

"  At  this  Cort  severall  persons  being  Imbroiderers  by 
Trade  appeared  about  undertaking  the  Imbroiderery  of 
the  Companye's  Barge  Cloth  and  each  of  them  did 
severally  and  apart  propose  the  rates  and  prices  they 
would  doe  the  same  for  and  this  Court  finding  that   Mr. 


^  In  an  inventory  of  the  Company's  effects,  as  late  as  1736, 
we  find  mention  of  wooden  pegs  round  the  top  of  the  Hall 
"  to  hang  the  Bargecloth  on." 


114  History  of  the  Company. 

Henry  Steevens  had  proposed  and  offered  to  doe  it  at  the 
lowest  and  most  reasonable  termes,  did  then  agree  with 
the  said  Mr.  Steevens  and  the  said  Mr.  Steevens  did 
undertake  to  doe  and  complete  in  workmanlike  manner 
the  Grand  Coate  with  Helmet  Crest  and  Mantle  to  con- 
tain an  ell  in  breadth  and  a  yard  in  depth  each  of  them 
for  three  pounds  a  peice.  The  Horse  for  nyne  shillings 
a  peice  the  Escution  with  Compartlem*  at  eight  shillings 
p.  piece  the  Bordering  tenn  inches  or  thereabouts  in 
breadth  according  to  the  patterne  that  shall  please  the 
Master  and  Wardens  at  fower  shillings  and  sixpence  p. 
yard  and  for  such  crimson  worsted  as  he  shall  use  to  be 
in  Grayne,  and  all  Cruel  to  be  fine  and  to  doe  the  Grand 
Coate  Horse  and  Escutions  according  to  the  patternes  to 
be  delivered  and  forthwith  to  goe  on  to  the  doeing  and 
compleateing  of  the  said  workes." 

These  processions  were  apparently  attended  with 
considerable  expense,  for  on  the  17th  December, 
1674,  it  is  recorded  that — 

"  This  Court  takeing  notice  of  the  greate  charge  they 
are  at  by  goeing  by  water  on  the  Lord  Mayor's  Day  and 
that  severall  Companyes  doe  ease  themselves  of  such 
charge  doe  order  that  on  the  next  Lord  Mayor's  Day  and 
soe  afterwards  this  Compa""  shall  not  attend  by  water 
but  that  the  same  charge  be  saved." 


fc>' 


The  attractions  of  the  custom,  however,  still 
lingered,  and  in  the  following  September  the 
decision  was  rescinded  ;  the  reasons  that  im- 
pelled the  Court  to  this  step  are  thus  recorded  : — 

1675.     September  2p-d. 

"  This  Court  tookc  into  Consideracon  an  order  made  at 
a   Court  the  xviij   December    last    that  this    Company 


History  of  the  Company.  115 

should  not  attend  by  water  on  the  Lord  Mayor's  Day 
and  alsoe  the  late  guift  of  Francis  Dashwood  Esq.  for 
banners  and  streamers  for  their  better  accommodacon 
on  that  day  and  that  this  Company  is  as  well  able  to 
defray  the  charge  thereof  as  formerly  Doe  think  fitt  to 
repeale  and  make  void  the  said  recited  order  and  Doe 
order  that  this  Company  shall  attend  this  yeare  by 
water  on  the  Lord  Mayor's  Day  as  formerly  they  have 
done  and  for  that  purpose  it  is  referred  to  the  M""  and 
Wardens  to  hyer  a  Barge  and  provide  Trumpetts  for 
the  same  day." 

After  the  lapse  of  a  few  years,  however,  the 
Company  adhered  to  their  first  resolution,  and 
contented  themselves  with  their  railed  stands,  a 
custom  which  they  maintained  until  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century.  In  1784  occurs  an 
order  prohibiting  the  drinking  of  v/ine  and  the 
use  of  tobacco,  and  in  1797  the  Livery  petitioned 
the  Court  to  abolish  the  stand  and  the  beef 
breakfasts,  and  in  place  thereof  to  permit  their 
ladies  to  dine  in  the  evening,  a  request  which  it 
is  stated  the  Court  ''  agreed  to  for  that  year." 

The  Calendars  of  State  Papers  contain  frequent 
*'  King's  Esquire  reference  to  an  official  known  as  the 

Saddler."  King's  Esquire  Saddler.  Such  mention 
occurs  as  early  as  1444.  This  functionary  w^as 
invariably  a  member  of  the  Company.  When,  how- 
ever, in  1680,  a  coachmaker  was  appointed  to  this 
distinction,  the  Company  were  so  much  concerned 
at  the  new  departure  that  they  appointed  a 
deputation  from  the  Assistants  to  make  repre- 
sentations to  the  King.     The  Company's  records 


ii6  History  of  the  Company. 

inform  us  that  "  His  Majesty  took  well  the  care 
the  Company  had  that  he  should  be  well  served  " 
and  the  coachmaker  was  dismissed  from  the  office, 
and  a  freeman  of  the  Company  appointed  in  his 
place. 

In  1684  Charles  H.,  who  had  long  been  vexed 
1684.        and  incensed  at  the   spirit  of  opposi- 

fn^fluence  on^hr  ^^^^  showu  by  the  citizens  to  his  papis- 
Court  party,  tical  tendencies,  and  with  the  ill-con- 
Quo  Warranto.  ^q^\^^  intention  of  rendering  the  City 
more  amenable  to  his  wishes  and  to  the  influence 
of  the  Court  party,  proceeded  against  the  Corpora- 
tion by  a  writ  of  "  Quo  Warranto,"  and  obtained 
the  arbitrary  forfeiture  of  the  City  Charter. 
Similar  processes  were  issued  against  several  of 
the  City  Companies  with  the  object  of  placing 
their  government  in  the  hands  of  men  well  dis- 
posed to  the  Court.  There  remained  to  the 
Saddlers'  Company  no  help  for  it  but  to  pacify 
the  King  by  a  surrender  of  their  Charter,  and  by 
a  confession  of  implicit  reliance  upon  his  good- 
will;  and  on  the  loth  April,  1684,  we  find  it 
recorded  in  the  Company's  Minutes  that — 

1684.     Ap'i/  lOt/i. 

"  This  Court  taking  notice  that  several  '  Scire  Facias  ' 
c         1      f*i,   or    Quo   Warrantos    have  of    late    beene 

Surrender  of  the  ^ 

Company's     brought    io    his    Ma^"^^    name   by  the    At- 

Charter.       torney-Generall    against    seuerall    of    the 

Companyes  of  this  Citty  and   being   informed  that  his 

Ma^^'^^   pleasure  hath  beene   signified  to   some   of  them 

that  he  will  only  allow  their  Charters  soe  as  to  putt  the 


History  of  the  Company.  117 

governing-  part  therof  into  the  hands  of  such  persons  as 
may  be  most  Loyall  and  Serviceable  to  his  Ma^^'^  and 
this  Comp''  being  readely  willing  to  submitt  their 
Charter  to  his  Ma^'*^  pleasure  thereon  doe  think  fitt  and 
order  And  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  M'  and 
Wardens  of  this  Company  Mr.  Alderman  Rich,  Mr. 
Kempe,  Mr.  Anderson,  Mr.  Wareing  and  Mr.  Fisher  or 
any  five  or  more  of  them,  doe  forthw*^'  attend  Mr. 
Attorney-Generall  and  pray  that  noe  Scire  Facias  or 
Quo  Warranto  issue  out  ag*  this  Comp"-  for  that  this 
Comp''  doe  and  will  offer  and  lay  their  Charter  before 
his  Ma^^^  whenever  his  Ma*^^  shall  require  the  same.  And 
the  said  p'sons  are  hereby  appointed  a  Cofhittee  to 
draw  up  and  prepare  a  peticon  fitt  for  this  Comp''  to 
present  to  his  Ma^^^  if  Mr.  Attorney-Generall  shall 
approve  thereof  And  the  said  Cofhittee  are  to  present 
to  this  Court  such  peticon  as  they  shall  soe  draw  up. 
And  it  is  further  ordered  that  all  other  the  Assistants 
of  this  Comp^  may  if  they  thinke  fitt  be  present  at  all 
the  meetings  of  the  said  Comittee  and  to  act  w*^  them 
therein." 

The  Livery  v^ere  thereupon  called  into  Court, 
and  the  foregoing  order  read  to  them,  and  their 
assent  obtained  thereto.  The  Company  having 
waited  upon  the  Attorney-General  and  communi- 
cated their  resolution,  were  directed  by  him  "  to 
peticion  his  Ma^^^  and  make  such  surrender  as 
other  Company es  did."  The  following  petition 
and  surrender  were  thereupon  drawn  up  and  duly 
sealed  for  presentation  to  the  King  by  Mr.  Alder- 
man Rich  and  others  : — 


"  To  the  King's  Most  Excellent  Ma^^*^— 

"  The  humble  peticon  of  the  Wardens  or  Keepers  and 


ii8  History  of  the  Company. 

Comonalty  of  the  Mistery  or  Art  of  Sadlers  of  the  City 
of  London. 

*'  Humbly  sheweth 

"  That  y®  pet'"'  are  by  Seuerall  Auncient  Grants  and 
Charters  under  the  Create  Seale  made  to  them  by  y*" 
Ma^^*^^  Royal  1  progenitors,  Kings  and  Queenes  of  Eng- 
land, Incorporated  by  the  name  aforesaid  By  w^^ 
divers  Franchises,  priviledges  and  imunityes  were 
granted  to  them. 

''That  y*'  pet''  takeing  notice  that  Quo  Warrantoes 
have  beene  lately  brought  by  y''  Ma^^^  against  some  of 
the  Comp*"'  of  this  City 

"  Doe  before  any  Quo  Warranto  yssue  out  against  y""" 
pef'. 

"  Most  humbly  submit  themselves  to  y""  Ma^"^^  good 
will  and  pleasure. 

"  And  y°  pet"'  earnestly  begg  y°  Ma*^^  wilbe  gratiously 
please  to  continue  their  former  Charters  with  such  regu- 
lations for  the  governm*  of  the  said  Company  and  the 
weale  thereof  as  y'"  sacred  Ma*^^  shall  think  fitt  And 
that  Richard  Banner  their  Clerke  may  be  continued. 

"  And  y'"  pef'  as  in  duty  bound  shall  pray,  etc ." 

The  Surrender   to   His  Mtie. 

"  To  all  to  whome  theis  p'sents  shall  come.  The  War- 
dens or  Keepers  and  Comonaltye  of  the  Mistery  or  Art 
of  Sadlers  of  the  City  of  London  send  greeteing.  Knowe 
yee  that  wee  considering  how  much  it  importes  the 
governm*  of  our  Company  to  have  men  of  knowne 
Loyalty  and  approved  integrity  to  beare  offices  of  magis- 
tracy and  places  of  trust.  The  said  Wardens  or  Keepers 
by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  majority  of 
the  Assistants  of  the  said  Company  haue  granted,  sur- 
rendered, and  yielded  up  And  by  their  presents  do 
grant  surrender  and   yield  up  unto  his   most   gracious 


History  of  the  Company.  119 

Ma^^^  Charles  the  Second     By  the  Grace  of  God  King  of 
England,  Scotland,  France,  and  Ireland,  and  his  heyres 
and  successors,  all  and  singular  the  powers   Franchises, 
Libertyes,  priviledges,  and  authorityes  whatsoever  and 
howsover    granted,  or  to    be    used    or    exercised       By 
the  said   Wardens  and  Assistants      By  vcrtue  of   any 
right,  tytle  or  interest  vested  in  them  by  any  Charters, 
Letters  patents,   Custome  or  prescription    in    force    of 
or  concerneing    the   electing,  nominating,   constituting, 
being  or  appointing   of  any  person  or  persons  into  or 
for  the    seuerall  and  respective    offices  of  Wardens   or 
Keepers  and  Assistants,  and  doe  hereby  humbly  beseech 
his   Ma^^'^  to  accept  of  this  Surrender  and  doe  with  all 
submission  to  his  Ma*^*^"  good  pleasure  implore  his  grace 
and  favour  to  regrant  to   the  said  Wardens  or  Keepers 
and  Assistants  the  nameing  and  chooseing  of  the  said 
officers     And  the  said  Libertyes  and  Franchises  or  soe 
many  of  them  and  in  such  manner  as  his  Ma^'*^  in  his 
greate   wisdome    shall    iudge    most   conduceing  for  the 
governm*  of  the  said    Company   and    with   and  under 
such  reservations,  restrictions,  and  quallifications  as  his 
Ma^'^  shall  be  pleased  to  appoint     In  witnes  whereof  the 
said  Wardens  or  Keepers  haue  hereunto  affixed  their 
Comon  Seale,  etc." 

At  a  Court  held  in  August,  the  Committee 
reported  that  they  had  presented  the  petition  and 
surrender  to  the  King,  "  and  his  Ma*^^  well  recieved 
the  same  aiid  w^as  gratiously  enclined  to  grant  the 
matter  thereof,  and  had  referred  the  said  peticion 
to  Mr.  Attorney  Gen'all."  Whereupon  pov^er 
v^as  given  to  the  Committee  ''to  manage  and 
procure  the  confirmation  of  the  Company's 
Charter  w^''  such  further  priviledges  as  can  be 
gained." 


I20  History  of  the  Company. 

The  new  Charter  was  granted  to  the  Saddlers' 
AD  1684  Company  on  the  24th  December 
Charter  of  followIng,  and  read  at  the  Quarter 
Charles  II.     (3q^j-|-  j^  January,  when  the  Wardens, 

Assistants,  and  Clerk  took  the  oath  and  subscribed 
the  declaration.  Charles  II.  died  during  the  next 
month  (6th  February,  1685),  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother,  James  II.,  and  in  the  month  of  May, 
in  view  of  the  approaching  election  of  Parliament, 
the  Company  were  reconstituted  a  Livery,  and 
were  called  upon  by  the  Lord  Mayor,  pursuant  to 
an  injunction  from  James,  to  return  a  list,  for 
ratification  by  the  Court  of  Aldermen,  of  such 
Liverymen  who  were  of  the  "best,  more  dis- 
creete,  and  sufficient  members  of  y^'  Company 
being  perso7is  of  appi^wed  and  icnquestionable 
Loyalty!'  an  obvious  indication  of  the  King's 
intention  to  influence  the  selection  of  Voters. 
The  affairs  of  the  Company  appear  to  have  gone 
on  pretty  smoothly  during  the  next  two  years, 
despite  the  increasing  dissatisfaction  of  the  City 
and  country  against  the  ill-advised  King,  who 
had  let  loose  the  reins  of  monarchical  despotism 
and  tyranny,  and  arrogated  to  himself  the  pre- 
rogative of  ruling  the  national  will  and  conscience 
without  the  aid  even  of  a  Parliament  ;  for,  to 
obviate  the  inconvenience  of  their  want  of  com- 
pliancy, he  had  dispensed  with  that  assembly 
altogether. 

The  Charter  of  the  late  King,  Charles  II., 
to  the  Saddlers  and  other  Companies,  pro- 
vided  for  the   right  of  the  King  to  remove  any 


History  of  the  Company.  121 

Warden,  Assistant,  or  Clerk  at  the  royal  will, 
or  by  an  Order  in  Privy  Council,  and  further 
imposed  upon  the  Companies  subjection  and 
obedience  to  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen.  In 
September,  1687,  James  exercised  this  power  in 
an  arbitrary  and  unequivocal  manner 
by  suspending,  or  rather  discharging 
from  ofhce,  a  large  number  of  the  Wardens  and 
Assistants  of  the  Companies.  On  the  12th 
October,  the  Saddlers'  Company  were  assembled 
to  receive  the  following  communication  from  the 
Lord  Mayor  and  Order  in  Council  : — 

'  Peake  Major. 

"  Martis  the  iiij°  Octob'"  1687  Ano  R.  Jacob! 
Secundi  Anglia,  tertio. 

"  Whereas  his  Ma^^*^  by  order  of  Councell  (now  sent 
down  to  this  Court)  hath  ben  pleased  to  Remoue 
seuerall  Masters  and  Wardens  and  Assistants  of  seuerall 
Companyes  of  this  Citty,  and  comanded  this  Court  to 
Signifye  his  Ma^^^^  pleasure  therein  to  the  said  Com- 
panyes. It  is  Ordered  that  a  coppy  of  the  said  Order 
of  Councell  (for  soe  much  as  concerns  each  Company) 
be  made  by  Mr.  Towne  Clerke  and  delivered  to  the 
Clerks  of  the  said  respective  Companyes  to  be  by  them 
entered  in  their  Companyes  Bookes. 

"  At  the  Court  at  Windsor  the  xxv"'  of 
Septemb"^  1687/' 

"  By  the  King's  most  Excellent  Ma*'*^  and  the  Lords 
of  His  Ma}'''  Most  Honb^°  Privy  Councell. 

''Whereas  By  the  Late  Charters  granted  to  the 
seuerall  Companies  of  London,  It  is  provided  that  his 
Ma^^%  his  heyres  and  Successors,  may  by  Order  in 
Councell   from  tyme  to   tyme  displace   or  remoue  the 


122  History  of  the  Company. 

Master  Wardens  and  Assistants  of  the  said  seuerall 
Companies  or  any  of  them,  and  thereupon  the  place  or 
places  of  such  person  or  persons  soe  remoued  should 
be  voyd  ;  And  whereas  his  Ma^^^  in  Councell  is  pleased 
to  order,  And  it  is  hereby  ordered  accordingly,  That 
Thomas  Fisher,  Edward  Fisher,  Wardens,  S""  Peter 
Rich,  Edward  Benskin,  Robert  Wareing,  Francis  Bulsell, 
W""  Morgan,  John  Sawyer,  John  Webb,  Robert  Johnson, 
Robert  Stoakes,  Henry  Fetter,  Thomas  Chew,  John 
Hall,  Cadogan  Thomas,  and  Elias  Rich,  Esq'',  Assistants 
of  the  Company  of  the  Saddlers,  be  and  they  are  hereby 
remoued  and  displaced  from  being  any  longer  Wardens 
or  Assistants  of  the  said  Company. 

'*  And  His  Ma^^  is  further  pleased  to  order  that  the 
Lord  Major  and  Court  of  Aldermen  doe  forthwith 
signifye  his  Ma^'^^  pleasure  herein  to  the  said  Company. 

"Wm.  Bridgeman. 

"  A  True  Coppy  of  the  Order  of 
Councell. 

''Wagstaffe." 

Then  follows  this  terse  minute  : — 


"Vpon  readeing  of  w^^'  said  Orders  this  Court  was 
broake  up." 

The  displacement  of  these  Assistants  was  Im- 
mediately followed  by  an  order  of  the  Court  of 
Aldermen,  removing  them  from  the  Livery. 

The  vacancies  thus  created  in  the  Court  were, 
for  the  most  part,  filled  by  the  election  of  other 
Assistants  to  take  their  places.  But  the  disorder 
already  occasioned  was  complicated  by  the  refusal 
of  some  resolute  members  thus  elected  to  serve, 
and  of  others  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  pre- 
scribed by  the  Charter. 


History  of  the  Company.  12^ 


o 


The  Intelligence  of  the  preparations  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange  forced  James  In  dismay  to 
restore  the  City  Charter  and  the  privileges  of 
which  the  Liverymen  had  been  deprived,  but  the 
concession  came  too  late  to  give  him  any  favour 
with  the  citizens. 

On  the  loth  October,  1688,  the  Company  re- 
ceived an  order  from  the  Lord  Mayor  restoring 
the  displaced  members,  consisting  of  all  those 
already  enumerated,  and  one  or  two  others  re- 
moved at  a  subsequent  period.  The  same  were 
accordingly  restored  to  their  former  places  and 
privileges  and  were  re-admitted  Assistants. 

On  the  4th  December  following,  the  Master 
and  Wardens  of  the  Company  received  a  sum- 
mons from  the  Lord  Chancellor  to  attend  him  at 
Whitehall,  which  they  obeyed,  when  his  Lordship 
informed  them — 

"  That  by  his  Ma^^*^^  order  he  had  delivered  back  to 
the  seuerall  Companyes  of  this  Citty  the  seuerall  Deeds 
of  Surrender  by  them  made  upon  their  taking  new 
Charters.  And  that  the  surrender  made  by  this  Com- 
pany to  his  late  Ma^^*^,  bearing  date  the  xijth  Aprill,  1684, 
was  lately  come  to  his  Lordshipp's  hands,  and  he  now 
delivered  it  back  to  the  said  Wardens  to  cancell,  and  his 
Lordshipp  declared  the  said  surrender  was  not  enrolled 
and  for  want  thereof  it  did  not  amount  unto  any  sur- 
render of  the  Companye's  old  Franchises  or  Libertyes 
menconed  in  such  surrender.  And  that  it  was  his  Ma^^^^ 
pleasure  to  leave  them  in  the  same  state  and  condicon 
they  were  in  at  the  tyme  of  the  makeing  of  the  said 
surrender,  and  that  his  Ma^^^  would  give  the  Comp*^  any 
new  Grant  or  Charter.     But  his  Lordshipp  declared  the 

K 


124  History  of  the  Company. 

delivery  back  of  the  said  surrender  was  sufficient,  and 
that  the  Comp''  neede  not  putt  themselves  to  the  charge 
of  any  new  Charter." 

At  the  Court  following  this  Interview  the  re- 
stored surrender  was  cancelled. 

The  abdication  of  James  II.  and  the  succession 

of  William    III.   and    Mary  restored 

Succession  of   tranquillity  to  the  City,  and  Initiated  a 

^^^M^"^  ^^^    period  of  comparative  repose  so  far  as 

.  the  Companies  were  concerned. 

In  June,  1690,  James  having,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  France,  Invaded  Ireland  with  a  small 
army,  the  Company  received  a  pre- 
cept from  the  Lord  Mayor,  directing 
them  to  raise  "  suche  number  of  Horse  and 
Dragoons,  or  make  a  subscrlpcon  of  money  out 
of  the  Comp'''  Stock  as  they  shalbe  willing  to 
doe  for  their  Ma^'^^  service  on  the  present  occasion 
of  the  feare  of  the  French  their  Invadeing  this 
Kingdom,"  whereupon  the  Court  agreed  to  raise 
and  equip  two  Dragoons.  At  their  next  meeting, 
however,  the  Court  discharged  the  obligation  by 
paying  ^50  Instead.  The  Company  followed  up 
their  subscription  by  proposing  to  the  authorities 
that  they  should  be  entrusted  with  the  making  of 
the  saddles  and  furniture  for  the  Dragoons  to  be 
so  raised,  adding  that  they  would  furnish  the 
same  at  moderate  rates,  and  distribute  them 
amongst  their  members,  "  that  soe  the  same  may 


History  of  the  Company.  125 

be  done  with  care  and  speede."  The  result  of 
the  proposal  is,  however,  not  recorded. 

The  same  month,  the  Company  being  informed 

jg  g^  that  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and 

Loan  to  William   Common  Council  had  agreed   to  ad- 

and  Mary.  yance  a  Considerable  loan  to  the 
King  and  Queen,  upon  the  security  of  the 
hereditary  revenue  to  be  settled  on  their  Majes- 
ties by  Act  of  Parliament,  at  the  rate  of  six  per 
cent,  interest,  decided  to  advance  ^100.  In 
order,  however,  to  furnish  this  sum  they  were 
reduced  to  borrowing  it  of  one  of  their  members, 
which  they  did  at  five  per  cent.  This  was 
followed  by  another  loan  of  ^100  to  the  Crown 
six  years  later,  which  was  raised  in  a  similar 
manner.  Both  loans,  however,  were  duly  re- 
paid with  interest. 

About    this    period    Saddlers'    Hall    becomes 
^.  ^.  ,     ,      associated    with    the    name    of    Sir 

hir  Richard 

Biackmore  and    Richard    Blackmore,   the  epic    poet. 

Saddlers'  Hall.  ^     i         ^^  i         .    .  ttt-i 

one  01  the  Court  physicians  to  Wil- 
liam HI.  and  Oueen  Anne.  Blackmore  was 
formerly  a  schoolmaster,  but  he  exchanged  his 
profession  for  that  of  medicine,  and  supplemented 
this  again  by  indulging  his  taste  for  poetry.  His 
poems,  which  are  ponderous  and  voluminous, 
earned  him  favour  at  the  Court,  but  although 
Addison  considered  his  ''  Creation  "  one  ''  of  the 
most  useful  and  noble  productions  of  our  English 
verse,'"  the  merits  of  his  works  has  not  been 
sufficient  to  earn  a  similar  judgment  by  posterity. 

K  2 


126  History  of  the  Company. 

His  poems  are  characterised  by  a  high  rehglous 
tone,  and  his  denunciation  of  the  ImmoraHty  of 
the  time  brought  upon  him  the  wrath  and  ridicule 
of  Dryden,  Garth,  and  Pope,  as  well  as  of  Tom 
Brown  and  other  minor  wits.  His  residence  at 
Saddlers'  Hall  earned  for  him  the  titles  of  "  the 
City  Bard,"  "the  Cheapslde  Knight,"  and  a  score 
of  others  very  similar.  He  was  not  a  member 
of  the  Saddlers'  Company,  but  there  Is  a  slight 
flavour  of  the  atmosphere  of  his  surroundings  at 
the  Hall  in  his  defence  of  his  first  great  work, 
"Prince  Arthur."  He  says,  "I  am  not  free  of 
the  Poets'  Company,  having  never  kissed  the 
Governor's  hands,"  alluding  to  which  Dr.  Johnson 
says,  "He  had  lived  In  the  City  till  he  had  learned 
its  note."  When  Blackmore  published  his  "  Satire 
upon  Wit,"  Garth  replied  with  a  pungent  epistle 
in  rhyme,  addressed — 

"To  THE  Merry  Poetaster  at  Saddlers'  Hall 

IN  Cheapside. 

Unwieldy  pedant,  let  thy  awkward  muse 

With  censures  praise,  with  flatteries  abuse 

To  lash,  and  not  be  felt,  in  thee's  an  art 

Thou  ne'er  mad'st  any,  but  thy  school  boys,  smart. 

If  B —  I's  immortal  wit  thou  would'st  descry 

Pretend  'tis  he  that  writ  thy  poetry. 

Thy  feeble  satire  ne'er  can  do  him  wrong, 

Thy  poems  and  thy  patients  live  not  long." 

Tom  Brown  addresses  him  as  "  Richard  Black- 
more  on  the  two  wooden  horses  before  Saddlers' 


History  of  the  Company.  127 

Hall,"  and   alludes   to   the   Saddlers*  Company  in 
the  following  distich  : — 

"'Twas  kindly  done  of  the  good-natured  cits 
To  place  before  thy  door  a  brace  of  tits." 

proceeding — 

"For  Pegasus  would  ne'er  endorse  the  weight 
Of  such  a  quibbling,  scribbling,  dribbling  knight." 

Blackmore  was  knighted  by  William  HI.  upon 
the  publication  of  "  King  Arthur." 

Very  little  can  be  gathered  concerning  the  old 
Hall,  i.e.,  the  one  built  after  the  Fire  of  London. 
From  a  minute  on  the  i8th  May,  1714,  we  learn 
that  it  had  a  cupola,  or  ''  Lanthorn,"  and  in 
another  place  there  is  an  order  for  the  flooring  of 
the  room  over  the  Hall.  In  1668  the  Company, 
upon  completion  of  the  building,  contracted  with 
the  New  River  Company  for  a  supply  of  water, 
taking  a  lease  for  eleven  years  at  45^-.  fine,  and 
45^-.  per  annum  rent.  The  occasional  mention  of 
a  Pump  in  the  Company's  Kitchen,  and  of  another 
Pump  in  Day's  Court  close  by,  gives  us  an  idea 
of  the  Company's  alternative  supply.  The  Hall 
did  not  abut  on  Cheapside  directly,  but  was 
approached  from  the  main  road  by  a  small  passage 
known  as  Saddlers'  Hall  Court,  in  which  was  the 
Clerk's  House.  Hatton,  in  his  "  New  View  of 
London,"  published  in  1708,  describes  Saddlers' 
Hall  as  "adorned  with  fretwork  and  wainscot." 
Maidand   in  1774,  gives  the  following  account  of 


128  History  of  the  Company. 

it  : — "  Saddlers'  Hall  Is  situate  near  the  end  of 
Foster  Lane,  in  Cheapside,  at  the  upper  end  of 
an  handsome  alley,  at  the  entrance  of  which  is  an 
ornamental  doorcase,  and  an  iron  gate,  and  is  a 
very  compleat  Building  for  the  use  of  such  a 
Company.  It  is  adorned  with  Fretwork  and 
Wainscot,  and  the  Companie's  arms  carved  in 
Stone  over  the  Gate  next  the  Street." 

In  September,  1714,  George  I.  made  his  public 
j^  entry  into    London,    and   to  celebrate 

George  I.  the  event  the  Company  decided  "to 
have  new  Standards,  or  Trophies,  and  this  Court 
left  the  management  thereof  to  the  M7  and 
Wardens,  Mr.  John  Heylen,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
East,  he  being  a  Mercer,  and  this  Court  also 
ordered  four  Sir  Loins  of  Beef,  Eight  Leggs  of 
Pork,  and  Turnyps,  and  one  dozen  and  a  half 
of  Rabitts  frigusseed,  and  six  Buttered  Aple 
Pyes,  to  be  for  the  Company's  Dinner  that  day." 

In  the  following  January,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
King  and  Court  attending  a  thanksgiving  service 
at  St.  Paul's,  the  Company  ordered  a  "  double 
stand"  to  be  put  up,  and  further,  that  ''James 
Humphreys,  a  member  of  this  Company,  attend 
them  w*^'  a  good  Trumpett  and  Kettledrum  as 
musick  for  that  day." 

On  special  State  occasions  it  was  the  custom, 
as    will    be   gathered   from     incidents 

Processions.  r  i  •  i  i  • 

The  Companies  referred   to   m    the    precedmg   pages, 
in  their  stands.  ^^^  ^^^  Companies  to  stand  along  the 


EXTERIOR    VIEW    OF    SADDLERS'    HALL,    1811. 

Taketty  by  kind  permission,  from  a  Water  Colour  Draaving  by  Shepherd^  in  the  possession  of 

John  E.  Gardner,  Esq. 


History  of  the  Company.  129 

route  of  procession  In  railed  stands  (as  we  see 
them  in  La  Serre's  print  Illustrating  the  entrance 
of  Mary  de  Medlcis,  mother  of  the  Consort  of 
Charles  I.).  The  arrangement  and  marshalling  of 
the  Companies  was  done  by  the  direction  of  the 
City  authorities,  each  Company  being  allotted  a 
specified  extent  of  rails  and  position,  according  to 
Its  importance  and  precedence.  The  City  Books 
contain  a  list  showing  the  amount  of  space 
allotted  to  the  several  Companies  on  the  occasion 
of  the  coronation  of  Henry  VHI.  and  Katherine 
of  Arragon.  The  Saddlers'  Company,  on  that 
occasion,  ranked  as  the  20th,  and  were  allotted  14 
yards  of  rails.  These  rails  were  kept  In  the 
Company's  cellar,  and  brought  out  as  occasion 
required.  Their  Stand  appears  to  have  been  in 
Cheapslde,  in  front  of  their  Hall,  and  on  one 
occasion  they  resisted  an  attempt  to  oust  them 
from  their  old  position. 

1 7 1 4.     September  2  5  th. 

"  Sir  Sam^^  Stainer  the  Lord  Mayor  for  this  year  haveing 
been  pleased  to  order  that  this  Company  in  case  of  any 
publick  shews  in  Cheapside  shall  maintain  their  standing 
in  the  front  of  their  Hall  adjoining  to  their  own  ground, 
and  where  they  have  stood  time  out  of  mind  till  of  late 
years,  upon  a  representacon  p'sented  to  him  for  that 
purpose  of  the  first  of  September  Inst,  this  Court  there- 
upon ordered  the  s*^  representacon  to  be  entered  in  their 
books  and  the  same  is  as  follows  : — 

"  To  the  Right  Honourable  the  Lord  Mayor. 

"The  Humble  Representacon  of  the  Mar,  and 
Wardens  of  the  Company  of  Sadlers,  London. 


130  History  of  the  Company. 

"  That  the  Livery  men  of  the  s"^  Company  are  70. 

"That  the  said  Company  is  very  ancient  and  gav  Livery 
in  the  reyne  of  Edward  the  First,  and  being  seized  of  the 
inheritance  of  a  large  piece  of  ground  between  Gutter 
Lane  and  Foster  Lane  in  Cheapside  they  have  had 
their  standing  on  their  own  ground  before  their  Hall 
and  their  other  houses  belonging  to  them  there  on  all 
solemn  shows  time  out  of  mind  till  very  lately.  That 
in  respect  the  said  Company  don't  claim  any  prece- 
dency before  other  Companys  but  stand  rather  below 
their  degree  only  for  the  sake  of  their  own  ground,  and 
therefore  they  hope  they  shall  be  allowed  their  ancient 
stand  according  to  custom  without  p'judice  to  their  right 
of  p'cedency  on  any  other  occasion." 

Hov^es,  In  his  account  of  the  procession  of 
James  L  from  the  Tov^er  to  Westminster,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  coronation,  thus  describes  the  mode 
in  which  these  stands  were  used  ; — 

*'  The  Companies  of  the  Citie  martialled  according  to 
their  degrees  were  placed  the  first  beginning  at  the  vpper 
end  of  Marsh  Lane  and  the  last  reaching  to  the  Conduict 
in  Fleet  Street  or  thereabout,  their  seats  being  double- 
railed,  vpon  the  vpper  part  whereof  they  leaned  ;  the 
streamers,  ensignes  and  banners  of  each  particular 
Company  decently  fixed." 

On  the  24th  October,  172 1,  the  Court  ordered — 

"That  if  any  member  shall  not  come  to  the  Hall  on 
Lord  Mayor's  Day  before  the  Ma""  goes  to  the  stand  such 
person  shall  forfeit  half  a  crown  or  not  be  admitted  at 
the  dinner,  and  notice  thereof  in  writing  is  ordered  to  be 
added  to  the  tickets." 

After  the  pageant  on   Lord   Mayor's  Day  was 


History  of  the  Company.  131 

over,  the  Company  returned  to  their  Hall,  and 
dined  together.  Towards  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century  music  was  introduced  at  this 
feast,  and  on  the  25th  July,  1757,  we  have  the 
following  minute,  the  pastoral  allusion  in  which  is 
interesting  : — 

"  Ord*^  that  four  guineas  be  allowed  Mr.  Goodwin  for 
the  musick  to  be  provided  on  Lord  Mayor's  Day  next 
exclusive  of  the  Pipe  and  Tabor." 

It  was  one  of  these  occasions  that  led  to  the 
introduction  of  Prince  Frederick  of  Wales  to 
the  Company  in  1736,  the  circumstances  being  as 
follow  : — 

On  the  29th  October,  1736,  being  Lord  Mayor's 

Day,  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  son 

The  Price  of  of    George    H.,    with    his     Consort, 

Wales  joins  the  the    PHncess    Augusta,    who    had    a 

Company.  .  .^  

taste  tor  witnessing  this  historic  civic 
pageant,  honoured  the  Saddlers'  Company  by  a 
visit  to  their  Hall,  in  order,  as  the  minute  records 
it,  '*to  see  their  method,  manner,  and  behaviour 
on  that  publick  day,"  and  having  been  saluted 
by  the  Court  of  Assistants,  they  were  graciously 
pleased  to  drink  prosperity  to  the  Company. 
The  Master  and  Clerk  of  the  Company  were 
subsequently  deputed  to  wait  upon  the  Prince 
to  request  permission  to  place  the  pictures  of 
their  Royal  Highnesses  in  the  Company's  Hall, 
and  to  solicit  his  acceptance  of  the  Freedom  of 
the    Company — a   permission    which  the  Prince, 


132  History  of  the  Company. 

having  received  the  Company's  deputation  in 
person,  readily  accorded.  On  the  i8th  of  Novem- 
ber, the  Court  of  Assistants,  according  to  previous 
appointment,  waited  upon  the  Prince  In  a  body  at 
St.  James's,  and  the  Incident  is  fully  narrated  In 
the  following  minute  : — 

"  Their  Clerk  in  a  short  speech  returned  him  their 
thanks  for  y""  honour  conferred  on  them  by  his  Royall 
Highnesses  presence  at  their  hall,  and  requested  y® 
favour  of  him  to  accept  of  y""  Freedom  of  their  Company, 
and  that  he  would  permit  them  to  have  his  picture  in 
order  to  transmit  to  posterity  so  great  an  Honour.  His 
Royall  Highness  thereupon  gratiously  condescended  to 
accept  of  y°  Freedom  and  to  permit  them  to  have  his 
picture  and  y^  Master  presented  him  with  the  copy  of 
his  Freedom  in  a  gold  box,  together  with  y""  account  of 
y^  antiquity  of  y''  Company.  And  afterwards  his  Royall 
Highness  did  y''  Court  of  Assistants  y'^  Honour  to  intro- 
duce them  to  y*"  Princess  of  Wales,  when  y^  Clerk  in  y^ 
name  of  y^  Company  in  like  manner  returned  hir  y^ 
Company's  thanks  for  y^  honour  done  them  by  Her 
Royall  Highnesses  presence  and  requested  y^  favour  of 
her  to  permitt  them  to  have  her  Picture,  w^^'  Her  Royall 
Highness  also  gratiously  condescended  to  grant,  and  all 
y®  Court  of  Assistants  and  their  Clerk  had  y*"  honour  of 
kissing  their  Royall  Highnesses  hands  and  his  Royall 
Highness  was  pleased  to  order  50  guineas  to  be  given 
to  y^  Master  to  distribute  amongst  the  Servants  of  y^ 
Company  at  y^  discretion  of  y^  Court. 

"  And  they  were  afterw"^'  by  his  Royall  Highnesses 
order,  refreshed  with  wine." 

At  a  Court  held  on  the  26th  of  the  same  month. 
Lord  Baltimore  having  written  to  Inquire  "  the 
length  and   breadth   of  y®  canvas   on   which   the 


History  of  the  Company.  133 

Prince  and  Princesses  Pictures  should  be  drawn," 
the  Clerk  was  ordered  to  "  waite  upon  his  Lord- 
ship with  the  length  and  breadth  of  y^  Canvas  of 
y^  pictures  of  King  Charles  and  King  James  the 
Second  which  are  in  y^  Court  Room."^ 

The  Court  on  the  same  day  resolved  to  present 
the  Freedom  of  the  Company  to  the  Lords  and 
Grooms  of  His  Royal  Highness's  Bedchamber,  to 
his  Treasurer  and  Secretary,  and  to  Her  Royal 
Highness's  Chamberlain,  and  copies  of  the  Free- 
dom in  silver  boxes  having  the  Arms  of  the 
Company  engraved  and  gilt  were  accordingly 
delivered  by  the  Clerk  to  the  following  : — 

Gentlemeit  of  the  Bedchamber  to  His  Royal  High- 
ness^ Frederick^  Prince  of  Wales. 
"  The  Right  Honourable  Henry  Bridges,  Marquiss  of 
Caenarvon. 

The  Right  Honourable  Charles  Calvert,  Lord  Balti- 
more. 

The  Right  Hon^^^^  Francis,  Lord  North. 
The  Right  Hon^^^  William  Villiers,  Earl  of  Jersey. 
CJianibeidain  to  the  Prijtcess  of  Wales. 
.   Sir  William  Irby,  Baronet, 

Grooms  of  the  Bedchamber  to  Her  Royal  Highness 
Princess  of  Wales. 
The  Hon^''«  Col.  John  Lumley. 
The  Hon^^^  Col.  William  Townsend. 
The  Hon^^*^  Col.  John  Schutz. 
John  Evelin,  Esq." 


^  The  picture  of  the  Princess  was  destroyed  in  one  of  the 
fires  in  the  beginning  of  this  century,  together  with  those  of 
Charles  II.  and  James  II.  That  of  the  Prince  still  hangs  in 
the  Company's  Hall. 


134  History  of  the  Company. 

The  Company  made  no  attempt  to  conceal 
their  satisfaction  at  the  distinction  conferred  upon 
them  by  the  Prince,  and  the  expression  of  their 
loyalty  took  various  forms.  The  January  Quarter 
Court  was  transferred  from  the  25th  to  the  20th, 
being  the  Prince's  birthday,  while  the  Audit  Day 
was  altered  to  the  19th  of  November,  being  the 
birthday  of  the  Princess. 

In  July  of  the  following  year  the  Prince,  having 
previously  given  his  consent,  was 
^^^^'  elected  Perpetual  Master  of  the  Com- 
pany, and  the  title  of  Prime  Warden  was  adopted 
by  the  Acting  Master.  At  the  same  time,  a 
Banner  was  ordered  to  be  made  for  the  Company 
with  the  Prince's  arms. 

On  4th  June,  1738,  the  Princess  having  given 
birth  to  a  Prince  (George  William 
^  ^  '  Frederick,  afterwards  George  III.), 
the  opportunity  suggested  Itself,  both  to  the  City 
and  to  the  Company,  as  a  fitting  occasion  to  pay 
their  respects.  At  a  Court  on  the  24th  June,  the 
Company  were  informed  by  Sir  William  Irby, 
Chamberlain  to  the  Princess,  that  the  Prince  had 
appointed  "  Monday,  the  27th  Inst.,  to  receive  the 
compliments  of  ye  City,  and  Wednesday,  the 
28th,  for  the  Company's."  Accordingly,  on  the 
day  named,  the  Court  assembled  at  10  a.m.,  and 
proceeded  to  Norfolk  House  to  congratulate  their 
Royal  Highnesses,  ''when  the  Clerk,  In  the  name 
of  the  Company,  addressed  them  in  the  words 
following : — 


History  of  the  Company.  135 

'*  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highnesses — 

"  The  Company  of  Saddlers  esteem  themselves  greatly 
honoured  by  your  Royal  Highnesses'  permission  to  con- 
gratulate you  on  this  happy  occasion. 

"  The  Increase  of  your  Royal  Highnesses'  family 
presents  us  with  a  pleasing  Prospect,  and  spreads  uni- 
versal Joy  over  the  whole  nation. 

"  And  this  Company,  by  Inclination  as  well  as  Duty, 
most  humbly  begg  leave  to  assure  your  Royal  Highness 
that  none  more  ardently  wish  a  long  continuance  of 
Prosperity  to  your  Royal  House. 

"  And,  in  process  of  time,  they  doubt  not  but  this 
young  Prince  will  become  a  Blessing  to  Posterity  by 
your  Exam.ples." 

To  v^hlch  His  Royal  Highness  made  ansvi^er 
to  the  follov^ing  effect,  viz.  : — 

"  That  he  returned  the  Company  thanks  for  their 
dutiful  Address  to  him  and  the  Princess,  and  that  he 
should  take  all  opportunities  to  shew  his  Regard  to  the 
Company." 

And  afterwards  the  Company  were  regaled  with 

wine. 

On  the  4th  May,  1739,  the  Court  passed  the 
j^  following  order  : — 

"  That  when  the  Princess  of  Wales  shall  be  brought 
to  Bed  of  a  Prince  or  Princess,  for  the  future,  the  Clerk 
of  the  Company  for  the  time  being  is  empowered  to 
order  a  Bonfire  to  be  made  before  the  Hall.  But 
if  there  is  a  sufficient  time  to  acquaint  the  Master 
thereof  the  Clerk  is  to  do  it." 

We    likewise    learn    that    a    similar    form     of 


136  History  of  the  Company. 

procedure  was  in  vogue  on  the  anniversaries  of 
the  birth  of  their  Royal  Highnesses. 

In  1742,  however,  this  custom  was  ordered  to 
be  discontinued,  for  reasons  explained  in  the  fol- 
lowing minute  : — 

November  igth. 

"  Whereas  several  of  the  Company's  Tennants  adjoin- 
ing to  the  Hall,  and  other  persons  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, this  day  petitioned  this  Court  to  discontinue  the 
Illuminations  without  doors  which  have  been  usually 
made  on  the  Birthdays  of  the  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Wales,  by  reason  of  the  great  mobbs  assembling 
together  and  the  Injurys  they  generally  receive  thereby, 
the  same  was  taken  into  consideration  by  the  Court, 
and  it  appearing  to  this  Court  that  great  Inconvenience 
and  Damage  have  been  done  to  the  Petitioners  by  such 
Illuminations,  the  Court  therefore  ordered  that  the 
same  be  discontinued  this  night  and  for  the  future,  and 
that  an  advertisement  be  putt  into  the  Papers  specifying 
the  reasons  why  the  same  were  discontinued." 

On  the  1 6th  December,  1743,  the  Court  again 

waited  upon  the  Prince  and  Princess 
1743.  . 

at   Leicester   House,    to    congratulate 

them  on  the  birth  of  Prince  William  Henry. 

The  next  and  last  occasion  was  on  the  birth  of 
Prince  Henry  Frederick,  two  years  afterwards,  in 
1745,  a  year  memorable  for  the  Scotch  Rebellion. 
On  that  occasion  the  Court  presented  the  Prince 
and  Princess  with  the  following  interesting  ad- 
dress : — 

"  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highnesses — 

"  The  Company  of  Sadicrs  most  humbly  beg  leave  to 


History  of  the  Company.  137 

approach  your  Royal  Highnesses  to  congratulate  you 
on  the  birth  of  another  Prince,  and  on  the  happy  re- 
covery of  the  Princess.  The  increase  of  your  Royal 
Family  at  this  time  is  an  event  which  must  greatly 
rejoice  the  heart  of  every  true  Briton,  as  it  adds  strength 
to  our  happy  constitution  now  attackt  by  lawless  rebells 
in  favour  of  an  abjured  Popish  Pretender. 

"  Permit  us  (S"")  to  take  this  opportunity  of  expressing 
our  utter  abhorence  to  the  detestable  Rebellion  raised 
against  the  government  of  your  august  Father  joined 
with  some  of  his  deluded  and  ungrateful!  subjects 
senseless  of  the  invaluable  blessings  they  have  enjoyed 
under  his  most  just  and  mild  administration,  an  ad- 
ministration by  which  their  religion  their  laws  their 
liberties  and  properties  have  been  most  inviolately 
preserved. 

"  Surely  nothing  less  than  madness  can  excite  these 
wretches  to  attempt  to  change  such  blessings  into 
curses. 

"  But  as  the  wages  of  sin  is  death  we  hope  the  day  of 
payment  is  not  far  off. 

"  Animated  (S')  with  these  sentiments  wee  crave  leave 
most  humbly  to  assure  your  Royall  Highness  of  our 
firm  attachment  to  His  Majesty's  Royal  Person  and 
government.  And  that  we  will  heartilly  join  his  loyal 
subjects  and  with  them  cheerfully  contribute  all  in  our 
power  to  quell  the  factious  spirits  of  all  the  restless 
enemys  to  your  Royal  House  whether  foreign  or 
domestick. 

"  Wee  presume  S""  to  add  our  fervent  prayers  that  the 
Almighty  would  bless  your  Royal  Highnesses  with 
Happiness  and  Prosperity  And  that  your  Royal 
descendants  may  transmit  to  latest  posterity  the  virtues 
of  their  illustrious  Parents  as  the  means  effectually  to 
destroy  the  vain  hopes  of  all  future  Pretenders  to 
disturb  the  peace  and  government  of  these  kingdoms." 


I  ^8  History  of  the  Company. 


o 


To  which  His  Royal  Highness  was  pleased  to 
answer  to  the  following  effect  :— 


't5 


"  Gentlemen — Your  dutifull  expressions  of  loyalty  to 
my  Father  are  very  agreeable  to  me,  and  I  give  you 
mine  and  the  Princess's  Thanks  for  this  repeated 
instance  of  your  great  respect  to  us  and  my  Familly 
and  I  shall  take  all  opportunitys  of  shewing  my  regard 
to  the  Company." 

''And  they  all  had  the  honour  to  kiss  their  Royal 
Highnesses'  hands,  and  were  afterwards  by  his 
Royal  Highnesses  Command  regaled  with  wine." 

The  loyalty  of  the  Company  during  the  period 
of  the  Rebellion  was  not  confined  to 
words,    as   on   the     12th     December, 
1745,  we  find  the  Court  resolved  that — 

"  In  commiseration  of  the  particular  hardships  and 
inconveniencys  which  must  be  suffered  by  such  soldiers 
as  are  employed  in  his  Majesties  Service  during  the 
winter  season  towards  the  suppression  of  the  present 
unnatural  Rebellion  to  subscribe  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
pounds  to  be  applied  towards  their  Relief,  Support  and 
Encouragement  pursuant  to  a  scheme  lately  published 
commonly  called  the  Veteran  Scheme,  and  for  that 
purpose  it  is  ordered  that  the  Renter  Warden  do 
forthwith  pay  the  said  sume  into  the  Chamber  of 
London." 

The  Prince  of  Wales  died  In  1751/  at  the  age 

of   forty-four,    and    In    the    following 

^^^^'        year  the   title    of   Prime   Warden    of 

^  The  event  produced  the  following  ribald   but   familiar 
Jacobite  epitaph  : — 


History  of  the  Company.  139 

the  Company  was  exchanged  for  the  old  title  of 
Master. 

Henceforward  the  records  of  the  Company 
contain  little  of  general  public  interest.  The 
increase  of  stability  to  the  throne  gave  the  Com- 
pany an  opportunity  of  turning  their  attention  to 
Internal  affairs,  and  their  participation  In  public 
events  Is  in  but  few  cases  of  more  than  civic 
Importance. 

In  the  year  1798  occurs  a  record  of  ^200 
subscribed  by  the  Company  to  the  ''  Voluntary 
Fund  for  the  Defence  of  the  Country,"  recalling  to 
our  minds  the  sacrifice  which  the  country  was 
called  upon  to  make  at  a  period  when, 
having  barely  recovered  from  the  strain 
of  the  American  War,  England  was  forced  into  a 
long  and  bitter  struggle  with  France.  The  Com- 
pany had  not  the  required  sum  In  their  exchequer 

"  Here  lies  poor  Fred, 
Who  was  alive  and  is  dead  ; 
Had  it  been  his  father  » 

I  had  much  rather  ; 
Had  it  been  his  brother 
Still  better  than  another  ; 
Had  it  been  his  sister 
No  one  would  have  missed  her ; 
Had  it  been  the  whole  generation. 
Still  better  for  the  nation  ; 
But  since  'tis  only  Fred, 
Who  was  alive  and  is  dead. 
There's  no  more  to  be  said:" 


140  History  of  the  Company. 

at  the  time  they  voted  it,  but  a  member  of  the 
Court  quickly  and  spontaneously  advanced  it. 
For  some  time  past  the  Company  had  voluntarily 
relinquished  all  dinners,  although  one  would  have 
thought  that  the  glorious  battle  of  the  Nile,  and 
other  brilliant  successes  of  their  countrymen, 
would  have  afforded  them  many  reasonable  occa- 
sions for  rejoicing. 

In  18 1 5  the  Company's  Hall,  which  from  time 
to  time  had  undergone  extensive  repairs  and 
p.j.g^j.g^^^jgj.g.  alterations,  suffered  by  a  fire  which 
Hall.  completely  destroyed  the  Clerk's 
House.^  The  Royal  Exchange  Insurance  Com- 
pany reimbursed  the  Company  the  sum  of 
^600  for  the  house  in  the  passage,  and  the 
Hand  in  Hand  Office  paid  them  ^589-  ^s.  in 
respect  of  the  damage  to  the  Hall.  Both  of 
these  sums  were  invested  in  ;^2,ooo  Reduced 
Annuities,  purchased  for  ^1,145.^  Nothing  was 
apparently    done    in    the    way    of   repairing    the 

^  In  1863,  the  entrance  to  Saddlers'  Hall,  then  an  open 
passage  or  gateway,  was  moved  some  30  feet  eastwards,  from 
No.  143  to  141,  Cheapside,  the  old  entrance  being  built  over. 
In  1884,  Half-moon  Passage,  a  parallel  court  leading  from 
140,  Cheapside,  into  a  yard  at  the  side  of  the  Hall,  and 
belonging  to  the  Company,  was  covered  in  by  new  buildings. 

^  During  the  twenty-three  years  from  17  93-1 8 15,  the  period 
of  the  great  French  war,  the  National  Debt  w^as  increased  by 
upwards  of  ;£6oo,ooo,ooo,  money  being  borrowed  in  the  most 
reckless  manner.  In  181 5  a  loan  of  ;£3 6,000,000  was  raised, 
each  subscriber  of  ^100  receiving  ;£"  1 74 — three  per  cent. — 
and  ^10,  four  per  cent,  stock. 


INTERIOR    VIEW    OF    SADDLERS'    HALL. 


History  of  the  Company.  141 

Hall,  the  damage  to  which  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  very  great,  and  the  Courts  of  the 
Company  were  occasionally  held  at  the  New- 
London  Tavern  close  by.  In  181 7,  however, 
the  Court  seriously  entertained  the  question  of 
letting  the  Hall  and  adapting  the  premises  of  the 
London  Tavern,  which  appear  to  have  adjoined, 
and  the  lease  of  which  had  nearly  fallen  in.  The 
following  year,  1 8  1 8,  the  necessary  repairs  to  the 
Hall  were  stated  as  involving  an  expenditure  of 
^3,000.  The  Court,  however,  were  indisposed 
to  half  measures,  and  appear  to  have  contemplated 
the  entire  rebuilding  of  the  Hall.  Nothing,  how- 
ever, was  done  until  March,  1821,  when  their 
course  was  unexpectedly  shaped  for  them  by  the 
jg2j  entire  destruction  of  the  Hall  in  a 
The  Hall  Conflagration  which  broke  out  in  a 
es  roye  .     ]-^Q^gg  belonging   to   the  Company  in 

Foster  Lane,  and  tenanted  by  Messrs.  Butler  and 
Sons,  manufacturing  chemists.  There  was  now 
no  help  for  it  but  to  rebuild.  The  unexpired  term 
of  Messrs.  Butler's  house  was  purchased  by  the 
Company,  and  part  of  the  site  of  their  house, 
together  with  the  Clerk's  House,  was  thrown  into 
the  new  Hall.  The  furniture,  wine,  and  plate, 
were  removed  without  loss,  and  the  painted  glass 
windows  escaped,  and  were  carefully  taken  down 
and  apparently  reset  in  the  new  building.  The 
furniture  and  the  materials  saved  from  the  fire 
were  ordered  to  be  sold  by  public  auction,  and 
realised  ^500.  The  present  building  was  erected 
from    designs  by  the    Company's   surveyor,    Mr. 

L  2 


142  History  of  the  Company. 

Jesse  Gibson,  and    the    first    stone    was    laid  on 

Thursday,  7th  March,  1822.     The  wine  cellar  had 

been  added  to  the  Hall  in  i8os,  being: 

Rebuilt  1822.         ,  -     ,  .    .  ^,  ^ 

taken  out  01  the  ground  m  what  was 
called  "  the  front  yard "  of  the  Hall  and 
inaugurated  by  a  pipe  of  Port.  Previous  to  this 
date  we  learn  that  the  wine  consumed  by  the 
Company  was  procured  from  the  caterer  who 
supplied  the  dinners.  In  the  same  year  the 
Court  decided  to  supply  the  Stewards'  and  Lord 
Mayors'  Feasts  from  the  Hall  Kitchen.  These 
feasts  had  hitherto  been  supplied  from  outside, 
very  probably  from  the  adjacent  London  Tavern. 

One  of  the  instances  recorded  of  the  Company 

A.D.  1822.      exercising    their    full    prerogative    of 

Worthless  sad-  search  was  as  late  as  1822.  The-Com- 

dles  destroyed.  i  •  i  •     r  i   i 

pany  having  been  iniormed  by  various 
London  Saddlers  that  a  certain  Mr.  Deykin,  of 
Holborn,  was  in  the  habit  of  having  a  great 
quantity  of  worthless  saddles  made  and  disposing 
of  them  by  auction,  made  a  rigorous  search 
throughout  the  City  to  find  the  whereabouts  of 
the  maker.  Succeeding  in  the  discovery,  they 
appropriated  sixteen  of  the  said  worthless  sad- 
dles, being  made  of  old  trees  covered  with  new 
leather,  and  appointed  a  jury  of  London  Saddlers 
to  view  them,  by  whom  they  were  at  once  con- 
demned. Mr.  Deykin  being  summoned  to  appear 
before  the  Company,  and  to  show  cause  why 
the  saddles  should  not  be  destroyed,  denied  the 
Company's  prerogative  ;   but  of  this  they  endea- 


-f 


History  of  the  Company.  143 

voured  to  convince  him  by  straightway  ordering 
the  trees  and  webbs  to  be  broken,  and  the 
saddles  returned  to  him  to  use  the  leather. 
Mr.  Deykin's  counsel  being  present  during  the 
incident,  the  Company  refused  to  hear  him,  and 
no  more  protest  was  made. 

The  last  occasion  but  one  in  which  the  Com- 
pany took  a  prominent  part  in  a  public  pageant 
was  in  1832,  in  the  mayoralty  of  their  distin- 
guished member.  Alderman  Sir  Peter  Laurie. 
The  Order  Books  relate  how  in  that  year  they 
attended  Sir  Peter  to  be  sworn  in  as  Lord  Mayor ; 
how,  after  having  breakfasted  with  the  Lord  Mayor 
elect,  they  joined  the  civic  procession 
Mayoralty  of  at  Guildhall,  embarked  at  the  Tower 
Sir  Peter  Laurie.  ^^  ^  State  barge,  accompanied   by  a 

band,  and  were  rowed  by  24  oarsmen  to  West- 
minster, where,  after  the  ceremony  of  swearing- 
in,  they  re-embarked  and  landed  at  Blackfriars. 
The  Company  considered  the  occasion  a  fitting 
one  to  purchase  new  silk  banners  and  the  Royal 
standard,  the  Union  flag  and  banners,  with  the 
City  arms.  Company's  arms,  and  the  arms  of 
H.R.H.  Prince  Frederick  of  Wales,  Past  Master, 
then  purchased,  still  remain  in  the  Company's 
possession.  Sir  Peter  Laurie  at  the  same  time 
presented  the  Company  with  a  banner  of  his 
arms  and  a  long  silk  streamer,  which  are  similarly 
preserved. 

This  w^as  apparently  the  last  occasion  in  which 
the  Company  took  part  in  a  pageant  or  State  pro- 


144  History  of  the  Company. 

cession  by  water.^  The  mayoralty  of  Mr.  Alderman 

Cotton,  then   Master  of  the   Company,  in   1875, 

^   was    the    next    and    last    occasion    in 

Mayoralty  of 

Mr.  Alderman  which  the  Company  took  a  prominent 
part,  but  the  ceremonial  had  by  this 
time  become  modified  into  the  form  with  which 
we  are  more  familiar. 

In  1859  the  Company  built  their  Almshouses 
at  Spring  Grove,  Isle  worth,  known  as  Honnor's 
Home.  In  1769  Young  George  Honnor,  a 
member  of  the  Company,  bequeathed  to  the 
Company  the  residue  of  his  estate,  amounting  to 
/2,828     10^.     5^.,    the    Interest    on 

Honnor's  Home   "^  ..  -  .  - 

Almshouses  at  whicli  was  directed  to  be  devoted  to 
the  relief  of  any  Master,  Warden, 
or  Assistant  that  might  come  to  decay.  •  This 
provision  not  being  applied  for,  the  Interest 
accumulated,  and  was  added  to  the  capital  until.  In 
1855,  the  amount  had  increased  to  ^t  7,995  4-s.  4.^. 
In  that  year  the  Company  applied  to  the  Court  of 
Chancery  for  an  extension  of  the  application  of 
the  benefits  to  poor  members  of  the  Company, 
and  a  scheme  was  sanctioned  giving  them  power 
to  erect  almshouses  out  of  part  of  the  accu- 
mulations, and  to  maintain  therein  eight  poor 
Freemen,  Freewomen,  or  widows  of  Freemen  of 
the  Company.  The  Company  contributed  ^1,000 
towards   the  buildings    from    their    own    private 

*  The  last  procession  of  the  Lord  Mayor's  Show  to  West- 
minster by  water  was  on  Monday,  November  loth,  1856. 


o 

m 

-I 

CO 


Lii 

< 

^ 

o 

I 

CO 

3 

O 

CO 

I 

QC 

CO 

o 

_l 

z 

< 

z 
o 

CO 

> 

T 

z 

< 

a. 

2 

O 

O 

UJ 

X 

H 

History  of  the  Company.  145 

funds,  and  the  pensions  are  largely  increased  by 
supplementary  grants  from  the  Company.  The 
first  stone  of  the  Home  was  laid  on  the  30th 
August,  1859,  by  the  Master  of  the  Company, 
Peter  Northall  Laurie,  and  the  building  was 
erected  from  designs  by  the  Company's  Surveyor, 
Mr.  Fred.  W.  Porter,  F.R.I. B. A.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  September,  i860. 

In  1873  the  Company,  with  a  view  to  promoting 
the  art  with  which  they  are  associated,  offered  a 
series  of  premiums  ranging  from  ten  to  fifty 
guineas  for  improvements  in  military  saddles. 
Three  judges  were  appointed  by  the  Horse 
Guards,  together  with  two  members  of  the  Court, 
Saddlers   by   trade.      Previous  to   entering  upon 

the  competition,  the  Company  received 

Saddlery  Com-   ^  scHes  of  sup'gestions  from  the  Horse 

petition,  1873.      ^1  .u  • 

Guards,  as  to  the  pnme  requisites 
in  a  military  saddle,  one  of  which  was  that  it 
should  be  as  light  as  possible,  but  sufficiently 
strong  to  carry  a  Dragoon,  his  arms,  and 
ammunition,  equipments  and  accoutrements,  and 
to  be  able  to  stand  rough  usage  and  exposure 
on  service  in  the  field.  Another  was  that,  as  the 
horses  in  a  cavalry  regiment  are  constantly 
changing,  the  saddle  must  be  made  so  that  it  could 
be  altered  by  slight  shifting,  or  other  method 
easily  effected  on  service,  to  fit  horses  differing  in 
shape  on  the  back  and  withers.  It  was  also  to  be 
made  in  three  sizes  so  that  it  could  be  changed,  in 
case   of   necessity,  according  to   the   size   of   the 


146  History  of  the  Company. 

horses.  Again,  the  saddle  was  to  be  made  in 
such  a  way  that  the  trees  or  panels  could  be  easily 
altered  or  repaired  ;  the  intention  being  to  reduce 
the  weight  on  the  horse's  back,  the  present 
British  regulation  saddle,  according  to  the  authori- 
ties at  the  Horse  Guards,  being  too  heavy,  and 
the  hind  fork,  which  is  made  to  carry  a  heavy 
tightly  packed  valise,  being  higher  than  neces- 
sary. It  was  also  stated  that  there  was  an 
intention  that  the  total  weight  to  be  usually 
carried  in  marching  order  should  be  reduced  to 
i6st.  10  lb.,  but  the  saddle  was  to  be  sufficiently 
strong  to  carry  extra  weight.  In  awarding  the 
premiums  the  following  points  were  considered — 
lightness,  strength,  durability ;  general  fitting 
for  broad,  ordinary,  and  narrow  backs  ;  venti- 
lation for  the  horse's  back  ;  simplicity;  dimen- 
sions of  the  rider's  seat  ;  cheapness,  and  easy 
fitting  to  the  horse's  back. 

For  the  guidance  of  competitors,  military 
saddles  from  Germany,  France,  Belgium,  and 
America  were  exhibited,  but  the  competition  was 
not  productive  of  any  improvement  in  the  present 
English  military  saddle.  The  saddles  were  tested 
by  the  Military  Authorities,  but  no  award  was 
made. 

In  the  following  year,  however,  the   Company 

Second  Saddler     ^g^^ii^  offered  a  pHze  of  50  guineas, 
Competition      which  was  Supplemented  by  one  of 
100  guineas,  offered  by  Mr.  Deputy 
Harris,  the  Master  of  the   Company.     The   con- 
ditions  were   much  the  same  as  in  the  previous 


History  of  the  Company.  147 

year,  and  a  jury  was  appointed  upon  the  joint 
nomination  of  the  Horse  Guards  and  the  Saddlers' 
Company.  The  saddles  sent  In  were  publicly  ex- 
hibited for  some  days  in  the  Company's  Hall,  and 
the  Exhibition  was  honoured  by  an  official  visit  by 
H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  who  was  accom- 
panied by  General  Sir  Richard  Alrey,  G.C.B., 
Adjutant  -  General  of  the  F'orces  ;  Lieutenant- 
General  Sir  Charles  Elllce,  K.C.B.,  Quartermaster- 
General  to  the  Forces  ;  Major-General  Sir 
Thomas  M  'Mahon,  C.  B.,  Commanding  the  Cavalry 
Brigade,  Aldershot,  Inspector-General  of  Cavalry; 
Colonel  Middleton,  C.B.,  Deputy  Adjutant- 
General  Royal  Artillery ;  Colonel  Clifford,  V.C, 
C.B.,  Assistant  Adjutant-General  ;  Colonel 
Oakes,  C.B.  ;  Colonel  Fraser,  V.C,  C.B.  ;  Cap- 
tain Fenn,  Inspector  of  Saddlery,  Royal  Arsenal, 
Woolwich,  and  other  distinguished  Officers. 

With    the    exception    of    these    few    incidents 
^,    ^.  little    of     consequence     remains    to 

ine  Lrivery  ^  ■*• 

Companies' Com-    be      chronlclecl.        The      Municipal 

mission  in  1880.       r^  .,-,..„ 

Corporations  Inquiry  in  1834,  to 
which  the  Company  gave  full  information, 
possibly  foreshadowed  the  Livery  Companies' 
Commission  in  1880.  Here  similarly  the  Com- 
pany, although  formally  refusing  to  admit 
the  legality  of  the  Commission,  furnished  full 
returns. 

In  connection  with  this  Inquiry  the  Company 
feel  great  satisfaction  in  remembering  that  their 
honoured    Past    Master,    Mr.    Alderman    Cottun, 


148  History  of  the  Company. 

then  Senior  Member  of  the  City,  and  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Commission,  signed  the  Minority 
Report,  and  presented  an  independent  protest  to 
the  Crown,  and  thereby  in  all  probability  assisted 
materially  in  preventing  the  Commission  from 
overstepping  the  Hmits  and  original,  intentions  of 
the  Inquiry. 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     149 


CHAPTER    III. 
Internal  Affairs  of  tfie  Company. 

The  Constitution  of  the  Company. — The  Master  and  Wardens,  Origin 
of  their  Titles. — Renter  Warden. — Under-Renter. — *'  Cuplillers." — 
Election  Day. — Election  of  Wardens. — The  Livery. — Quarterage. 
—  The  Yeomanry. — Translation. — Feasts,  Quaint  Custom. — The 
Yeomanry's  Dinner,  or  Bartholomew  Feast. — Religious  Observances 
of  the  Company. — Burials,  the  Funeral  Pall,  or  "Burial  Cloth," — 
Courts  or  Assemblies. — Fines. — The  Company  a  "  Fellowship. " — 
Members  not  to  rebuke  one  another  ;  not  to  sue  one  another  at 
law  without  license. — Peacemaking,  Quaint  Incidents. — Etiquette 
at  Meetings. — Light-coloured  Clothes  prohibited  at  Meetings. — 
Apprentices  "polled  close." 

HE  Company  appears,  from  Its  earliest 
record,  to  have  been  governed  by  four 
Wardens  and  about  twenty  Assistants. 
The  earliest  titles  of  the  Wardens 
recorded  in  the  Company's  books  are  (i)  Master; 
(2)     Upper     Warden  ;       (^)    Second 

The  Wardens.  '         \vJ/ 

Warden  ;  (4)  Renter  Warden.  The 
title  of  Upper  Warden  was,  however,  in  August, 
1663,  adopted  as  an  alternative  or  supplementary 
title  to  that  of  Master,  the  Wardens  then  ranking 
as  Master  or  Upper  Warden,  Second  Warden, 
Third  Warden,  Renter  Warden.  In  the  year 
1737,  upon  the  election  of  Frederick  Prince  of 
Wales  as  perpetual  Master  of  the  Company,  the 
de  facto  or  Acting  Master  assumed  the  title  of 
Prime  Warden,  which,  however,  was  relinquished 


150    Internal  Afpairs  of  the  Company. 

shortly  after  the  death  of  the  Prince  In  1751,  and 
the  old  title  of  Master  resumed. 

The  title  of  Key  Warden  (Second  Warden) 
is,  in  connection  with  the  Saddlers'  Company  at 
least,  quite  modern,  and  only  occurs  for  the  first 
time  as  recently  as  1859,  no  cause  being  assigned 
for  its  assumption.  The  title  of  Quarter  Warden 
appears  to  have  been  adopted  by  the  Third  Warden 
in  1 704 ;  the  intention  of  the  change  in  the 
title  was  probably  connected  with  the  receipt  of 
quarterage — a  function  previously  performed  by 
the  Renter  Warden,  but  now  discharged  by  the 
Third  Warden.  This,  however,  is  not  absolutely 
clear,  inasmuch  as  we  find  occasional  mention 
subsequent  to  this  date  of  the  payment  of  quarter- 
age to  the  Renter  Warden.  There  never  appears 
to  have  been  any  attempt  to  interfere  with  the 
title  of  Renter  Warden.  In  the  year  1609,  how- 
ever,  we    find  mention    of  the  office 

Under-Renter.      ^    _. ,      .        ^ 

01    U  nder-Kenter  : — 


1609.     September  nth. 

"  This  Court  Day  George  Cooke  was  chosen  o""  Vnder- 
Renter  to  execute  his  office  as  heretofore  hath  byn 
accustomed  for  this  yere  insuying.  At  w^''  tyme  it  was 
fully  agreed  by  all  the  Wardens  and  Assistants  that  the 
Vnder-Renter  that  hereafter  shalbe  shall  be  chosen  by 
the  box  or  Cadctt  (?)^  in  Suche  manner  as  the  Wardeins 
be  and  hav  been  chosen." 

The  Under-Renter  is  not  mentioned  again,  but 

1  Probably  the  old  ballot  box  which  still  remains  in  use- 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.      151 

in  place  of  him  we  find    mention  the   following 
year  of  the  election  of  two"Cupfillers," 

Cupfillers.  ,  ,  -  1  r 

who  appear  to  have  been  members  01 
the  Livery,  Their  office  is  probably  defined  in 
the  name,  although  another  function  is  recorded 
to  them  in  1634  : — 

1634.     March  \<^th. 

"  At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  the  cupfiller  shall 
take  charge  of  o''  naperie  and  deliver  it  to  washings 
and  receive  it  back  again  and  not  suffer  it  to  be  lent 
out  to  any." 

Upon  the  Renter  devolved  the  custody  of  the 
keys  of  the  "  Treasurie,"  or  Plate  and  Money 
Chest,  a  charge  which  must  occasionally  have 
been  a  little  irksome,  albeit  honourable,  as  we 
read  on  one  occasion  that  he  was  fined  ^y^ 
shillings  for  coming  to  Court  without  his  keys,  and 
on  numerous  other  occasions  in  smaller  amounts 
for  being  late. 

The  ordinances  of  the  Company,  ratified  in 
Election  of  ^^  reign  of  Elizabeth,  set  forth  that 
Wardens,  q^  the  day  fixed  for  the  election 
of  Wardens — the  14th  August — the  Assistants, 
Livery,  and  the  householders  of  the  mystery,  i.e., 
those  who  kept  shop,  should  assemble  at  the  Hall 
before  the  hours  of  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
under  a  penalty  of  twelve  pence — the  same  to  be 
employed  in  the  relief  of  poor  members.  Upon 
assembling,   the    Company  proceeded  by  couples 


^5^ 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 


to  church  to  hear  Divine  Service  ;  the  Wardens 
walking  first,  then  the  Livery,  the  ''  householders" 
next,  and  lastly,  the  freemen.  After  returning  to 
the  Hall,  the  Company  proceeded  to  the  election 
of  Wardens  for  the  year  ensuing,  or  for  two  years 
if  it  was  thought  convenient,  and  any  Warden 
refusing  office  forfeited  the  sum  of  forty  shillings, 
to  be  levied  upon  his  goods  and  chattels.  The 
ordinances  ratified  6  James  I.  increased  the  fine 
for  absence  from  the  election  from  twelvepence 
to  three  shillings  and  fourpence,  and  made  no 
mention  of  the  necessity  for  the  attendance  of 
the  Livery  and  Commonalty,  whose  participation 
in  the  election  would  appear  from  the  following 
minute  to  have  been  discontinued  by  these  latter 
ordinances  : — 

1646.     August  14///. 

'*  At  this  Co'"*  the  Liverie  appeared  without  sumons, 
and  by  appoyntment  sent  into  the  Court  twoe  of  them, 
viz*.,  Thomas  Jones  and  Will'"  Deacon,  to  make  knowne 
to  the  Court  their  desire  v/'''  was  that  they  desired  to 
ioyne  with  them  in  the  eleccon  of  Wardens  w'^^  the 
Court  denyed." 

The  ordinances  ratified  21  Charles  IL  make  it 
clear  that  the  privilege  and  power  of  the  election 
of  Wardens  is  restricted  to  the  old  Wardens  and 
Assistants,  and  set  forth  that  after  hearing  Divine 
Service  subsequent  to  the  election,  the  Assistants 
and  Livery  shall  dine  together,  and  that  at  such 
dinner  the  old  Wardens  ''  shall  solemnly  make  an 
open    presentation  and   confirmation   of  the   said 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     153 

election  in  the  said  Hall  In  the  presence  of  all 
such  of  the  said  Livery  and  others  then  and  there 
assembled."  These  ordinances  also  increase  the 
penalty  for  refusing  to  serve  the  office  of  Warden 
to  ten  Pounds,  and  there  are  instances  where  the 
penalty  has  been  increased  to  twenty. 

The   Company's   books   do    not  inform  us   the 
colour    of    the     Livery,    but    on    one 

Livery.  .  ,  , 

occasion,  when  seventeen  members 
v^^ere  chosen  on  to  the  Livery,  i6th  April,  1664, 
instructions  were  given  to  the  Clerk  "to  repaire 
to  all  ye  seuerall  persons  aforesaid  and  deliver 
unto  them  their  patterns  of  their  cloath  for  their 
gowns  and  hoods."  The  ceremony  of  clothing  or 
conferring  the  Livery  consisted  in  the  putting  on 
of  the  hoods  of  the  newly-elected  members,  which 
was  performed  in  open  hall  by  the  Master — a 
custom  which  is  still  performed  in  a  modified 
form. 

The  ordinances  of  Elizabeth  empowered  the 
Wardens  and  Assistants  as  often  as  they  chose  to 
elect  so  many  of  the  younger  men  of  the  mystery 
into  the  Livery  and  clothing  ''as  shall  seem  unto 
them  meet  and  convenient  for  the  worship  of  the 
City  and  the  honesty  of  the  fellowship,"  and  a  fine 
of  35.  4^.  was  imposed  upon  each  person  taking  up 
the  Livery.  Any  member  "  of  his  obstinacy  and 
forwardness "  refusing  to  take  upon  him  the 
clothing  was  ordered  to  pay  a  penalty  of  40 
shillings.  Instances  are  on  record  as  late  as  1783 
of  members  prosecuted  by  the  Company  for 
refusing  to  take  up  the  Livery.     The  ordinances 


154     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

of  21  Charles  II.  Increased  the  fine  on  joining  to 
ten  pounds,  to  which  are  added  lo  shillings  to  the 
Clerk,  and  35.  4<^.  to  the  Beadle  ;  while  the 
penalty  for  refusing  the  clothing  is  Increased  to 
twenty  pounds.  The  number  of  the  Livery  is 
not  restricted  either  by  the  ordinances  or  Charters. 

Quarterage,    i.e.,     a    quarterly    subscription    or 
contribution,   paid   by   every    freeman 

Quarterage.  r     i         ^  •      r  •  i    • 

01  the  Company,  is  tirst  mentioned  in 
the  Charter  of  Elizabeth,  and  is  therein  fixed  at 
3^.  This  was  increased  to  6^.  by  the  ordinances 
of  1669,  which  also  direct  it  to  be  paid  by  every 
unmarried  sister  of  the  fellowship,  although  the 
Charter  of  Charles  II.,  1684,  only  requires  it  to 
be  paid  by  every  Yx^(tman  "  for  the  support  of 
the  Infirm  poor  and  old  men  of  the  mistery  or  art 
aforesaid,  and  for  the  amending  of  the  state  of 
the  commonwealth  of  the  Wardens,"  &c. 

The  frequent  mention  of  the  word  ''  yeomanry  " 
in    the    Company's    books  is    a    little 

Yeomanry.  -        .  ^_^, 

perplexing,  i  he  yeomanry  appear  to 
have  been  a  distinct  class  from,  and  subordinate  to, 
the  Livery.  The  term  is  also  met  with  In  connec- 
tion with  other  Companies,  and  apparently  corres- 
ponds to  the  ''  bachelerie  "  of  certain  of  them.  In 
the  dispute  between  the  serving-men  and  masters 
of  the  Saddlers'  trade  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II., 
related  on  p.  46  e^  seq.,  the  serving-men  are  also 
called  *'  yeomen."  Moreover,  in  that  account 
the  serving-men  are  charged  with  corrupting  the 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.      155 

journeymen,  inferentially  a  distinct  and  different 
body.  Viewed  in  that  light  it  is  possible  that  the 
apprentices  were  intended — in  this  particular  inci- 
dent it  is  extremely  likely.  Again,  on  numerous 
occasions  we  find  in  the  Company's  books  records 
of  apprentices  bound  for  terms  of  seven  and  eight 
years,  the  apprentice  being  described  in  scores  of 
instances  as  *'  yeoman,"  and  the  ordinary  impracti- 
cability of  holding  a  man  apprentice  after  he 
had  attained  his  majority  would  suggest  that  these 
yeomen  were  decidedly  very  young  men.  We 
are  inclined  to  think,  however,  that  wherever 
the  word  yeomanry  occurs  as  referring  to  a  class, 
the  body  intended  to  be  understood  is  the  shop- 
keepers— ''  householders,"  as  they  were  called. 
In  the  ordinances  of  21  Charles  II.,  it  is  stated 
that  the  members  of  the  Livery  shall  be  taken  into 
the  clothing  from  the  yeomanry  ;  the  ordinances 
of  6  James  I.,  moreover,  contain  an  enlargement 
of  the  liberty  of  the  yeomanry  for  keeping  appren- 
tices, from  all  of  which  it  is  pretty  clear  that 
whatever  may  have  been  the  original  signification 
of  the  term,  the  term  yeomanry  referred  to  the 
working  members  of  the  trade  and  Company  next 
below  the  Livery,  in  contradistinction  to  those 
members  of  the  Company  who  pursued  other 
trades  and  occupations.  The  yeomanry  are  men- 
tioned as  attending  the  quarter  Courts. 

The  ordinances  of  the  Company  prohibited  any 

Translation  from  "lember  from  translating  himself  out 

the  Company,     of  the  Company  to  any  other  Mystery, 

M 


156     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

fellowship,  or  occupation  without  the  express  con- 
sent of  the  Wardens  and  Assistants  of  the 
Saddlers'  Company  in  writing  under  their  common 
seal,  upon  a  penalty  of  twenty  pounds,  half  of 
which  penalty  was  to  be  paid  to  the  Crown  and 
the  other  to  the  Company. 

1663.     December  22nd. 

"  Ordered  y*  Edward  Fisher,  Carpinter  and  member 
of  this  Company  at  his  earnest  request  and  his  p'mise 
to  giue  unto  this  Company  a  peece  of  plate  shall  be 
translated  to  y*"  Comp^  of  Carpinters." 

A  somewhat  similar  law  seems  to  have  been 
adopted  by  other  Companies,  as  on  the  22nd 
December,  1653,  we  read  that — 

"  At  this  Court  Robert  Waring  whoe  on  the  29  Sep- 
tember last  was  translated  by  cosent  of  six  of  the 
members  of  y®  Society  of  Goldsmiths  to  this  Society 
(the  Saddlers)  was  made  free  of  this  Society  and  gave 
20s.  to  the  use  of  the  poore  of  this  fellowshipp.  D"^  to 
Warden  Milsonne  xxV 

On  the  13th  October,  1663,  three  members  of 
the  Company  having  assumed  the  trade  of  Inn- 
holders  and  been  proceeded  against  by  the  Inn- 
holders'  Company,  were  defended  by  the  Saddlers' 
Company,  although  the  cause  and  the  result  is 
not  stated.  That  the  Company,  however,  did 
not  always  resist  the  translation  of  its  members  is 
clear  from  the  followin^r  : — 

o 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     157 

1666.    Jamiary  2yd. 

"  This  day  John  Gase  a  member  of  this  Company 
appeared  and  desired  leaue  of  this  Court  that  he  may 
be  translated  over  from  this  Company  to  the  Company 
of  Bakers  in  regard  hee  hath  left  of  the  profession  of  a 
Sadler  and  hath  betaken  himselfe  wholly  to  the  traide  of 
a  Baker.  It  was  therefore  ord^'ed  y'  y®  say*^  John  Gase 
shall  have  leaue  to  be  translated  to  the  Bakers  accord- 
ing to  his  desyre  he  first  paying  to  the  Wardens  for  the 
use  of  the  (fellowship)  the  sume  of  Tenn  Pounds." 

And  afterwards  at  the  same  Court : — 

"  It  is  ordered  y*  John  Gase  a  member  of  this  Com- 
pany and  now  exercise  y®  traide  of  a  Baker  shall  from 
henceforth  serue  y®  Company  with  breade  upon  all 
occasions." 

Concerning  the  feasts  of  the  Company  the  most 
important    v^as   what  was    called    the 

Feasts. 

Master's  Feast,  which  was  held  after 
the  election  of  Wardens  on  the  14th  August. 
What  little  we  know  about  the  other  feasts  is 
gathered  from  a  minute  on  the  27th  November, 
1645,  which  fixes  the  expenditure  on  those  occa- 
sions. For  instance,  the  expense  for  victuals, 
wine,  and  all  other  charges  of  the — 

s. 

"  4  quarter  search  dinners  (was)  not  to  exceed  .       30 

4  usual  quarter  days     . .  .  .  . .  . .        40 


Michaelmas  (Lord  Mayor's  feast) 

5  November 

Midsummer  Day  with  half  of  livery 

Audit  Day 

View  Day  in  September 

Special  Meetings  of  the  Wardens 


45 
30 

45 
40 

\2d.  a  head." 
M   2 


158     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

If  any  money  were  spent  In  excess  of  these 
sums  it  was  ordained  that  the  Wardens  should 
pay  such  excess  themselves.  The  Entertainments 
of  the  Company,  however,  appear  from  time  to 
time  to  have  been  regulated  by  their  finances,  the 
condition  of  which  not  Infrequently— especially 
during  the  epoch  of  civil  war  In  the  seventeenth 
century — prevented  any  festivity.  Similar  minutes 
to  the  following  occur  over  and  over  again  : — 

161 8.     December  ^ist. 

"It  is  this  daie  ordered  that  whereas  the  ancient 
custom  hath  byn  to  kepe  one  qter  dynner  yearely  in 
the  month  of  Januarie  that  this  yeare  the  said  dynner 
shall  not  be  kept  in  respect  of  the  manie  suits  the 
Companie  now  have." 

1696.    July  2nd. 

" It   being   moved    that   by   reason    of    the 

scarcity  of  money  and  badness  of  Trade  the  same 
ffeast  may  not  be  kept  this  year  the  same  is  ordered 
accordingly." 

That  the  Company  were  not  to  be  trifled  with 
In  the  matter  of  their  diet  is  clear  from  the  fol- 
lowing record  : — 

1 6 14.     Febrtiaiy  \AftJi. 

"  This  daie  Warden  Boyden  is  fyned  in  twentie 
shillings  for  that  at  our  last  gen'all  quarter  day  hee 
p'vided  not  such  dyet  to  the  Companie's  good  liking  as 
heretofore  hath  bin  accustomed." 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     159 

A  curious  custom,  and  one  which  also  obtained 
with  other  Companies,  was  In  vogue  with  the 
Saddlers'  Company.  This  was  for  the  junior 
members  of  the  Livery  to  wait  upon  their  seniors 
at  all  feasts  and  dinners,  a  custom  which,  doubt- 
less, had  Its  origin  In  the  early  Christian  Church. 
The  following  excerpts  from  the  minutes  are 
adduced  In  Illustration  : — 

1 61 7.     August  yth. 

"  At  this  Court  it  was  fully  concluded  that  there 
should  be  a  Masters  Dynner  kept  att  our  Hall  on 
Tuesdaie  the  xix"'  daie  of  this  p'sent  month.  There 
were  appoynted  to  be  wayters  at  the  same  dynner 
Thomas  Hall,  Will"^  Collins,  Robert  Dowgill,  and  Will'" 
AUat." 

1 6 19.     October  yth} 

"  This  daie  Robert  Dowgill,  Nathaniel  Forman, 
Thomas  Goodale,  and  Henry  Eleoch  were  appointed 
Whiflers  to  waite  on  the  Companie  on  the  Lord  Maiors 
daie  next." 

1 63 1.     September  i/^th. 

"At  this  Court  upon  the  request  of  Mr.  Warden 
Burt  his  sonne  Nathaniell  Burt  is  to  be  taken  into  the 

^  The  records  of  the  Vintners'  Company  show  that  the  practice 
with  that  and  other  Companies  was  "  for  the  youngest  of  the 
Liverye  at  the  chief  feasts  and  solempnities  at  the  Coen  Hall 
to  have  caryed  the  dyett  to  all  the  tables,  and  afterwards  sett 
themselves  according  to  their  places."  See  paper  read  by  the 
late  Mr.  W.  Overall  before  the  London  and  Middlesex 
Archseological  Association,  entitled  "Some  Account  of  the 
Vintry,  and  of  the  Vintners'  Company." 


i6o    Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

Clothinge  of  this  fellowship  and  likewise  it  is  ordered 
that  Daniell  Potter,  Michael  Helmsley,  and  Thomas 
Starkey  shalbe  also  taken  into  the  Clothinge  to  serve 
on  the  Lord  Maiors  daie." 

1632.     December  20th. 

"  At  this  Court  William  Grantham  was  fined  in  ij'  vj'^ 
for  not  wayting  on  Michaelmas  Daie  whereof  he  paid 
xij*^  w^'  was  delivered  to  Mr.  Warden  Pease." 

It  was  customary  for  a  yeomanry's  dinner  to  be 
held  annually  on  or  near  St.  Bartholomew's  Day 
(24th  August)  ;  this  was  the  origin  of  the  present 
Stewards'  Festival.  Two  members  of  the  Livery 
were  annually  and  in  turn  appointed  by  the  title 
of  ''  Wardens  of  the  Yeomanry  and  Stew^ards  ot 
the  Lord  Mayor's  Feast."  From  a  minute  in 
September,  1607,  and  again  in  July,  161 4,  we 
learn  that  the  Wardens  of  the  yeomanry  were 
elected  publicly  in  the  Hall  at  a  general  assembly, 
and  that  after  their  election  they  made  a  banquet 
to  the  Assistants  and  Livery,  who  accompanied 
them  home  for  the  purpose.  Subsequently  the 
newly  elected  Wardens  of  the  yeomanry  were 
required  to  feast  the  yeomanry  in  the  Hall,  on  or 
about  St.  Bartholomew's  Day,  usually  a  few  days 
later,  to  which  feast  we  find  by  a  minute  on  the 
14th  August,  1 7 13,  the  members  were  allowed  to 
bring  their  apprentices  and  boys;  the  obligations  of 
the  Wardens  of  the  yeomanry  ceased  upon  giving  a 
dinner  to  the  Assistants  and  Livery  on  Michaelmas 
Day,  known  as  the  Lord  Mayor's  Feast.  Failure 
to  keep  these  feasts  involved  a  fine  of  ^20,  which 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     i6i 

was  paid  to  the  Renter  Warden,  who  was  required 
to  hold  the  feast  himself  therewith,  and  the  Court 
usually  allowed  the  Wardens  of  the  yeomanry, 
or  Stewards,  £/\.  towards  the  cost,  which  was 
not  Infrequently  supplemented  by  a  buck.  As 
time  went  on  the  Court  appear  to  have  Introduced 
their  ladies  to  these  feasts,  as  we  gather  from  a 
minute  of  8th  August,  1677  : — 

"  This  day  Mr.  Robert  Johnson  and  Mr.  John  Randall, 
late  chosen  Stewards  for  the  Bartholomew  feast,  appeared 
and  declared  as  formerly  they  would  hold  the  Feast  but 
not  treate  the  women.  The  Court  ordered  them  better 
to  consider  of  it." 

The  Court  appear  to  have  ''better  considered 
of  It  "  shortly  afterwards,  for  we  find  that  in  March 
of  the  following  year  they  agreed  to  allow  the 
Stewards  ^15  towards  their  charge.  This 
liberality  appears  to  have  been  discounted  by  a 
resolution  at  the  same  time,  requiring  the  Stewards 
to  provide  music  and  wine  and  victuals,  according 
to  a  mmu  appointed  by  the  Court.  ^ 


1  From  a  MS.  by  the  late  Mr.  W.  C.  Humphreys,  Master  of 
the  Company  in  1863,  which  has  been  placed  in  our  hands,  it 
appears  that  it  was  formerly  the  custom  at  the  Stewards'  Feast 
for  the  newly  elected  Stewards,  wearing  crowns  of  laurel  and 
tinsel,  to  parade  the  Hall,  accorapanied  by  two  members  of 
the  Livery  next  in  rotation  to  serve  the  office,  and  preceded 
by  the  Beadle  and  Under  Beadle  in  gowns,  with  their  maces 
and  by  a  band  of  music.  The  procession  would  halt  at  the 
chair  of  the  Master,  who  would  drink  to  the  Stewards'  health, 
and  address  them  in  felicitous  terms.     The  custom  is  in  the 


1 62     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

The   following    curious    minutes    are    selected 
from  a  large  number  relating  to  this  feast. 

1 605.  November  1 2th. 
"At  this  Courte  Nicholas  Mathew  and  Anthony 
Clowse  being  this  yere  Wardeynes  of  our  yeomandry 
and  also  Stuards  of  the  Lord  Maior's  feaste  were  granted 
by  the  M""  Wardens  and  their  Assistants  towards  their 
charge  for  keeping  those  dynners  fowre  pounds  to  be 
paid  to  them  by  the  Wardene  Rent" 


-r  » 


1 607.  Sept  em  her  1 7  th. 
"It  was  fully  ordered  at  this  Courte  that  George 
Potter  and  Rowlande  Hodges  shall  at  their  charge  make 
a  dynner  for  ye  Wardens  Assistants  and  Lyvery  on 
Michelmas  Daye  next  after  this  Courte  Daye  to  such  as 
come  to  choosing  of  the  Lord  Mayor  in  respect  that  the 
Company  did  not  charg  them  at  their  owne  houses  after 
their  election  to  beare  the  charge  of  the  yeomandrye's 
dynner." 

1608.     February, 
"  George  Potter  and  W"".  Pilcharde  late   Stewards  of 
the   Lord   Mayor's    Feast   shalbe    paide   towards   their 
charge  fower  pounds  and  more  for  baking  of  venyson 
1 3^".  which  the  Gierke  p*^." 

1 6 14.    July  igtk. 
"  Whereas    Olliver    Houghton  and    Nathaniel   Burte 

,   were  warned   to  appear  this  first    daie  of 
Houghton  and 
Burte  fined  by   September   before    our   Mr   Wardens   and 

reason  of  a  p'cept  Assistants   and  by  them   were    made   ac- 

p  nibiting  leasts  •',  ,     .         ,       ^^ 

by  the  Lord     quayutcd    Concerning  their   cleccon  to    be 
Mayor.        Wardens  of  the  yeomandry  this  next  yeare 

memory  of  members  still  living,  and  was  discontinued  about 
1855.  There  is  little  doubt  that  it  remained  from  very  remote 
times. 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     163 

ensuing  w''  eleccon  hath  bin  accustomed  to  bee  made 
publickly  in  o'"  Hall  at  a  generall  assembly.  And  after 
the  saide  eleccon  soe  made  the  said  new  elected  Wardens 
were  to  make  a  banquett  to  those  that  accompanyed 
them  to  theire  houses.  It  is  this  day  ordered  that  the 
said  Olliver  Houghton  and  Nathaniell  Burte  shall  insted 
thereof  make  a  dynner  upon  the  fifte  of  November 
next  fo''  our  M""  Wardens  and  the  rest  of  the  Assistants 
and  Livery  at  there  owne  charge  at  such  place  as  they 
shall  be  appointed  whereof  they  both  gave  their 
consent." 

1625.    July  igtk. 

"  It  is  this  dale  ordered  that  Toby  Harvest  and 
Thomas  Hough  (by  and  w^^  their  assente  and  consente) 
shall  pay  or  cause  to  bee  paid  to  this  fellowship  in  lieu  of 
the  charge  they  should  have  borne  at  the  yeomandries' 
dynner  and  the  Lord  Maior's  dale  The  some  of  xx^  a 
peece  if  either  of  them  shalbe  livinge^  the  Tuesdaie 
next  after  Bartholomew  daie  next  coming  viz.,  ffifteene 
pounds  a  peece  and  the  other  ffive  pounds  a  peece  is 
to  be  paid  by  them  on  the  Lord  Maior's  daie  next 
ensuing." 

1625.     MarcJi  2nd. 

"  At  this  Court  Toby  Harvest  brought  in  his  ffine  of 
twenty  pounds  w^'  was  delivered  to  the  Wardens. 

"  It  was  likewise  ordered  that  upon  the  delivering 
of  a  good  sweete  and  fatt  buck  of  seazon  there 
shalbe  given  unto  the  said  Toby  Harvest  the  some  of 
ffower  pounds." 


^  This  saving  clause  refers  to  the  plague  than  devastating 
London,  in  which  over  35,000  persons  perished. 


164  Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

1627.     December  6th. 

"  At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  the  Wardens  of  the 
yeomandrie  shall  have  given  them  the  some  of  ffive 
pounds  and  a  noble  ande  xxvj^  viij*^  is  allowed  for  a 
messe  of  meate  on  the  Lord  Mayor's  daie." 

1 63 1.     November  lytJi. 

"  At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  there  shall  be  paid 
to  Wardens  of  the  yeomandrie  for  two  messe  of  meate 
w^^'  they  p'vided  on  the  Lord  Maior's  daie  in  the  Parlor 
V;^.  And  it  is  further  ordered  that  the  Renter  Warden 
shall  paie  them  towards  their  charge  the  sum  of  fower 
pounds." 

1 640.     A  iigtist  6th. 

"  At  this  Co*"**^  itt  is  ordered  that  Thomas  Jones  and 
Josuah  Sheppard  shall  keepe  their  yeomandries  dynner 
att  the  accustomed  tymes  of  St.  Bartholomew  and  the 
Lord  Maior's  Day." 

In  1624  it  was  ordained  that  "  the  custom  of 
bringing  home  the  Wardens  of  the  yeomanry 
having  been  long  ago  broken  off  by  reason  of 
some  disorder  to  the  discredit  of  the  fellowship, 
the  said  custom  of  '  bringing  home '  and  the 
charge  arising  therefrom  should  be  wholly  re- 
mitted, but  that  the  yeomanry's  dinner,  or  Bartho- 
lomew's Feast,  as  well  as  the  Lord  Mayor's 
dinner,  should  be  continued." 

The  Company  ensured  a  fair  supply  of  venison 
by  requiring  the  annual  gift  of  a  buck  from 
their  tenants,  or  a  monetary  equivalent.  The 
practice  was  by  no  means  an  uncommon  one  at 
the  time  : — 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     165 

161 1.     May  lOtJi. 

"  It  was  ordered  at  this  Courte  that  M''  John  Hall 
shall  have  a  Lease  of  his  newe  Dwelling  house  in  West- 
chepe  knowen  by  the  signe  of  the  Broode  Hen  and  black 
beare  for  the  terme  of  one  and  thirtye  yeres  to  begyn  at 
Mids'"  next  for  the  yearly  rent  of  eight  pounds  and  a 
bucke  of  season  being  a  fallowe  Deere  or  iij^  in  money 
for  not  delyvering  the  same.  The  first  paym*  to  begyn 
on  August  next  and  to  resyne  his  olde  lease." 

Another  quaint  custom  in  connection  with  the 
granting  of  the  Company's  leases  was  the  pre- 
sentation by  the  tenant  of  gloves  to  the  Assistants 
when  the  lease  was  sealed. 

The  ordinances,  ratified  21  Charles  II.,  appoint 
twelve  Courts  to  be  held  during  each  year,  i.e.^ 
four  quarter  days,  and  two  other  Courts  in  each 
quarter  at  convenient  times.  Every  member  of 
the  fellowship,  without  a  reasonable  excuse,  failing 
to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Company  at  the  hour 
for  which  he  was  duly  summoned,  usually  9  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  was  liable  by  the  ordinances  of 
Elizabeth  to  a  penalty  of  five  shillings,  and  if  he 
absented  himself  altogether,  to  a  penalty  of  forty 
shillings.  Any  more  serious  offence  committed 
either  against  the  State  or  the  fellowship  was 
punishable  by  any  fine  the  Wardens  might  choose 
to  inflict,  in  addition  to  imprisonment  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  same  body  : — 

On  7th  February,  16 10,  we  read  that — 

"  Robert  Christie  (a  member  of  the  Court)  for  disobe- 
dience against  the  whole  Company  was  this  Court  day 
committed  to  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street." 


1 66     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

1609.     September  nth. 

"  Yt  was  ordered  at  this  Courte  by  a  whole  consent 
that  Roger  Tvrner  shuld  (for  great  missdemenours  or 
speeches  agaynst  the  whole  Company  of  Wardeins  and 
Assistents)  be  sent  to  the  Counter  w'^*'  was  p'sently  effected 
to  answere  the  same." 

16 14.     October  nth. 

"  It  is  this  day  ordered  vpon  the  humble  peticon  of 
Christopher  Harwood  that  the  said  Xtopher  (being 
prisoner  in  Ludgate)  being  detayned  for  his  fees  w*^'' 
amount  vnto  xxx^  shalbe  discharged  out  of  the  said 
prison  soe  as  hee  bee  by  payment  thereof  discharged  of 
his  sayd  ymprisonment" 

The  ordinances  of  James  increased  the  penal- 
ties. Those  ratified  by  21  Charles  II.  imposed  a 
special  fine  of  6^.  8^.  upon  the  Wardens  for 
absence  from  the  Court  meetings,  although  this 
was  subsequently  increased.  Records  similar  to 
the  following  occur  frequently  in  the  minutes  : — 

1633.  July  izth. 

"  At  this  Court  Mr.  John  Laney,  Will™  Abbott,  and 
Thos.  Harrisonne  were  fined  in  vj'^  a  peece  for  cominge 
late  w^^  was  delivered  to  M''  Warden  Lee." 

"At  an  assemblie  the  27th  dale  of  March,  being  the 
King's  Coronacon  daie,  there  were  fined  in  xij'^  a  piece 
for  late  cominge  Tho'  Mason,  W™  Freeman,  John  Cox, 
Edmond  Hillyard,  Daniell  Holdenbie,  Thos.  Tanner, 
Will"^  Grantham.     D^^  to  M""  Warden  Lee,  vij^" 

1634.  July  lyth. 

"  At  this  Court  Willm.  Freeman,  Robt.  Bollingc,  An- 
drew Gowland,  Ellis  Parrie,  were  fined  in  twoe  shillings 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     167 

six  pence  a  peece  for  cominge  late,  w*"^  was  D'^  to  M"" 
Warden  Lee,  x^'' 

1644.     October  it^tk 

"At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  there  shalbe  a  Court 
on  Wednesdaie  come  se'night.  And  it  is  further  ordered 
that  he  w^^  shalbe  wantinge  at  nine  of  the  Clock,  at 
w^''  time  the  Court  is  to  sitt,  is  to  paie  for  a  fine  ij^  vj*^ 
for  his  or  their  late  cominge." 

1654.     August  \\tJi. 

**  At  this  Court  Edward  Smith  (a  warden)  paid  thirty 
shillings  for  a  fine  for  his  absence  on  Quarter  Day.  D*^ 
Ward"  Melsonne  xxxV 

The  Company's  ordinances  were  devised  and 
calculated  to  remind  members  that  they  belonged 
not  only  to  a  Company  but  to  2.  fellowship.  Mem- 
bers were  expressly  forbidden  "to  revile,  rebuke 
or  reproue,"  or  otherwise  to  ''  behaue  unseemly  " 
to  one  another  upon  a  pain  of  five  shillings,  in- 
creased by  the  ordinances  of  1669  to  ten  shillings. 
The  act  of  striking  or  assaulting  another  member 
was  punishable  by  a  fine  of  twenty  shillings. 

The  incident  recorded  in  the  following  minute 
is  curious  and  interesting  : — 

1 64 1.     November  I'^th. 

"  At  this  Court  Warden  Cox  complayned  on  Robt. 
Dowgill  for  that  he  had  abused  (him),  and  at  the  same 
tyme  he  was  likewise  complayned  of  by  diverse  others 
of  the  Assistants.  After  w^^'  he  beinge  asked  whether  he 
would  submit  himself  to  the  Table  he  answered  he  knew 


1 68     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

their  malice,  and  beinge  called  to  goe  into  the  Hall  he 
flung  out  of  the  Court  sayinge  I  see  y''''  malice  is  against 
me.  And  being  called  in  againe  he  answered  You  can 
doe  mee  noe  hurt  and  I  will  doe  you  noe  good.  And 
soe  goeing  out  of  the  Court  and  throwing  off  his  gowne 
sayinge  Farewell,  you  are  willing  to  be  rid  of  mee  and 
I  am  as  willing  to  be  rid  of  you.  Vpon  w""^  his  misde- 
meanour contempt  and  scornefull  carrynge  It  is  ordered 
that  he  shall  not  be  warned  to  doe  the  Companie  any 
service." 

At  a  subsequent  Court  we  are  informed  that 
the  delinquent  presented  himself  and  asked  to  be 
heard  in  defence  and  to  be  received,  but  upon  the 
imposition  of  a  fine  and  the  question  being  put 
to  him  whether  he  would  ''  frame  himself  that 
they  might  hereafter  live  brotherly  together,"  he 
replied  "  that  he  feared  If  hee  should  come 
amongest  them  he  should  break  out  again,  w^^ 
modest  answere  satisfied  the  Court  for  the  p'sent," 
and  It  was  ordered  that  when  he  desired  to  be 
readmitted  he  should  pay  his  fine  and  submit 
himself  to  the  Table. 

So  rigorous  was  the  regulation  Imposing  a 
respectful  demeanour  between  members  enforced, 
that  on  one  occasion  when  a  member  of  the 
Livery  had  been  removed  from  the  Court  for 
disobedience,  one  of  the  Assistants,  for  calling  him 
a  ''  base  fellow,"  was  promptly  reprimanded  and 
fined. 

1 6 10.     Febntary  i6tk. 
Robert  Christie       "  Robert  Cristie  for  disobedience  agenst 
yne  o  v .     ^^j^^j^     Company    was    this    Court     Day 
comytted  to  the  Counter  in  Wood  Street." 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     169 

"  Mr.  Holbeame  for  saying  that  Robert  Christie  was 
but  a  base  fellowe,  being  so  disobedient  as 
^af^e^ofv"^^   the   said    Cristie  showed    himself  at   this 
Courte,  a  fyne  of  v'." 

1703.     October  20th. 

"  At  this  Court  the  said  Mr.  John  Shelton  and  John 
Wynd  were  ord*^  to  withdraw  and  then  the  question  was 
put  what  fhne  should  be  laid  upon  the  said  John  Wynd  for 
reviling  the  said  Mr.  Shelton  with  opprobrious  lan- 
guage for  charging  him  with  having  made  saddles  of 
sheepskin  leather  in  open  Court  held  the  20th  Oct.  last 
and  at  other  times  and  places,  and  thereupon  the  said 
John  Wynd  was  fined  10'  for  his  said  offence,  and  after- 
wards the  said  John  Wynd  being  called  into  the  Court 
and  acquainted  with  his  ffine,  he  affronted  and  abused 
the  Court  very  much,  reviling  them  with  bad  language 
and  saying  that  some  men  could  sin  without  any  regrett 
or  remorse,  and  made  a  sort  of  May  game  of  the  Court, 
and  afterwards  the  question  was  put  what  fine  should  be 
laid  upon  him  for  abusing  and  affronting  the  Court,  and 
thereupon  he  was  fined  40^  for  the  said  offence." 

No  member  was  allowed  to  sue  another  at 
law  without  the  permission  of  the  Wardens  first 
had  and  obtained.  In  the  event  of  a  grievance 
or  dispute  between  them,  the  member  so  aggrieved 
was  required  to  make  complaint  and  "  shew  his 
cause  of  grief"  unto  the  Wardens,  who,  upon 
hearing  both  parties,  gave  ''  an  order  for  an 
unity,  peace,  and  concord  to  be  had  between 
them  according  to  right,  equity  and  conscience." 
When  the  dispute  was  of  a  serious  nature  it  was 
customary  for  the  parties  to  be  summoned  and 
asked  whether  they  would  submit   themselves  to 


170     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

the  Table  of  the  Court.  If  one  refused,  per 
mission  was  given  for  an  appeal  to  the  law. 
Remarkably  enough,  there  is  no  instance  in  the 
Company's  Order  Books  of  an  appeal  to  the  law 
after  a  judgment  or  award  had  been  made  by  the 
Wardens. 

1608.     October  \oth. 

"  This  quarter  dale  Robert  Labourne  for  arresting  of 
Thomas  Newbury  w%ut  leave  demanded  of  his  Wardens 
and  Assistants  was  fyned  according  to  the  orders  of  o' 
house  to  paye  fortie  shillings  and  paide  but  five  shillings 
for  y*  was  scene  the  said  Labourne  had  good  cause  of 
action." 

1609.     Septe77iber  iith. 

"  It  is  ordered  that  Richard  Chambers  shall  have 
license  to  take  the  lawe  of  John  Downes  for  want  he 
came  not  in  upon  warning." 

1647.     Nor  ember  5///. 

''At  this  Court  John  Cox  (an  Assistant)  was  fined  in 
ten  shillings  for  misdemeanour  against  Warden  Perkins 
in  the  p'sence  of  our  M'  and  for  arresting  him  without 
asking  leave  of  the  Company." 

The  Company's  method  of  settling  differences 
between  its  members  deserves  a  passing  illustra- 
tion. 

1606.     Noveiizber  20th. 

"This  daie  Nicholas  Newton  and  Roger  Lloyd  were 
fyned  in  5^  apiece  for  misdemeanours  committed  by 
them  both  one  against  the  other  the  last  quarter  day 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  CoMrANY.     171 

whereof  was  given  them  back  againe  to  drink  in  wyne 
xij*^.  And  at  the  same  tyme  they  promised  love  each  to 
th'other." 


1639.     Deceniber  lyth. 

"  The  difference  between  Thos.  Harrison  and  Robert 
Dowgill  this  day  being  heard  by  this  Court.  Itt  is  this 
day  ordered  that  they  shall  be  loveing  friends  and  all 
differences  shall  bee  ended.  And  y^  Robt.  Dowgill 
shall  drinke  to  Thos.  Harrison  first  and  shall  say  if  I 
have  overshot  myself  in  words  I  am  sorry  and  the  said 
Thos.  Harrison  shall  pledge  him  and  they  both  shall 
shake  hands." 

In  one  Instance  we  read  that  the  Court  were 
called  upon  to  settle  a  quarrel  between  two  Assis- 
tants and  their  respective  wives.  As  may  be 
anticipated,  in  a  case  where  contending  ladies 
were  parties  the  Court  was  unsuccessful,  and  the 
opponents  and  their  better  halves  were  allowed 
to  invoke  the  supreme  arbitrament  of  the  law. 

The  etiquette  of  the  Company  was  quite  de 
rigiieur.  Quitting  a  Court  before  the  assembly 
was  over,  or  conversing  during  the  Court,  was 
promptly  punished  by  a  fine.  Members  were 
forbidden  to  attend  the  Courts  In  light-coloured 
suits,  and  more  than  one  member  paid  the  penalty 
of  his  Bohemianism.  In  fact,  this  offence  being 
repeatedly  brought  under  the  attention  of  the 
Court,  It  became,  in  1644,  the  subject  of  a  special 
prohibition. 

N 


172     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

1644.    July  gth, 

"At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  none  of  the  Assistants 
or  Clothinge  of  this  Fellowship  shall  come  to  the  Hall 
either  on  q'ter  daie  or  at  any  Generall  Meetings  when 
the  Assistants  and  Clothinge  meete  in  a  light-coloured 
suite  upon  paine  to  forfeit  for  every  tyme  soe  comeinge 
twoe  shillings  and  sixpence." 

On  one  occasion  we  read  of  two  members  fined 
for  attending  the  Court  in  lawyers'  gowns.  Under 
a  regime  so  absolute  the  opportunities  of  adding 
to  the  Company's  exchequer  were  numerous 
enough.  The  proceeds,  however,  derived  from 
these  penalties  were  put  into  the  Poor  Box,  from 
which  the  Company's  poor  were  relieved  by  the 
Wardens  at  the  Hall  door  after  every  Court. 

In  the  matter  of  the  personal  appearance  of 
their  journeymen  and  apprentices  the  Company 
appear  to  have  exercised  aesthetic  discriminations, 
although  not  of  the  modern  type,  as  we  gather 
from  the  following  curious  minute  : — 

1607.     May  i^tli. 

"At  this  Court  the  late  apprentice  of  Roland  Newton 
named  Wm.  Dennard,  and  the  apprentices  of  Bywell 
and  Browne  named  Henry  Cavill  and  Anthony  Scale 
wearing  long  hair  were  polled  closse  and  Thomas 
Solomon  the  younger  his  man  was  polled  also." 

The  Company's  faculty  of  ratiocination  seems 
to  have  been  quaint  and  original,  judged  from  the 
following   incident  : — In  the  year   1719a  Livery- 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     173 

man,  who  had  challenged  the  Master  to  a  duel, 
was  ordered  to  be  prosecuted.  In  order,  as  the 
minute  naively  remarks,  ''to  bring  him  into  a 
Christian  temper." 

The    religious    observances    of    the    Company 
„  ,.  .       ,       deserve   more  than  a   passing^  notice. 

Religious  obser-  .  ^  ^-^ 

varices  of  the    Going    back    as   far  as  Anglo-Saxon 

Company.  .  i  r  i 

times,  we  learn  Irom  the  convention 
between  the  Saddlers  and  the  Canons  of  St. 
Martin's-le-Grand,  which  throws  a  curious  light 
upon  the  religious  customs  of  the  Guild,  that,  in 
those  early  days,  the  Company,  among  other 
spiritual  observances,  were  in  the  habit  of  attend- 
ing the  Chapel  of  the  Convent  on  the  Feast  of 
St.  Martin.  The  present  practice  of  attend- 
ing St.  Vedast's  on  Election  Day  is  of  great 
antiquity.-^  The  City  archives  inform  us  that  in 
the  fourteenth  century  the  serving-men  of  the 
Saddlers'  trade  were  in  the  habit  of  attending 
Divine  Service  in  that  church  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Assumption,  properly  the  15th  August,  in  imita- 
tion, it  appears,  of  their  masters,  who,  it  is 
probable,  continued  their  attendance  at  St. 
Martin's-le-Grand  until  the  demolition  of  the 
Sanctuary  in   1548,   when  they  transferred    their 


^  Within  recent  years  it  was  the  custom  for  each  member  of 
the  Company  and  the  Chaplain  to  be  presented  by  the  Renter 
Warden  with  a  bouquet,  which  was  carried  to  the  Church,  a 
practice  now  discontinued. 

N   2 


174     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

spiritual  connection  to  St.  Vedast/  The  custom 
of  having  a  Chaplain,  whose  office  it  now  is  to 
preach  the  Election  Sermon  before  the  Com- 
pany, dates  at  least  as  far  back  as  a.d.  1398, 
when  Richard  II.  granted  to  the  Company  in 
his  Charter  to  have  "  one  Chaplain  to  celebrate 
divine  service  for  our  healthfull  estate  while  we 
live,  and  for  our  souls  when  we  shall  have 
migrated  from  this  light,  and  for  the  estate  and 
souls  of  the  men  of  the  mystery  and  commonalty 
aforesaid,  and  for  the  souls  of  all  the  faithful 
dead  for  ever." 

The    frequent    allusion    to    burials    recalls    a 

custom    of  some   interest.      Upon    the   death  of 

a  brother   or   sister    of   the  fraternity,   the  body 

was    taken    into    the    Common    Hall   and    there 

^,    ^  ,  covered    with    the    Company.s    State 

1  he  Company  s  ^         -^ 

Pall  or  Burial  Pall    or    Herse-Cloth.       In     ancient 

Cloth.  .  1  r  1 

times,  we  learn  irom  the  convention 
already  referred  to  that  the  interment  took 
place  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Convent  of  St. 
Martin's  ;  subsequently  the  precincts  of  St. 
Vedast  afforded  a  resting-place  for  the  remains 
of  departed  members.  The  whole  Company 
appear  to  have  been  summoned  to 
the  funeral  ;  the  ordinances  of  Eliza- 
beth imposed  a  fine  of  sixpence  for  late  attend- 
ance at,  and  of  twelve  pence  for  total  absence 
from  a  burial;    the  ordinances  of  1608  increased 

^  St.  Vedast,  which  adjoins  Saddlers'  Hall,  abuts  on  the  site 
of  the  old  Sanctuary  of  St.  Martin's. 


i 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     175 

these  penalties  to  two  shillings  and  sixpence  and 
three  shillings  and  fourpence  respectively.  Mis- 
demeanour at  burials  were  similarly  punished. 

1609.     October  i6th. 

''  The  same  daye  rec.  of  Alexander  Corser,  for  wearing 
of  a  hatt  at  John  Hall's  buryall  vj*^^." 

1633.     May  i/[th. 

"At  this  Court  Daniell  Potter  was  fined  ij'  vj''  for 
coming  in  a  fallinge  bande  to  the  buryall  of  Mr. 
Freeman,  whereof  hee  paid  vj*^  w^^'  was  D'^  to  Mr. 
Warden  Pease." 

1633.    June  I'^th. 

"  At  this  Court  Edmund  Sheppard  was  fined  in  ij'  vj*^ 
for  not  coming  to  the  buryall  of  Mr.  Thomas  Freeman, 
whereof  hee  paid  xij*^  w'^^  was  delivered  to  Mr.  Warden 
Pease." 

The  funeral  was  generally  followed  by  a  feast  or 
repast,  towards  the  charge  of  which  the  departed 
member  customarily  bequeathed  a  sum  of  money. 
When  this  did  not  happen,  the  Company  appear 
to  have  borne  the  expense.  In  November,  1645, 
however,  the  Court  ordered  that  no  more  should 
be  spent  in  burial  feasts  than  was  bequeathed  for 
the  purpose. 

The  following  minute  refers  to  the  burial  of 
an  Assistant,  who  apparently  died  in  straightened 
circumstances  : — 


1/6     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

1655.     February  ^t/i. 

"  At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  Warden  Sheppard 
shall  lay  out  ;^5  in  wine  and  Naples  biskett  for  Mr. 
Christy  his  Buriall  and  deliver  to  Mrs.  Christy  5;^  in 
money  as  the  guift  of  this  fellowship." 

In  certain  bye-laws  of  the  Company,  laid 
down  in  1624,  it  was  "  ordeyned  that  ever  here- 
after at  the  buriall  of  any  other  brother  or  sister, 
there  shall  be  no  service  of  cornfitts,  bread,  nor 
wyne  given  to  the  Liverie  in  the  streets,  but 
whatsoever  shall  be  given  shall  be  paied  in  readie 
money  to  be  laied  out  in  a  dinner  or  supper  for  the 
said  fellowship." 

The  Hall  was  occasionally  let  for  burial  cere- 
monials and  feasts  on  the  occasion  of  the  death 
of  persons  not  members  of  the  Company,  and  the 
letting  of  the  Hall  for  funerals  was  at  one  time  a 
privilege  permitted  to  the  Clerk.  In  April,  1721, 
however,  this  privilege  was  withdrawm,  the  Clerk 
being  allowed  only  13.9.  /[d.  on  each  funeral,  the 
rates  for  which  are  thus  defined  : — 

"  When  the  Hall  and  all  the  avenues  are  hung  with 
mourning  and  an  alcove  made,  fiue  guineas. 

"  When  hung  with  mourning  without  an  alcove,  at 
three  guineas. 

"  When  made  use  of  without  mourning,  two  guineas. 

"And  the  undertakers  to  make  good  all  damages." 

From  a  minute  about  the  same  time  we  also 
learn  that  prior  to  this  it  was  the  custom  for  the 


Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company.     177 

Wardens  on  these  occasions  to  receive  the  gift  of 
rings  as  their  doitceitr. 

The  funerals  very  frequently  took  place  at 
night.  Machyn,  In  his  diary,  gives  an  Interesting 
account  of  one  In  1552. 

"  The  XV  day  of  Juin  was  bered  Baptyst  Borrow  the 
melener  without  Crepull-gate  in  Saint  Gylle's  parryche 
with  a  penon  a  cote  armur  and  a  harold  and  with  xxiij 
stayffes-torches  and  so  xxiij  pore  men  here  them  and 
many  morners  in  blake  and  the  Company  of  the  Clarkes 
wher  ther  and  ys  plase  was  hangyd  with  blake  and 
armes  vj  dozen." 

Mr.  Thomas  Adderley,  a  member  of  the  Com- 
pany and  an  antiquary  of  some  note,  writing  to 
the  ''Gentleman's  Magazine,"  in  181 3,  states  that 
the  Saddlers'  Company  still  had  in  use  at  that 
time  the  old  funeral  sconces  remaining  from  the 
custom  of  burying  corpses  by  torchlight — a  cus- 
tom which,  he  adds,  was  still  fresh  in  his  memory.^ 

The  Company  still  possess  their  old  funeral 
pall,  or  "burial  cloth."  It  consists  of  a  rect- 
angular panel  of  rich  crimson  brocaded  velvet 
Interwoven  with  gold  thread,  6  feet  \\  Inches  in 
length  and  22  inches  In  breadth,  the  pattern 
consisting  of  two  rows  of  seven  medallions 
of  a  conventional  foliate  design.  Attached  to 
each  of  the  four  sides,  and  of  the  same  length  as 


'  These  are  no  longer  preserved ;  they  were  probably  des- 
troyed in  one  of  the  two  subsequent  conflagrations  from  which 
the  Hall  suffered. 


178     Internal  Affairs  of  the  Company. 

the  side  to  which  it  is  attached,  is  a  flap  of  crim- 
son velvet.  Each  of  the  two  longest  flaps  con- 
tains three  embroidered  panels,  divided  from  each 
other  by  spirally  fluted  columns  ;  the  centre 
panel  contains  an  elliptical  shield,  gules,  sur- 
rounded by  a  glory,  or,  and  bearing  the  sacred 
initials  I  H  S  in  plain  Italian  letters  of  gold 
thread.  The  shield  is  supported  by  five  angels. 
On  either  side  of  the  centre  panel  is  another  panel 
containing  on  a  shield  (which  is  in  the  form  of  a 
banneret  ornamented  with  a  top  and  bottom 
border  of  six  trefoils,  and  is  suspended  by  a  hand, 
or)  the  arms  of  the  Company,  viz.,  az2C7^e,-3i  chevron, 
or,  betw^een  three  sumpter  saddles  of  the  same. 
On  one  of  the  longest  flaps  is  embroidered  in  gold 
thread  and  in  old  English  characters  the  words — 

*'  h\  te  Bne  spcrabi  no/^ 

and  on  the  other — 

"^  (iTofuntrer  iw  tXtxmy  ^ 

The  two  shorter  flaps  at  the  ends  of  the  pall 
simply  contain  each  three  panels  similar  to  those 
already  described.  The  four  flaps  are  skirted  by 
a  broad  gold  fringe,  the  full  dimensions  of  the  pall 
being  9  feet  by  4  feet  7  inches.^ 

^  The  last  verse  of  the  Te  deum,  properly — In  te  Domine 
speravi.     Non  confund^r  in  eternum. 

-  The  Funeral  Pall  is  still  brought  out  and  placed  upon  the 
table  at  each  Quarter  Court  immediately  ensuing  upon  the 
death  of  an  Assistant. 


'7A//;-,  *  Gc^um,,,,,  ,y  llu  lb'-    Calfunj- 


',  ;.;:,/-sC.'.'H. :'!'■;/::,' I,, i 


it  ...  I„», 


■^L „vHt.M*('''.M,'4ii..^(*^/l 


'»P«hO«lSO«i   LtTH.»:N»KI.«u,P«(,.*c 


Cr» 


C ^F re/irrsmfaQon  of  Lhc  ancicnC  T'unmiCifialT  of  lUii: 
i\drsJii/i/iil'  Comfaiy^  of^  SadlCa-rs. 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.         179 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Company  and  the  Trade. 


The  Company  anciently  all  of  the  Craft, — Impracticability  of  restricting 
it  to  Members  of  the  Trade. — The  Ordinances  of  the  Company  in 
harmony  v/ith  the  Laws  of  the  Period. — Statute  of  5  Eliz.  c.  4. — 
All  Trades  to  be  learned  by  Apprenticeship. — Apprentices  to  the 
Saddlery  Trade  examined  by  the  Wardens. — Number  of  Appren- 
tices limited  by  Ordinance. — Regulations  concerning  Apprentices. — 
Curious  Custom  upon  taking  up  Freedom. — Spoons. — Accumulate 
and  are  exchanged  for  other  Plate. — Responsibility  of  Apprentices. 
The  Company  Mediate  between  the  Apprentices  and  their  Masters. — 
Saddlers  only  allowed  to  Open  Shop  conditionally. — "  Proof-piece." 
— Ordinances  impose  Honesty  of  Dealing. — Saddles  to  be  made 
Openly. — To  be  Viewed  by  Company  before  Sold. — "  Forreyners." 
— Statute  5  Eliz.  c.  8. — The  Leather  Market  at  Leadenhall. — 
Searchers  and  Sealers  of  Leather. — Custom  of  Search. 


HERE  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
originally  the  Saddlers'  Company  was 
exclusively  composed  of  members  of 
that  craft.  In  course  of  time,  how- 
ever, the  inheritance  of  the  right  to  the  freedom 
of  the  Company  by  patrimony,  coupled  with  the 
disinclination  of  sons  to  follow  the  trade  of  their 
father,  led  to  the  introduction  into  the  Company 
of  members  who  followed  other  trades  and  pur- 
suits. In  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury the  Company's  Order  Books  clearly  show  us 
that  the  Court  was  not  composed  entirely  of 
members  of  the  Saddlers'  craft,  although  the 
trade  was  represented  thereon,  and  this  has  con- 


i8o         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

tinued  down  to  the  present  day.  The  Company 
made  repeated  attempts  to  compel  persons  prac- 
tising the  business  of  a  Saddler  to  join  the 
Company,  and  in  1695  endeavoured  to  procure 
an  Act  of  Common  Council  for  that  purpose. 
Notwithstanding,  however,  that  under  a  recent 
Act  of  Parliament  they  succeeded,  in  1703,  in 
compelling  "foreign  "  Saddlers  to  pay  quarterage 
and  to  fine  for  "opening  shop,"  they  appear  to 
have  shortly  afterwards  relinquished  a  systematic 
exaction  of  the  obligation.  This  is  not  inex- 
plicable when  we  recollect  that  the  Company 
represented  the  leading  interests  of  the  trade, 
while  "  foreign  "  Saddlers  were  probably  for  the 
most  part  men  who  had  not  properly  qualified 
themselves  to  exercise  the  craft  by  serving  the 
prescribed  course  of  apprenticeship  and  in  other 
ways,  and  who  also  not  only  in  relation  to  the 
circumstances  of  their  trade,  but  in  respect  of  the 
privileges  of  citizenship,  were  at  an  immense  dis- 
advantage as  compared  with  free  Saddlers.  Never 
was  a  City  Company  more  intimately  connected 
with  its  craft,  never  were  its  ordinances  directed 
more  assuredly  with  a  view  to  the  promotion  of 
that  particular  trade  which  it  was  designed  to 
foster  and  protect. 

The  Company's  ordinances  were  of  necessity 
in  strict  conformity  with  the  laws  of  the  period, 
which  it  must  be  stated  were  very  stringent  and 
arbitrary  so  far  as  they  afTected  trade  and  artificers. 
One  of  the  most  important  statutes  to  which 
reference  is   frequently   made  in    the   Company's 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.    i8i 

Statute  5  Eiiz.     books  is  that  of  the  5th  Ehzabeth,  c.  4, 
c- 4-  entitled   "An  Acte  touching  dyvers 

orders  for  artificers  Laborers  servantes  of  Hus- 
bandrye  and  Apprentices,"  many  of  the  enact- 
ments of  which  sound  curious  in  times  hke  the 
present.  This  statute  enacted  inter  alia  that  no 
artificers  (in  which  category  Saddlers  are  expressly 
included)  should  take  any  workman  to  work  with 
him  for  a  less  time  than  one  year.  It  also  enacted 
that  the  rates  of  wages  of  artificers,  husbandmen, 
labourers,  and  workmen  should  be  ascertained 
yearly  by  Justices,  &c.,  in  Sessions,  certified  into 
Chancery,  approved  by  the  Privy  Council,  and 
proclaimed  by  the  Sheriffs.  The  most  important 
enactment  of  this  statute,  however,  so  far  as  it 
^  ^       ^      concerned  the  Company,  was  Section 

Trades  to  be  ^  ^  . 

learned  by  ap-    xxiv.,  which  ordaiued  that  "it  shall 

prenticeship.  ,         ^        ^1, 

not  be  lauiull  to  any  pson  or  psons, 
other  than  suche  as  nowe  doo  laufully  use  or 
exercise  any  Arte  Misterye  or  Manuell  Occu- 
pacon,  to  sette  uppe  occupie  use  or  exercise  anye 
Crafte  Misterye  or  Occupacon  nowe  used  or  occu- 
pied within  the  realms  of  Englande  or  Wales 
Excepte  he  shall  have  been  brought  uppe  therein 
seaven  yeares  at  the  least  as  Apprentice  in  maner 
and  fourme  abovesald,  nor  to  sete  anye  person  on 
woorck  in  suche  Misterye  Arte  or  Occupacon  being 
not  a  workman  at  this  Day  Except  he  shall  have 
bene  Apprentice  as  ys  aforesaid  orels  having 
served  as  an  apprentice  as  ys  aforesaid  shall  or 
will  become  a  Journeyman  or  be  hyred  by  the 
yere ;     upon    payne    that    every    p'son    willingly 


1 82         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

offend Ing  or  doing  the  contrary  shall  forfeite  and 
lose  for  every  defaulte  fourtye  shllHngs  for  every 
monethe." 

Similarly  the  Company's  ordinances  forbade  any 
member  to  teach  the  art  of  Saddlery  to  any 
person  (except  his  own  son)  unless  and  until  that 
^     ,  .  person    had    been  bound  apprentice 

Regulations  con-    ^  ■'••'■ 

cerning  to  him  for  the  purpose.  Every 
ppren  ices.  M^s^er  was  bound  to  present  his 
apprentice  to  the  Wardens  at  the  next  assembly 
in  the  Common  Hall  of  the  Company  after  the 
binding,  in  order  that  the  Wardens  might  examine 
him,  and,  as  the  ordinance  expresses  it,  see 
"  whether  hee  bee  a  Freeborn  subject  of  the 
King  of  England  or  not,  and  to  see  whether  hee 
bee  cleane  and  whole  lymed "  (limbed),  etc. 
Upon  the  apprentice  being  duly  admitted  to 
serve,  his  master  paid  unto  the  Wardens  2^-.  6</., 
increased  in  1669  to  6s. 

1605.     November  12///. 

"  It  was  further  ordered  at  this  Courte  that  Thomas 
Potter  for  keeping  of  Goodalc,  his  apprentice,  two  yeres 
together  and  not  in  all  that  tyme  presented  him,  was 
fyned  for  that  fault  for  breaking  the  orders  of  o""  house 
twenty  shillings  w^'  he  paid  to  Warden  Penyale." 

1609.     December  ^tJi. 

"  At  this  Courte  Oliver  Houghton  was  appoynted  to 
bringe  in  his  fyne  for  keepinge  a  prentyse  unpresented 
at  the  next  quarter  day." 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.    183 

1627.    Jamiary  lyth. 

"  At  this  Court  Robert  Barthrop  complayned  of 
William  Standysh  for  teaching  a  stranger  his  trade, 
being  not  bound,  and  for  haveing  of  twoe  apprentizes 
w*^^  he  ought  not  to  haue,  ffor  w^^  his  offence  hee  is  fined 
in  fforty  shillings,  w^^  hee  is  to  bring  in  the  next  Court 
daie." 

By  the  ordinances  ratified  3rd  Elizabeth,  no 
member  of  the  Company  was  permitted  to  take 
any  apprentice  or  other  person  to  work  for  him 
in  the  art  of  Saddlery  until  that  member  had 
been  licensed  to  do  so,  as  well  as  to  keep  a  shop 
to  his  own  use  by  the  Wardens  and  Assistants  of 
the  Company.  The  number  of  apprentices  to  be 
kept,  moreover,  was  strictly  limited.  The  War- 
dens of  the  Company  were  not  allowed  to  keep 
more  than  three  apprentices  at  any  one  time. 
Members  of  the  Clothing  or  Livery  were  re- 
stricted to  two  ;  and  Freemen  who  were  not  of 
the  Livery  were  not  allowed  to  take  a  second 
apprentice  until  the  first  had  entered  upon  his  last 
year  of  servitude.-  In  1608,  however,  the  liberty 
of  the  yeomanry  to  take  a  second  apprentice  was 
extended  to  a  year  earlier,  that  is  to  say,  when  the 
first  had  entered  upon  his  last  year  but  one  of  ser- 
vice.^ Minutes  similar  to  the  following  occur  over 
and  over  again  : — 


^  Ordinances,  3rd  Eliz.,  1560-1. 
^  Ordinances,  5th  James  I. 


184         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

1606.     November  iStk. 

"  This  Courte  Daye  Henry  Yate  brought  in  his  fyne 
of  xx'  for  sondry  consideracons  he  was  released  of  the 
same  fyne  for  and  vpon  the  payment  of  five  shilHngs 
w^''  he  paide  for  keepeing  of  three  Apprentices  contrary 
to  o''  order." 

If  It  happened  that  the  master  died  before  the 
apprentice  was  out  of  his  term,  the  Wardens  of 
the  Company  were  empowered  to  remove  the 
apprentice  after  compensating  the  widow,  and  to 
set  him  over  to  finish  his  term  with  another 
member.  If,  however,  the  widow  of  the  deceased 
member  remained  single  and  carried  on  her 
husband's  craft,  or  If  she  married  another  member 
of  the  Company,  she  was  at  liberty  to  retain  the 
apprentice.  In  the  latter  contingency,  however, 
It  was  expressly  stipulated  that  the  number 
of  apprentices  to  be  kept  jointly  by  the  former 
widow  and  her  second  husband  should  not  exceed 
the  number  permitted  to  any  ordinary  member. 

Every  master,  after  his  apprentice  had  served 
his  time,  was  required  to  present  him  to  the 
Wardens  of  the  Company,  and  to  make  a  decla- 
ration that  he  had  duly  fulfilled  his  term.  The 
apprentice  was  thereupon  sworn  to  be  obedient  to 
the  rules  of  the  Company,  and  after  paying  2s.  2d} 
was  presented  by  the  Wardens  to  the  Chamber- 
lain of  the  City  and  admitted  to  the  freedom  of 
the  Company. 

1  Ordinances,  3rd  Eliz.  ;  increased  to  6s.  by  the  Ordinances 
of  Charles  II. 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.    185 

Failure  to  fulfil  this  ordinance  was,  as  In  all 
other  cases,  punished  by  a  fine 

1626.     October  iZth. 

"At  this  Court  Will'"  Cam  complained  of  Edward 
Hill  for  that  hee  would  not  make  him  free  his  terme 
being  expired  the  said  Hill  being  twice  warned  in  ap- 
peared not  to  shew  cause  wherefore  hee  would  not  make 
him  free.  It  is  ordered  that  he  shall  attend  o'"  M""  to- 
morrow in  the  forenoone  w''^'  if  hee  refuse  to  doe  then 
hee  is  to  bee  comitted  to  the  prisonne  of  the  Comter  for 
his  contempt." 

In  1624  It  was   ordered  ^' that  all  such  as  shall 
Curious  custom  be  made  free  hereafter  do  either  gratl- 

upon  taking  up    r         -i        r^  •   i  m 

Freedom,  iie  the  Company  with  a  silver  spoone 
"Spoons."  weighing  twoo  ounces  at  the  leaste 
according  to  a  patterne  w''^  shall  be  shewed  them 
or  ells  to  continue  the  ancient  custome  {i.e,^  a 
fine)  and  to  be  made  free  at  the  fower  vsuall 
quarter  dales  kept  for  the  said  Societie." 

The  first  mention  of  the  gift  of  a  spoon  upon 
taking  up  the  freedom,  however,  occurs  previous 
to  this  order,  viz..  In  1619,  and  alludes  to  another 
old  and  curious  custom  common  on  such  occa- 
sions. 

1 6 19.     February  22iid. 

"  This  daie  Pattrick  Barrell  gaue  to  the  Companie  a 
little  silver  spoone  in  regard  he  made  the  Wardens  and 
Assistants  noe  dynner  when  he  was  made  free." 

Singularly    enough,    the    custom    of   making  a 


1 86         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

dinner  upon  the  occasion  of  taking  up  the  free- 
dom is  nowhere  else  alluded  to  throughout  the 
Company's  books.  The  improbability,  not  to  say 
impossibility,  of  an  ordinary  apprentice  being  able 
to  contribute  such  a  sum  as  would  be  involved  in 
a  dinner  to  about  20  persons  inclines  us  to  believe 
that  this  custom  could  only  apply  to  persons 
taking  up  the  freedom  by  redemption  and  not  by 
servitude.  This  explanation,  however,  is  purely 
speculative.  If  it  be  correct,  a  minute  in  1626 
acquaints  us  with  the  fact  that  by  that  time  the 
gift  of  a  silver  spoon  had  become  general  on  all 
occasions  of  the  bestowal  of  the  freedom,  whether 
by  patrimony,  servitude,  or  redemption. 

1626.     December  Jth. 

"At  this  Court  Thomas  Addisonne,  the  sonne  of 
Thomas  Addisonne,  being  made  free  by  patrimony, 
Will"'  Cam,  late  appren.  to  John  Greenwaie,  Thomas 
Bassett,  late  apprentice  to  William  Pease,  and  John 
Lidget,  made  free  by  redempcon,  foure  silver  spoones. 
the  said  Lidget's  spoone  being  afterwards  delivered  him 
backe  vpon  the  bringing  in  of  a  litle  silver  bowle." 

In  one  instance  a  spoon  is  recorded  as  weighing 
6\  ounces  ;  occasionally  the  spoon  is  described  as 
being  engraved  with  the  donor's  name,  and  on 
numerous  occasions  the  spoons  were  ''guilt." 

As  many  as  twelve  spoons  are  recorded  as 
c  beinof    presented    at    a  sinMe    Court, 

bpoons  ... 

exchanged  for  sio^uifyinpf  as  many   freemen  enrolled. 

other  plate.        ^        •'      P  .    ■'  . 

rrom  time  to  tmie,  as   these  spoons 
accumulated,    they   were  taken   out  of  the  Com- 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.  187 

pany's  treasury  and  sold,  or  exchanged  for  other 
plate. 

Minutes  similar  to  the  followino^  occur  now  and 
again  : — 


1654.     October  lytk 

''  At  this  Court  it  is  ordered  that  our  M'  and  Wardens 
with  two  antient  M''  shall  buy  foure  table-cloaths  and 
12  doz.  of  napkins  of  diaper  and  cupboard  cloatlxs  and 
towelles  and  to  change  the  spoones  for  plate  reserving  8 
doz.  for  the  vse  of  the  Hall." 

And  again  in  the  following  month  we  read  : — 

"  Att  this  Court  the  Auditors  delivered  out  of  the 
Treasury  a  C^  to  Warden  Jones  and  to  our  M*"  and 
Wardens  six  dozen  and  eight  Siluer  Spoones  whereof 
26  guilt  all  which  were  sould  for  33;^  05^  10^  and  at  the 
same  tyme  there  was  bought  foure  standing  siluer  Salts 
Cellars  two  trencher  Salts  and  fowre  beere  boules 
weighing  127°^  9'^  wth  at  5'  6^  p.  oz.  35>^  :  oj'  :  00*^  paid 
2'  &^  for  marking  them  which  makes  35^  3'  G^.  There 
was  bought  at  the  same  tyme  fowre  diap  table  clothes 
containing  34  yards  and  6  dozen  of  napkins  containing 
yS  yards  and  a  Court  Cupboard  Cloth  containing  3  yards 
all  which  cost  18;^  13^  10^." 

Towards  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
however,  the  Company  appear  to  have  reverted 
to  the  old  practice  of  a  pecuniary  payment,  and 
several  entries  occur  from  time  to  time  of  "  x* 
paid  for  a  spoone." 

The  ordinances  of  the  Company  imposed  a  fine 
upon  any  master  presenting  his  apprentice  for  the 

o 


1 88         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

freedom  before  he  had  served  his  full  term,  even 
when  the  apprentice  had  served  seven  years. 
Apprentices  were  frequently  bound  for  eight  years, 
and  Instances  even  occur  In  the  Company's 
records  of  bindings  for  as  long  as  eleven  years. 
Seeing  that  the  minds  of  many  have  been  and 

Responsibility  ^^^  sometlmes  exerclsed  with  regard 
of  Apprentices,  ^q  ^]^q  questlon  of  the  responsibility  of 

a  minor  in  fulfilling  his  articles  of  apprenticeship, 
as  well  as  with  the  allied  question  of  the  liability 
of  an  apprentice  who  attains  his  majority  before 
he  has  fulfilled  his  obligations,  It  may  not 
generally  be  known  that  the  statute  already 
alluded  to,  viz.,  5  Elizabeth,  c.  4,  section  xxxv., 
takes  cognizance  of  the  difficulty  and  disposes  of 
It  In  the  following  words:  "And  because  ther 
hath  bene  and  ys  some  question  and  scruple 
moved  whether  any  pson  being  w^^'In  thage  of  one 
and  twentye  yeres  and  bounden  to  serve  as  an 
apprentice  in  any  other  place  than  the  said  CItie  of 
London  shoulde  bee  bounden  accepted  and  taken 
as  an  apprentyce.  For  the  Resolucbn  of  the  said 
Scruple  and  Doubte  be  yt  enacted  by  aucthorlte 
of  this  pnte  Pliam*  That  all  and  every  suche 
pson  or  psons  that  at  any  time  or  times  from 
hensforthe  shalbe  bounden  by  indentures  to  serve 
as  an  apprentice  In  any  Arte  Science  Occupacon 
or  Labour  according  to  the  tenor  of  this  Statute 
and  in  maner  and  fourme  abovesald  albeit  the  same 
apprentice  or  any  of  them  shalbe  within  the  age 
of  one  and  twentye  yeres  at  the  tyme  of  making 
of   their  severall    Indentures    shalbe    bounden   to 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.         189 

serve  for  the  yeres  on  their  severall  Indentures 
contelned  as  amply  and  lardgly  to  every  extent  as 
yf  the  same  apprentice  were  of  full  age  at  the  time 
of  making  of  suche  indenture  any  Lawe  Usage 
or  Custome  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding." 

Clause  xix.  of  the  same  Statute  seems  to  throw 
some  light  upon  the  difficulty  suggested  by  the 
allusion  on  numerous  occasions  in  the  Com- 
pany's Books  of  bindings  for  as  much  as  eleven 
years  already  mentioned.  It  gives  liberty  to 
householders  In  any  city  or  corporate  town, 
provided  they  be  at  least  24  years  of  age,  to  take 
an  apprentice  ''  to  serve  and  bee  bounde  as  an 
apprentice  after  the  custome  and  order  of  the 
CItle  of  London  for  seven  yeres  at  the  least  so  as 
the  tearme  and  yeares  of  suche  apprentice  doe  not 
expyre  or  determyne  afore  such  apprentice  shall 
bee  of  thage  of  foure  and  twentye  yeres  at  the 
least.  "^ 

We  learn  from  the  Company's  ordinances, 
however,  that  it  was  occasionally  permissible  for 
an  apprentice  to  be  remitted  of  an  unexpired  term 
of  years  If  ''  the  residue  of  his  terme  shalbe  for- 
given him  by  speciall  legacye  of  his  M^''  conteyned 
in  his  laste  will  and  testament." 

As  has  been  already  stated,  apprentices  could 
appeal  to  the  Company  against  arbitrary  exactions 
of  or  improper  treatment  by  their  masters,  and 
masters    could    invoke    the    intervention  of    the 


^  This  Statute  was  not  repealed  until  the  early  part  of  the 
present  century. 

O    2 


iQO         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

Company  In  the  case  of  contumacious  or  rebellious 
apprentices. 

1619.    January  iSth. 

"  This  daie  M''  Chamblaine  sent  his  letter  (to  the 
Companie)  on  the  behalfe  of  Will™  Ratcliff  the  apprentiz 
of  Thomas  Whitney,  shewing  thereby  the  want  of  such 
necessaries  as  were  fitt  for  him  to  haue.  The  w^^'  compit 
being  examined  and  found  true  It  is  ordered  that  the 
said  apprentize  shalbe  taken  from  his  said  M'"  and  to 
serue  the  remainder  of  his  terme  w*^'  such  a  M""  as  his 
friends  can  p'vide  for  him.  His  M''  is  to  deliver  vp  his 
Indentures  and  his  apprent  to  be  saved  from  him." 

1607.     October  20th. 

"  At  an  assembly  of  the  said  Wardeins  and  Assistents 
on  the  first  quarter  daye  being  the  20  Day  of  October 
1607,  William  Lazenbye  made  a  complaynt  of  James 
Harwigg  his  apprentice  for  many  evilles  and  misde- 
meanours agenst  his  M""  cofhytted  Was  thretned  to  be 
whipped  and  the  beadell  sent  for  and  he  made  great 
signes  of  amendment  w^^'  weeping  and  Lamenting  asked 
his  Master's  forgivenesse,  was  at  his  request  and  other  of 
o''  assistents  the  said  apprentice  was  discharged  of  his 
ponyshm*  vpon  amendment." 

Every  apprentice,  upon  completing  his  term  of 
apprenticeship,  was  required  to  make 

"  Proof  piece."  •    1  1  n  1  •  c  1 

a  trial  saddle,  or  other  piece  01  work 
pertaining  to  the  Saddlers'  craft,  with  "his  own 
hands,  cunning,  and  knowledge,"  at  the  Hall. 
This  "  proof  piece,"  as  it  was  called,  was  viewed 
by  the  Wardens,  and  if  they  were  satisfied  with 
the  workmanship  the  maker,  after  satisfying  one 
or  two  other  conditions,  had  license  given  to  him 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.  191 

to  open  shop,  or  If  he  were  not  able  to  set  up 
a  shop,  they  deternnned  the  scale  of  his  wages 
as  a  journeyman.  The  motive  of  the  latter  act 
is  stated  to  be  In  order  that  "he  should  not  only 
learn  his  occupation  more  perfectly,  but  also 
following  their  good  example  of  living  and  order 
of  their  household,  should  be  better  able  dis- 
creetly and  politicly  to  keep  and  order  a  shop  to 
his  own  use  and  benefit,  civilly  and  orderly  to  rule 
and  govern  his  household  and  family,  and  to  train 
them  up  in  virtue  and  godly  exercise  to  the  honour 
of  God,  the  worship  of  the  said  mystery,  and  to 
the  profit  of  the  commonwealth." 

No  member  of  the  Company  was  allowed  to 
open  shop  until  he  had  been  examined  by  the 
Wardens  and  Assistants  as  to  his  "honest  con- 
versation, cunning,  and  knowledge  of  the  art,  and 
of  the  substance  of  goods."  The  ordinances  of 
3  Elizabeth  recite  the  necessity  for  the  avoidance 
of  inconveniences  likely  to  ensue  from  persons 
setting  up  shop  before  they  are  of  ability  to  pay 
ready  money  for  such  wares  as  they  require  In  the 
trade,  and  prohibits  any  journeymen  or  appren- 
tice opening  shop  unless  he  be  worth  "  of  his 
own  proper  goods  twenty  marks  (^13  6s.  Sd.),'' 
and  the  ordinances  of  21  Charles  II.  Increased 
this  amount  to  ^20,  in  order.  It  is  stated,  that  he 
may  be  able  "  to  keep  and  use  the  room  of  an 
honest  householder  and  save  his  credit."  If  the 
candidate  satisfied  these  conditions  he  paid  the 
Company  35-.  4^.,  and  was  forthwith  allowed  to 
set  up  in  business. 


192         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

1609.     December  ^th. 

"  Rec.  of  William  Lynton  who  made  his  Saddell  in 
o"*  hall  the  xxviij  Daye  of  Novemb'"  w^''  was  viewed  and 
liked  of  and  he  was  admytted  to  open  shoppe  and  paid 
to  the  Companyes  vse  iij'  iiij*^." 

1606.     October  28///. 

"  It  was  ordered  at  this  Assembly  that  Symon  Smeathe 
shall  make  his  M""  piece  Saddell  before  the  last  daye  of 
October  next  after  this  Assembly.  And  for  that  the 
saide  Symon  had  often  tymes  warnying  to  make  his 
saddell  and  Did  it  not  and  that  he  opened  his  shope 
w^^'out  license  contrarye  to  the  orders  of  o""  house  kept 
fforens  was  fy ned  to  pay  xl''  w'^'^  he  promysed  to  bryng 
in  afore  the  next  Court  daye." 

1609.     December  ^th. 

"Calvert  Chamberlen  late  apprentice  to  Tho.  Addison 
made  his  Saddell  in  the  hall  by  the  Wardenes  appoyntm* 
w*^^  was  viewed  and  scene  the  xxvj"'  of  October  1609." 

Members  were  forbidden  to  entice  away  the 
servant  of  another  member,  and  journeymen  and 
other  servants  were  forbidden  to  serve  for  any 
less  period  than  a  year,  or  to  quit  service  under  a 
quarter's  warning  on  pain  of  forfeiting  405-. 

The  ordinances  of  5  Elizabeth  likewise  set  forth 
that  any  member  attempting  to  allure  away  the 
customer  of  another  member,  or  uttering  words 
to  the  detraction  of  another  member,  or  of  his 
wares,  should  forfeit  'h^^  pounds.  The  punish- 
ment for  this  offence  was  reduced  to  40  shillings 
in  the  subsequent  ordinances  of  1608  and   1669, 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.  193 

although    happily    no    Instance    of    this    offence 
occurs  In  the  Company's  records. 

The   ordinances   prohibited    any   persons   from 

making   Saddlery  wares   otherwise  than  in  open 

shop,    common    fair,    or    market,    and    expressly 

Saddles  to  be    ^o^bad  any  member  of  the  Company 

made  openly,    buying    or    usIng    any    wares    made 

covertly   or  privately.      The  regulations   against 

foreigners,  i.e.,  non-freemen,  were  stringent,  and 

strictly    enforced.       No  member  was  allowed  to 

buy    or    sell    any    saddlery    wares    made    by    a 

foreigner,  or  by  any  person  who  had  not  served 

an   apprenticeship   of    seven  years  to    the  trade, 

To  be  viewed     '^^^^^   s\iQ}ci   warcs    had    been    viewed 

by  the  Wardens,   and  approved  by  the  Wardens.     No 

freeman    was    permitted    to    employ    a    foreigner 

without  the  consent  of  the  Wardens 

first  had  and  obtained,  and  then  onlv 

In  urgent  cases  and  for  short  periods.      Nor  was 

a    freeman    allowed    to    work  for  a  non-freeman 

outside    the   City  of   London   without    a    similar 

license.     The  employment  of  a  foreigner  Involved 

in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  a  fine  of  2s.  6d.  a  week 

during  the  offence,  and  In  the  following  reign  this 

penalty  was  increased  to  2s.  6d.  per  day.^ 

1606.     December  gth. 

"  Richarde  Harrison  being  one  of  o'"  Lyverie  came 
this  Courte  and  desired  to  have  a  forrcn  Sj'dler  to  worke 
w*'^  him." 


194         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

1626.    August  31^/. 

"  This  daie   Michaell  Harman  was  fined  in  five  shil- 
lings for  setting  forreyners  on  worke,  whereof  hee  paid 

A    Statute,    5   Elizabeth,  c.    8,    entitled     ''  An 

Act    touching    Tanners    Courriours    Shoemakers 

and    other   artificers    occupyeing    the    cutting    of 

Leather,"  established    Leadenhall    as 

Leadenhall.         ,  ,  ,  •  ^         /-^'         r  ^ 

the  only  market  m  the  City  for  the 
sale  of  tanned  leather,  and  enacted  that  none 
should  buy  such  leather  except  those  who  in- 
tended to  work  it  into  wares,  Monday  being  the 
only  day  upon  which  it  could  be  purchased. 
Further,  all  tanned  hides  or  skins  before  they 
were  sold  were  required  to  be  examined  and 
sealed  by  authorities  appointed  by  the  City.  The 
bartering  of  leather  at  any  other  place  was  pro- 
hibited under  a  heavy  penalty  ;  an  exception, 
however,  was  made  in  favour  of  the  ''  Sadlers 
and  Gyrdlers,"  who  we  read  ''  maye  selle  theyr 
Neckes  and  Shreddes  of  tanned  leather  redd 
w^Mut  incurring  any  Payne  or  Forfeyture  for  the 
same."  The  of^ce  of  searching  and  sealing  was 
to  be  performed  by  four  or  more  expert  persons 
appointed  annually  by  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen 
of  the  City.  This  Act  was  repealed  i  James  I., 
c.  25,  but  an  Act  which  had  been  previously 
passed  in  the  same  year,  i  James  I.,  c.  22, 
re-enacted    its    principal    provisions    with     some 

little  modification.  Sections  30  and 
Sealers  of     3 1   require  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen 

to  elect  eight  searchers  from  one  or 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.    195 

more  of  the  following  Companies,  viz.,  Cord- 
wainers.  Curriers,  Saddlers,  and  Girdlers.  The 
following  are  the  Clauses  in  question  : — 

"  Section  30. — Provided  always  that  none  of  the  several 
Masters  and  Wardens  of  the  several  Companyes  of 
Cordwainers,  Curriers,  Girdlers,  or  Sadlers,  shall  search 
any  person  or  persons  but  such  as  use  and  exercise  the 
mistery  or  occupacon  of  the  said  Master  and  Wardens, 
and  that  the  Coachmakers  dwelling  within  the  said  City 
of  London,  or  three  miles  from  the  same,  shall  be  under 
the  Survey  and  Search  of  the  Master  and  Wardens  of 
the  Company  of  the  Saddlers  of  London. 

"  Section  31. — And  be  it  further  enacted  that  the  said 
Mayor  of  the  City  of  London  and  the  Aldermen  for  the 
time  being,  upon  like  pain  of  forty  pounds  likewise  to 
be  levyed  and  employed,  shall  likewise  yearly  appoint 
eight  of  the  most  substantiall,  honest,  and  expert  persons, 
being  Freemen  of  some  of  the  Companyes  of  Cord- 
wayners,  Curriers,  Saddlers,  or  Girdlers  within  the  City  of 
London,  whereof  one  shall  be  a  Sealer  and  keep  a  Seal 
for  the  sealing  of  Leather,  to  be  prepared,  who  shall  be 
sworn  before  the  said  Mayor  and  Aldermen  for  the  time 
being  to  do  their  office  truely.  Which  said  Searchers 
and  Sealers  shall  view  and  search  all  and  every  tanned 
hide,  skin,  or  leather  which  shall  be  brought  as  well  to 
the  market  of  Leaden  Hall  as  to  any  other  lawful  Fair 
or  Market  therefore  usually  appointed  within  three 
miles  of  the  said  Citye,  whether  the  same  be  sufficiently 
and  throughly  tanned  and  throughly  dryed,  according  to 
the  true  purport  and  meaning  of  this  Statute  or  no.  And 
finding  it  sufficiently  and  throughly  tanned  and  throughly 
dryed  in  such  manner  and  form  abys  this  Statute  is  ap- 
pointed, shall  seal  the  same  with  the  said  Seal."^ 


^  This  Statute  contains  many  curious  enactments ;  among 
others,  that  calves   shall   not   be  killed  under  five  weeks  old  ; 


196         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

And  we  accordingly  read  that  every  year  the 
Company  elected  two  searchers  and  presented 
them  to  the  Court  of  Aldermen  for  approval. 

1607.     May  12  th. 

"Marke  Branche  at  this  Courtewas  granted  the  good- 
will of  the  Company  to  be  a  Sutor  to  y^  lorde  Maio'"  for 
to  be  one  of  the  Searchers  and  Sealers  of  Lether,  and 
that  they  wolde  assist  him  therein  as  much  as  they 
maye." 

1663.    July  13///. 

''Richard  Benskyn,"!  appointed  Searchers 
William  Caine,       j  of  Leather." 

One  of  the  most  important  prerogatives  vested 
in  the   Company  by  their  Charter  from  Edward 
III.,  and  confirmed  to  them  In  subsequent  char- 
ters   and  ordinances,   was    the   power 

"  Search  " 

to  search  the  shops  and  houses  of  all 
persons  using  the  Saddlers'  trade,  and  of  con- 
demning all  Ill-made  wares  that  they  found.  No 
Saddler,  freeman  or  non-freeman,  was  permitted 
to  send  any  saddle  out  of  London,  either  to  the 
country  fairs  or  for  exportation  abroad,  until  It 
had    been    viewed    by    the    Wardens,    or    other 


that  Butchers  shall  not  be  Tanners,  and  that  all  Tanners 
shall  be  apprenticed ;  that  with  a  view  to  the  preservation  of 
bark  for  tanning,  oaks  shall  only  be  felled  in  barking  time,  i.e.y 
in  the  months  of  April,  May,  and  June ;  it  also  prohibits 
Shoemakers  selling  shoes  on  Sunday  before  morning  service  is 
over. 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.  197 

properly  constituted  authorities  of  the  Company.^ 
Ill-made  saddles  were  generally  attended  by  the 
imposition  of  a  fine  and  a  precept  for  amendment. 
The  fine  Imposed  by  the  ordinance  of  Elizabeth 
was  not  to  exceed  2s.  6d.  each  offence,  with  a 
penalty  for  obstructing  or  resisting  the  Company 
in  their  search  of  205.  The  ordinances  of  5 
James  I.  Increased  these  penalties  to  ^s.  and  ^5 
respectively,  and  these  penalties  were  confirmed 
by  the  ordinances  of  21  Charles  11.  (1669)  ;  these 
last  ordinances  give  the  Company  jurisdiction  over 
"  all  manner  of  works,  wares,  and  stuffs  whatso- 
ever, belonging  to  the  furniture  of  horses."  The 
Charter  of  Charles  II.  (1684)  distinctly  specifies 
''  Saddles,  chains,  buttons,  stirrups,  girdles,  and 
horsecloths,  as  of  other  thing  whatsoever  apper 
taining  or  belonging  to  the  art  or  mystery  of 
Saddlers  aforesaid."  Instances,  however,  are 
repeatedly  recorded  of  even  portmanteaus  and 
other  wares  being  condemned,  from  which  it 
would  appear  that  the  Company  exercised  juris- 
diction over  all  Saddler-made  wares. 

The  Act  of  5  Elizabeth,  c.  8,  already  alluded 
to,  not  only  Imposed  the  obligation  of  search 
upon  the  Wardens  of  the  Company,  but  imposed 
a  fine  of  ^5  upon  them  for  every  instance  of 
defective  wares  which  they  allowed  to  escape  their 
attention. 

Section  xxi. — "  Or  yf  any  Shoemaker  Sadler  or  other 
Artificer  using  cutting  or  workeing  of  Leather  doe  make 

^  Ordinances,  5  James  I. 


198         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

any  wares  of  any  tanned  leather  insufficiently  tanned 
and  of  tanned  or  curryed  leather  being  not  sufficiently 
tanned  and  curried  as  ys  aforesaid,  or  doe  not  make 
their  wares  belonging  to  their  severall  Occupatyons 
sufficiently  and  substantially,  that  then  the  Wardens  of 
Every  of  the  said  Companie  of  Sadlers  Curriours  Shoe- 
makers and  other  artificers  using  and  exercising  cutting 
of  tanned  leather  for  the  tyme  being  shall  forfaite  and 
lose  for  every  such  Defaulte  and  offence  to  bee  comitted 
or  done  by  any  pson  or  psons  under  their  Order  Surveye 
or  Searche  Fyve  Poundes." 

Section  xxii. — ''  Provided  alwaye  and  be  yt  enacted 
That  all  and  every  Artificer  dwelling  or  inhabiting  or 
w*"^  hereafter  shall  dwell  or  inhaby^e  w^^'in  the  Citie  of 
London  or  three  myles  compas  of  the  same  using  or 
exercising  any  Manuell  Occupacon  of  cutting  or  worck- 
ing  of  Leather  into  made  wares  shall  contribute  paye 
and  bee  under  the  Survey  and  Search  of  the  Wardens 
of  suche  Companies  of  the  said  Citie  of  London  as 
Thartificer  comonly  using  the  like  Occupacon  being 
Free  men  of  the  same  Citie  of  London  and  of  the  same 
Companye  bee  touching  and  concerning  onely  their 
wares  and  stuff  made  of  or  w**"  Leather,  in  like  manner 
fourme  as  other  Freemen  of  the  same  Companye  dothe 
to  the  Wardens  of  their  Companye  w"'in  the  said 
Citie." 

The  search  visits  of  the  Company  appear  to 
have  been  made  regularly  on  the  four  quarter 
Court  days,  as  v^ell  as  at  Intervening  times  not 
specifically  stated.  If  the  defect  either  of  material 
or  workmanship  were  very  bad,  the  saddles  or 
other  articles  were  promptly  defaced.  Sometimes 
they  were  publicly  burned  at  the  door  of  the 
maker,  at  other  times  they  were  taken  to  Cheap- 


r 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.  199 

side  and  there  burned,  while  at  others,  again,  they 
were  taken  to  Smithfield  and  there  destroyed  by 
the  same  process.  Occasionally  the  defect  lay  in 
the  saddle-tree — the  wooden  body  of  the  saddle — 
which  was  sometimes  an  old  tree  re-employed  and 
sometimes  made  of  unseasoned  wood  ;  when  this 
was  so  the  leather  would  be  taken  off  and  returned 
to  the  maker  to  be  re-used,  and  the  saddle-tree 
broken  and  destroyed. 

The  following  are  a  few  excerpts  in  illustration 
of  the  custom,  taken  from  some  hundreds  of 
similar  cases  which  the  Company's  Minute  Books 
record  : — 

1605.     November  i6th. 

"  James  Ramsey  a  forren""  for  making  of  pillions  ol 
olde  stuff  and  twill  had  them  defaced  and  cutt  to  peces 
because  the  Kinges  publicke  shulde  not  be  deceaved  w^^' 
them  and  was  pardoned  of  his  imprisonment  and  notw^''- 
standing  warned  he  was  to  mende  his  workmanship 
upon  a  greate  payne. 

"  At  this  Courte  Rowland  Hodges  for  having  in  his 
howse  and  shoppe  in  the  tyme  of  search  made  by  the 
Wardens  xv  male  pillions  bought  of  a  forren""  made  of 
evill  and  naughtie  stuffe  was  fyned  for  that  fault  five 
shillings  w^^^'  was  paide  to  Symon  Penyale." 

1606.     March  12th. 

"The  same  xvth  daye  of  Aprill,  1607,  being  a  third 
Quarter  Day  as  aforesaid  the  Company  being  assembled 
at  their  hall  they  were  requested  by  the  Wardeins  and 
Assistants  to  viewe  a  nomber  of  Sadies  covered  with 
sheep's  leather  w*'^  were  taken  in  sundry  searches  made 


r 


200         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

by  the  said  Wardeins  and  Assistants  synce  the  last 
quarter  daye  being  seaven  great  Horse  Sadies  and  two 
padds  garded  and  trymmed  w^^'  Spanish  lether  shep's 
lether  and  turkey  Lether  and  tenne  Scottish  Sadies 
covered  w^  white  sheep's  lether.  All  w^  by  a  full  con- 
sent of  the  gen^'altie  of  the  workmen  of  this  Company 
are  adiudged  unlawfull  and  deceiptfull  ware^  and  not 
fitt  to  be  uttered  nor  sold  but  to  be  burned." 

1607.     May  \2th. 

"  After  this  Court  Daye  (viz.)  the  xv*^  daye  of  Maye, 
1607,  the  evill  Sadies  and  unlawfull  wares  taken  from 
dyverse  of  the  Company  in  their  searches  being  ordered 
to  be  burned  were  burned  accordingly  in  West  Smyth- 
feld  the  same  xv"'  of  Maye  by  the  Wardeins  in  the 
presence  of  diverse  of  the  Assistants." 

1608.     September  i^tJi. 

"  George  Marr  was  this  Courte  Daye  fined  for  a  Side 
Sadie  very  faulty  beside  evill  workmanshipp  and  paid 
\f  w'f  and  the  same  Sadie  was  sensured  to  be  burned  at 
his  doore." 

161 2.    July  2ist. 

"  Yt  was  ordered  the  day  and  yere  last  abovesaid  that 
John  Lawney  was  fyned  to  pay  ten  shillings  for  making 
of  Roles  stuffed  w^^'  hay  in  his  side  Saddels  rownd 
about  the  seat  and  for  that  he  wolde  not  pay  the  said 
fyne  he  was  sent  to  the  Counter." 

1634.    January  21st. 

"At  this  Court  Will'"  Freeman,  Edmond  Sheppard,  and 
Wil'"  Ketle  beinge  complayned  of  for  carrying  awaie  of 
wares    to    Sturbridge    ffaire   w%ut    searching   by    the 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.    201 

Wardens  and  others  accordinge  to  o''  orders.  They  all 
submitted  themselves  to  the  Court  w^''  p'mise  not  to 
offend  in  the  like  kinde  hereafter  Will'"  Freeman  offering 
to  cleere  himself  upon  othe  for  what  was  layd  to  his 
charge.     Their  offenc'  p'doned." 

1648.     October  ^ist. 

"  At  this  Court  Richard  Bei^rhton  was  fined  for  two 
naiightie  strapps  vj' 


;d  " 


Occasionally  a  Saddler  objected  to  the  search  ; 
when  this  was  the  case,  however,  the  objection 
was  simply  the  result  of  a  consciousness  of  offence 
in  trade,  and  a  foreboding  of  the  inevitable  seizure 
of  his  goods  constituting  that  offence.  Neverthe- 
less, the  Company's  prerogative  was  not  to  be 
disputed.  The  recalcitrant  Saddler  was  sum- 
moned before  the  Wardens  and  Assistants  of  the 
Company,  and  if  he  refused  to  conform  to  the 
fine  or  other  punishment  imposed,  a  warrant  was 
promptly  obtained  from  the  Lord  Mayor  or 
Recorder,  and  the  offender  summarily  committed 
to  prison. 

1609.     August  i^tk. 

"The  daye  and  yeres  aforesaide  Thomas  Moore  a 
Journeyman  and  s'vant  vnto  one  Robert  Dycars  a 
CoUermaker  of  the  p'ishe  of  St.  Giles  in  the  Field  for 
mysusing  the  Wardeins  aforenamed  in  their  search  by 
resisting  them  and  slandering  them  was  sent  for  by  a 
warrant  graunted  out  under  the  hande  of  the  WorshipfuU 
Recorder  of  London  and  being  brought  before  the  saide 
Company  of   the   Sadlers  he  the  said  Thomas    Moore 


202  The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

for  his  offence  so  done  and  comytted,  in  humble  manner 
upon  his  knees  acknowledged  his  faulte  and  cravid 
pardon  and  for  that  fower  or  fyve  of  the  neighbours 
of  good  sort  dwelling  in  the  saide  p'ishe  have  bound 
themselves  by  their  words  that  he  the  saide  Thomas 
Moore  shulde  henceforth  be  of  good  behavio'"  the  Com- 
pany grannted  his  releasement." 

1635.     April  i^th. 

*'  At  this  Court  Thomas  Capp  app^'ntice  to  Tho. 
Gardner  and  Mathias  Younge  apprenticed  to  (?)  Black- 
Smith  appeared  at  this  Court  according  to  an  order 
made  by  the  R.  Ho^^"  the  Lord  Maior  the  17th  daie 
of  March  last  past  To  make  their  publique  submission 
upon  theire  knees  for  resistinge  the  Wardens  in  theire 
search  at  the  said  Gardners  Shop.  The  w'^''  submission 
they  both  did  accordingly  in  the  hall  at  a  full  Court 
upon  their  knees  acknowledging  their  fault." 

1673.    Jjme  iit/i. 

"  M''  George  Borrett  haveng  refused  the  Search  made 
by  M""  Warden  Blount  and  others  and  being  taken  by  a 
Constable  upon  the  Companyes  Warrant  for  the  five 
pounds  by  him  forfeited  for  soe  doeing  but  at  his  request 
discharged  upon  his  promise  to  appeare  at  this  Court 
and  to  abide  by  the  judgement  of  the  same  and  now 
appeareing  and  submitting  himself  accordingly  this 
Court  doe  think  fitt  to  fine  him  for  such  his  offence  and 
for  defective  ware  Twentie  shillings  the  w'^''  he  willingly 
paid  the  Wardens." 

1 70 1.    July  2nd. 

"  Upon  the  complaint  of  M""  Warden  Chandler  M"" 
Shelton  and  others  that  M""  Walter  Coates  did  deny  the 


The  Company  and  the  Trade.    203 

search  and  threatened  to  strike  them  with  a  hammer 
and  giveing  very  abusive  words  It  is  ordered  he  be 
ffined  ffive  pounds  for  soe  doing  and  that  he  be  sum- 
moned to  appeare  at  the  next  Court  to  answer  the  same." 

The  search  was  exercised  with  the  utmost  im- 
partiality, no  atom  of  favour  being  shown  to  a 
member  of  the  Company  if  an  ill-made  saddle 
were  in  question.  Instances  occur  of  Wardens 
and  Assistants  being  similarly  fined.  In  illustra- 
tion of  this,  an  incident  which  took  place  in  1 703 
may  be  here  cited  : — 

1703.     October  20th. 

"  This  Court  being  informed  by  Mr.  Gunton,  Mr. 
Shelton,  and  Mr.  Carter,  that  certaine  Sadlers  having 
undertaken  to  furnish  a  great  number  of  Sadies  for  the 
use  of  his  Portugall  Majesty,  they  have  been  to  search 
and  saw  the  same  and  found  the  seats  to  be  made  of  the 
worst  of  sheepskin  and  the  panells  stuffed  with  hay. 
Did  thereupon  now  order  a  Remonstrance  to  be  drawn 
up  and  presented  to  the  Envoy  of  his  Portugall  Ma^^^  to 
represent  the  same  as  a  manifest  Cheat  and  tending  to 
the  great  dishonour  and  disgrace  of  her  Majesty's 
Government  and  the  City  of  London  and  in  particular 
of  this  Corporacon." 

A  remonstrance  was  accordingly  drawn  up  and 
presented.  A  large  number  of  saddles  destined 
for  the  expedition  to  Portugal  were  condemned, 
and  two  members  of  the  Company,  who  were 
implicated  in  their  manufacture,  were  fined  the 
then  large  sum  of  ^20  each. 

p 


204         The  Company  and  the  Trade. 

The  old  custom  of  search,  in  ensuring  a  high 
standard  of  excellence  for  English  manufactures, 
engendered  in  Englishmen  a  firm  patriotic  faith 
in  the  superiority  of  English  goods,  and  in  the 
skill  and  honesty  of  English  workmanship. 
Moreover,  the  fact  remains,  as  an  interesting 
corollary,  that,  at  the  present  day,  English 
saddles  and  harness  are  in  high  demand  all  over 
the  world  ;  and  this  branch  of  English  industry, 
curiously  enough,  appears  in  little  danger  from 
foreign  rivalry. 


205 


A  LIST  OF  SOME  ANCIENT  MASTERS 


AND 


WARDENS    OF    THE    COMPANY. 


Anglo  Saxon  times 

A.D. 


1377 


'378 


1446 


1463 


1558 


1562 


^rnaldus 

'^William  Lincolne^ 
John  Pountfreit 
Roger  Excestre 
Gerard  atte  Nook 


rRumbold  Bodd 
I  Walter  Yong 
]  John  Cole 
^Simon  Byrthorp 

r  Richard  Stacy 
I  Thomas  Soysse 
"^  Robert  Forster 
WiUiam  Sherewode 

{Laurence  Braunche 
John  Sawyer 
Richard  Danton 
William  Coddesden 

r  William  Bird 
I  Thonias  Hertwell 
I  William  Portlonthe 
t  John  Abell 


r  Robert  Smyth 
J  Henry  Crowder 
William  Storer 
David  ap  Thomas 


r  William  Wytt 
J  Peter  Robynson 
]  John  Webbe 
John  Philpott 


1 


Alderman. 
Wardens. 


Wardens. 


1 
1 


Wardens. 


>  Wardens. 


1 


Wardens. 


>  Wardens. 


1 


Wardens. 


*  See  Addendum,  p.  233. 


P    2 


2o6 


Ancient  Masters 


A.D. 

1582 


rWilliam  Newton 
I  James  Howford 
]  John  Marshall 
^John  Cox^ 


■  Wardens. 


Masters. 


1605  Nicholas  Holbeame. 

1606  Roger  Allanson. 

1607  Richard  Sawter. 

1608  John  Byngham. 

1609  Ditto.  1 

Second  time.  J 

1 6 10  Thomas  Salomon. 

161 1  Ditto.  1 

Second  time.  J 

161 2  Richard  Sawter.  ~1 

Second  time,  J 

1 613  Gregory  Francklin. 

1614  James  Howson. 

161 5  Robert  Labourne. 

16 1 6  George  Cooke. 

161 7  Ditto.  I 

Second  tifne.  j 
t6i8  Ditto.  ]^ 

T/iird  time.  J 

1619  Ditto.  1 

Fourth  time.  / 

1620  Anthony  Clowes. 

1621  Ditto.  I 

Second  time.  \ 


1622 
1623 

1624 
1625 
1626 
1627 
1628 
1629 
1630 
1631 
1632 

1634 

1635 
1636 

1637 

1638 

1639 

1640 

1641 
1642 


Thomas  Potter. 

Ditto.  I 

Second  time.  J 
Phillip  Boydon. 
William  Pilchard. 
George  Potter. 
George  Walker. 
John  Houghton. 
Henry  Symson. 
John  Laney. 
Samuel  Clarke. 
Nathaniel  Burt. 
Robert  Cristie. 

Ditto. ' 

Second  time 
William  Pease. 
Luke  Lee. 
Thomas  Sallomon. 
Nicholas  Newton. 
Thomas  Clowes. 

Ditto.  "I 

Second  time,  j 
Benjamin  Potter. 
William  Phelipps. 


} 


1  Founded  a  Trust,  which  is  administered  by  the  Company 
under  a  scheme  approved  by  the  Charity  Commissioners,  for 
the  relief  of  poor  members  of  the  Company,  and  of  the 
Saddlers'  trade. 

'  Founded  a  charity  of  which  the  Company  are  trustees,  and 
bequeathed  to  the  Company  a  silver-mounted  cocoa-nut  cup. 


AND  Wardens. 


207 


1643 

Thomas  Harrison. 

1656 

William  Pease. 

} 

1644 

Toby  Harvest. 

Second  time 

1645 

William  Freeman. 

1657 

William  Milsome. 

1646 

Ditto.                   1 
Second  time.  J 

1658 

William  Jones. 

1659 

/oshua  Sheppard. 

1647 

Thomas  Smithsby. 

1660 

Kenelme  Collins. 

1648 

Daniel  Haldenby. 

1661 

John  Cooke. 

1649 

John  Cooke. 

1662 

Thomas  Mason. 

1650 

Edward  Perkins. 

1663 

Thomas  Pease. 

I65I 

Thomas  Webb. 

1664 

Edward  Benskyn.* 

1652 

Thomas  Starkey. 

1665 

Ditto. 

} 

1653 

Francis  Dashwood.^ 

Second  time. 

1654 

Edward  Smith.^ 

1666 

Francis  Pattricke. 

1655 

WiUiam  Pease. '^ 

1667 

John  Tanner. 

^  A  rich  Turkey  merchant,  Alderman  of  the  City  of  London, 
but  did  not  serve  the  office  of  Lord  Mayor.  Elected  Master 
in  1653,  he  presented  the  Company  in  the  same  year  with  a 
handsome  silver  gilt  standing  cup  and  cover  weighing  sixty-two 
ounces  and  a  half,  which  are  still  preserved.  His  gift  of  a 
barge  cloth  and  banners  has  already  been  noticed.  Upon  his 
death,  in  1683,  he  bequeathed  the  sum  of  ;/^3o  to  be  dis- 
tributed amongst  the  poor  of  the  Company,  and  a  smaller  sum 
to  the  Company  for  a  supper  at  his  funeral.  According  to 
Burke  he  married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Alderman  Sleigh,  and 
was  grandfather  of  Lord  de  Spencer,  an  ancestor  of  the 
present  Sir  Edwin  Abercromby  Dashwood,  Bart.,  and  Sir  John 
Gage  Saunders  Sebright,  Bart.  His  son.  Sir  Samuel  Dashwood, 
was  Alderman  of  the  Ward  of  Aldgate,  and  served  the 
office  of  Lord  Mayor  in  1702,  whose  daughter  married  the 
fifth  Lord  Brooke,  an  ancestor  of  the  present  Earl  of  Warwick. 

"'  Alderman  of  the  City  of  London,  but  did  not  serve  the 
office  of  Lord  Mayor. 

^  Founded  a  charity,  which  is  at  present  administered  by 
the  Company  under  a  scheme  sanctioned  by  the  Charity  Com- 
missioners, for  the  relief  of  poor  decayed  Saddlers  and  their 
widows,  preferentially  those  free  of  the  Company. 

*   Presented  the  Company  with  a  silver  salt. 


2o8                     Ancient  Masters 

1668  John  Tanner.             "i  1675     Edmond  Lee."^ 

Second  twie.  ]  1676     John  Anderson. 

1669  John  Barwell.  1677     Edmond  Lee. 

1670  John  Gaine.  Second  time 

1671  John  Mason.  1678     Peter  Rich.^ 

1672  Richard  Pemble.  .       f  Samuel  Tomh'ns. 

1673  Edward  Kempe.  I  Francis  Patricke. 

1674  Wilham  Chevall.  Second  time 


.} 
.} 


1  Presented  the  Company  with  a  silver  tankard. 

2  The  name  of  Sir  Peter  Rich  figures  prominently  in  City 
history  during  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  as 
the  nominee  of  the  Court  party  for  civic  honours.  The 
Company's   minutes  record  that  on  the   8th    October,    1675, 

'This  Court  considers  that  Peter  Rich,  Esq.,  one  of  the 
livery  of  this  Company,  is  one  of  his  Ma^^*^^  Justices  of  the 
Peace,  one  of  the  Leuetenncy,  hath  beene  in  nominacon  for 
one  of  the  sheriffs  of  this  Citty,  and  hath  had  sev'rall  other  offices 
of  honor  and  trust  conferred  on  him  Doe  thinke  fitt  to  make 
choyce  of  the  said  Peter  Rich  to  be  one  of  the  Assistants  of 
this  Company,  and  hereby  order  the  Clerke  to  acquaint  him 
therewith  and  desire  his  acceptance  of  the  same." 

At  a  Court  held  the  following  January,  the  Livery  demurred 
to  Rich's  selection  to  be  an  Assistant,  but  upon  the  order  of 
the  Court  being  read  to  them  we  are  informed  that  "the  Livery 
departed  well  satisfied."  In  August,  1678,  Rich  having,  as  the 
Order  Books  inform  us,  been  chosen  Sheriff,  was  discharged  of 
the  offices  of  Renter  Warden,  second  Warden,  and  Upper 
Warden,  and  elected  Master.  In  1680,  the  then  Master  dying. 
Rich  was  again  elected  to  the  chair  for  the  remainder  of  the  year. 
His  election  as  Sheriff  in  1678  was  not  confirmed,  the  party 
spirit  in  the  City  being  exceedingly  strong  between  the  Court 
and  the  popular  parties.  In  1682,  however,  he  was  again 
elected  and  sworn  into  the  office  of  Sheriff,  and,  according  to  a 
minute  on  the  25th  September  of  that  year,  he  desired  "  that 
sixteene  of  the  Livery  of  this  Company  would  attend  him 
habited  in  their  Livery  Gownes  to  Guildhall  on  Thursday  next 
and  on  Saturday  after  to  Westminster  in  a  barge,  being  what 


AND  Wardens.  209 

1680  Peter  Rich.  ")        1682     Robert  Waring  "1 

Second  time.  J  Second  time.  J 

1681  Robert  Wareing.  1683     Samuel  Shenton. 

customarily  (is)  done  by  all  Companyes  to  their  members  that 
happen  to  come  to  such  office.  In  1683  he  was  chosen  Alder- 
man for  the  ward  of  Aldersgate,  and  in  1684,  Luttrell,  in  his  diary, 
informs  us,  "  Sir  Peter  Aylworth  Chamberlain  of  London  being 
dead,  his  Majestic  hath  constituted  Peter  Rich,  Esq.,  in  his  stead." 
According  to  a  MS.  account  of  the  Chamberlains  of  London, 
in  the  Library  of  the  Corporation,  he  represented  London  in 
1685,  and  was  knighted  by  James  IL  the  same  year.  The 
following  year,  however,  we  learn  from  Luttrell  that  Sir  P.  Rich 
was  turned  out  of  the  office  of  Chamberlain,  and  a  Mr.  Hy. 
Loades,  the  candidate  of  the  popular  party,  elected  in  his  stead ; 
but  in  1688  Rich  was  re-elected  to  that  office.  The  factious 
opposition,  however,  which  grew  keener  and  keener  every  year, 
was  again  too  strong  for  Rich,  and  in  1689  he  was  displaced 
from  the  office  of  Chamberlain,  and  Mr.  Leonard  Robinson, 
the  candidate  of  the  popular  party,  elected.  In  1690,  Rich 
was  again  defeated  by  Robinson.  But  in  1691  he  instituted 
an  action  in  the  King's  Bench  against  Sir  Thos.  Pilkington,  the 
Lord  Mayor,  "  for  a  false  return  not  to  be  duly  chosen 
Chamberlain  of  London,"  and  the  jury  gave  him  ^130 
damages.  Having  again  put  up  for  Chamberlain,  he  was  once 
more  defeated  by  Robinson,  by  2155  to  1882  votes.  In 
August,  1692,  he  died  and  was  buried  at  Lambeth.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  Rich  was  throughout  the  instrument  of  the  Court 
party.  A  tract  in  the  Guildhall  Library,  entitled  "  A  new 
yeare's  gift  for  the  Tories,"  accuses  Sir  John  More,  Mayor  in 
1682,  of  "with  force  of  arms  and  in  a  hostile  manner"  con- 
stituting Dudley  North  and  Peter  Rich,  Sheriffs,  although  not 
returned  by  the  Common  Hall.  It  also  alleges  that  Sir  Peter 
Rich,  when  Alderman  in  1690,  did  illegally  dissolve  a  Ward- 
mote, and  that  he  was  accused  by  a  Mr.  Bellamy  in  the  same 
year  of  the  murder  of  Lord  Russell.  Rich  brought  an  action 
against  Bellamy  for  libel,  and  according  to  this  authority  he 
only  received  6^-.  8^.  damages,  but  Luttrell  states  it  to  have 
been   four   nobles   {j[^\  6s.  Sd.).     Sir   Peter   Rich  appears  to 


2IO 


Ancient  Masters 


1684  Edward  Kempe.  1698 

1685  Thomas  Fizer.^  1699 

1686  Ditto.  1       1700 

Second  time.  J        1 7  o  i 

1687  Laurence  Evans.  1702 

1688  Charles  Nevill.  1703 

1689  Edward  Fisher.-  1704 

1690  Walter  Furnace. 

1 69 1  John  Sawyer.^  1705 

1692  John  Webb.  1706 

1693  William  Broman. 

1694  Thomas  Shireman.  1707 

1695  Henry  Chandler.  1708 

1696  Richard  Gunton.*  1709 

1697  Robert  Johnson. 


John  Pack.^ 
Robert  Stoakes. 
Henry  Fetter. 
John  Osborne. 
John  Shelton. 
Elias  Rich. 
John  Sawyer. 

Second  time 
Joseph  Lewis. 
John  Shelton. 

Second  time 
Michael  Hinman. 
John  Wynde. 
Michael  Hinman.       "l 

Second  time.  J 


} 


have  been  a  man  of  good  parts.  He  was  Colonel  of  the 
Southwark  or  Blue  Regiment  of  Militia,  and  he  is  credited 
with  having,  in  1691,  "invented  a  way  that  every  horseman 
shall  carry  behind  him  1501b.  weight  of  hay,  made  up  into  a 
trusse  in  form  of  a  portmanteau,  which  shall  last  a  horse  three 
weeks,  and  'tis  well  approved  of."  (Luttrell.)  In  1681  he 
presented  the  Company  with  a  handsome  silver  cup  and  cover, 
which  is  still  preserved  by  them,  and  on  his  decease  his  widow, 
Lady  Anne  Rich,  presented  the  Company  with  a  further 
souvenir,  consisting  of  a  pair  of  large  silver  candlesticks, 
weighing  67  ounces  5  dwts.,  likewise  preserved. 

^  Presented  the  Company  with  a  silver  salt. 

-  Presented  the  Company  with  a  silver  gilt  cup  and  cover. 

"  Presented  the  Company  with  a  handsome  silver  tankard. 

^  Bequeathed  two  Trusts,  which  are  administered  by  the 
Company  under  schemes  sanctioned  by  the  Charity  Commis- 
sioners, one  for  the  relief  of  poor  members  ©f  the  Company 
or  trade,  the  other  for  providing  premiums  for  the  apprenticing 
of  poor  boys. 

*  Presented  the  Company  with  a  handsome  silver  punch 
bowl. 


AND  Wardens. 


211 


1710 
1711 
1712 

1714 

1715 
1716 

1717 

1718 
1719 

1720 

1721 
1722 
1723 

1724 

1725 
1726 

1727 

1728 

1729 

1730 

1731 

1732 

1733 
1734 
1735 

1736 


John  Heylin.^ 
John  Hutchinson. 
Edwin  Salusbury. 
Ditto. 

Second  time. 
Charles  Hamond. 
Thomas  Shireman. 
William  Wilcox. 
Ditto. 

Second  time. 
Michael  Tesmpnd." 
Ditto. 

Second  time. 
John  Heylin. 

Second  time. 
Edward  Parratt. 
Thomas  Sherman. 
John  Sculthorpe. 
John  Hutchinson. 
William  East. 
Joseph  Tomlins. 
Charles  Eady. 
William  Poole. 
Thomas  Harris. 
George  Holgate. 
Edward  Parratt. 
John  Tomkins. 
Robert  Lathwell. 
Edward  Halsey. 
Thomas  Sherman. 

Second  time 
John  Holme. 


/ 


} 


} 
} 


1737 

1738 

1739 

1740 

1741 

1742 

1743 
1744 
1745 

1746  I 

1747 
1748 

1749 

1750 
1751 

1752 
1753 


00 


(L) 


CM 


,} 


H.R.H.  Prince 

Frederick  of  Wales. 
John  Holme.  \ 

Henry  Heylyn. 
Joseph  Tomlins. 
William  More. 
William  Poole. 
Thomas  Burden 
Thomas  Colebrook 
James  Tickner. 
John  Nash. 
Thomas  Warren.      ) 
Thomas  Thompson. 
George  Holgate. 

Matthew  Kitchiner. 

John  Brown. 

George  Scullard. 

Edward  Pennyman 

John  Barker. 

Nehemiah  Brooks.  ) 

WiUiam  Moore. 

Second  time, 

John  Smith. 

John  Pritchell. 

John  Harford. 

Richard  Snow. 

Richard  Beale. 

Thomas  Taylor. 

William  Huthwaite. 

Henry  Riesenbeck. 

Matthew  Kitchiner. 
Seco?id  time. 


] 


] 


^  Presented  the  Company  with  a  large  silver  gilt  mace  for 
the  Upper  Beadle. 

^  Presented  the  Company  with  a  handsome  silver  punch 
bowl. 


r 


2T2 


Ancient  Masters 


762 

William  Exell. 

1787 

Arthur  Tawke. 

763 

John  Brown. 

} 

1788 

Robert  Precious.^ 

Second  time. 

1789 

Thomas  Pickford. 

764 

George  Blaksley. 

1790 

Joseph  Bradney. 

765 

Young  George  Honnor.^ 

1791 

William  Earlom. 

766 

James  Knight. 

1792 

John  Reed. 

767 

William  Box. 

1793 

Edward  Heylyn. 

\ 

768 

Thos.  Woolhead. 

Second  time 

769 

David  Humphreys. 

1794 

Mathias  Peter  Dupont 

f  Henry  Tooker. 
770  <            ^ 

L  Alexander  Pepper. 

1795 

William  Hanscombe. 
Second  time 

771 

Richard  Pepys. 

1796 

Benjamin  Moore. 

772 

William  Bishop. 

1797 

Henry  Edmonds. 

773 

Thomas  Christie. 

1798 

Thomas  Slade. 

774 

Richard  Heaviside. 

1799 

Joshua  Knowles. 

775 

Thomas  Newton. 

1800 

Noah  Hester. 

776 

Edward  Pennyman. 

} 

1801 

James  Philipson. 

Second  time. 

1802 

Thomas  Griffith. 

777 

James  Christmas 

1803 

John  Sabb. 

} 

Arthur  Humphreys. 

Second  time. 

778 

Robert  Withers. 

1804 

John  Perkins. 

779 

Edward  Heylyn. 

1805 

John  Yew  Griffith. 

780 

William  Hanscombe 

. 

1806 

Stephen  Ardesoif. 

781 

William  Langley. 

1807 

^Richard  Burton. 

782 

Henry  Page. 

1808 

Joseph  Seward. 

783 

Edward  Jeffs. 

1809 

William  Smart. 

784 

James  Benwell. 

1810 

James  Benwell. 

785 

John  Sabb. 

1811 

John  Reed. 

} 

786 

Joseph  Davidson. 

Second  time. 

^  Founded  a  Trust  for  the  relief  of  decayed  members  of 
the  Company,  from  a  portion  of  the  funds  of  which  the 
Company's  Almshouses  at  Isleworth  were  built,  and  are  main- 
tained according  to  a  scheme  sanctioned  by  the  Court  of 
Chancery.     {^See  p.  144.) 

Presented  the  Company  with  a  silver  candelabra,  coffee  pot, 
and  various  other  articles  of  plate. 


AND  Wardens. 


213 


1812 
1813 
1814 
1815 
1816 
1817 

1818 

1819 

1S20 
1821 
1822 
1823 
1824 
1825 
1826 
1827 
1828 

1829 


} 


,} 


{ 


John  Sabb. 
Thomas  Adderley.^ 
Hayter  Reed. 
Richard  Earlom.^ 
Charles  Griffith. 
Thomas  Slade 

Second  time. 
Joshua  Knowles.        1 

Seco7id  time,  j 
James  PhiHpson. 

Second  time. 
George  Raye. 
Daniel  Quare. 
George  Bishop. 
Thomas  Milroy. 
William  Williams. 
John  Dell  Poynter. 
William  Prosser. 
John  Fulbrook. 
James  Kitson. 
Henry  Heylyn. 
Hayter  Reed. 

Second  time 


} 


1830  George  Raye.  ") 

Second  time.  / 

1 83 1  Thomas  Bishop. 

1832  Joshua  Peacock. 

1833  Sir  Peter  Laurie.^ 

1834  Thomas  Pickford. 

1835  George  Denham. 

1836  James  Palmer. 

1837  George  Dinsdale. 

1838  Thomas  Cradock.'* 

1839  Henry  Edmonds. 

1840  John  Mitchell. 

1 84 1  Edward  Withers. 

1842  Charles  Cradock.^ 

1843  Henry  Douthwaite. 

1844  Andrew  Haigh  Milroy. 

1845  James  Kitson.  1 

Second  time.  / 

1846  Benjamin  Bacon 

Williams.'^ 

1847  John  Laurie.^ 

1848  Henry  Heylyn.  "1 

Second  time.  \ 


1  An  antiquary  of  some  note. 

2  A  mezzotint  engraver  of  considerable  repute. 

•^  Was  Sheriff  of  London  in  1825,  Lord  Mayor  in  1832, 
and  Alderman  of  the  Ward  of  Aldersgate.  He  was  President 
of  Bethlem  Hospital,  and  Chairman  of  the  Union  Bank  of 
London. 

4  Founded  a  Trust  for  the  benefit  of  poor  members  of  the 
Company,  administered  by  the  Company. 

^  Founded  a  Trust  for  the  benefit  of  the  Company's  poor, 
administered  by  the  Company. 

6  Ditto,  ditto. 

'  Sheriff  of  the  City  of  London  in  1845,  and  formerly  M.P. 
for  Newport. 


214 


Ancient  Masters 


1849  Isaac  Neal.^ 

1850  Joseph  Peacock.^         1 

Second  ti/ne.) 

1851  John  Thwaites. 

1852  Jeffery  Smith. 

1853  Hay ter  Thornton  Reed. 

1854  Henry  Townes. 
rWilHam  Mihoy. 

1855  <  Charles  Cradock.         ") 

L  Second  iiine.) 

1856  Charles  Griffith. 

1857  Nathaniel  Nicholls. 

1858  Peter  Northall  Laurie. 

1859  James  Peachey. 

{Thomas  Cradock.        ) 
Second  time  ) 
Andrew  Haigh  Milroy.] 
Second  time.  J 

1 86 1  Wihiam  Hugh    Powell 

Prosser. 

1862  Thomas    Porteen 

Smith. 


1863 

1863 

1864 
1865 
1866 
1867 
1868 
1869 

1870 


1871 

1872 

1873 
1874 

1875 


William  Corne 

Humphreys. 
Benjamin  B.Williams.) 

Second  time. ) 
Captain  William  Slark. 
Hayter  Thornton  Reed. 
Archibald  McDougall. 
William  Vezey  Bishop. 
Joseph  Edward  Fisher. 
Henry  Heylyn. 
Edward  Griffiths. 
Charles  Griffiths.         ] 

Second  time.] 
'  Charles  Wills. 
Peter  Northall  Laurie.] 

Second  time.) 
Thomas  Huggins. 
Henry  Harris. 
Archibald  McDougall. ") 

Second  time.) 
William    Janies    Rich- 
mond Cotton."^ 


^  Presented  the  Company  with  a  silver  rose-water  dish. 

2  His  portrait  hangs  in  the  Wardens'  room. 

2  In  1875  he  presented  the  Company  with  two  handsome 
standing  loving  cups  with  covers. 

*  Formerly  Alderman  of  Lime  Street  Ward,  but  now  repre- 
sents the  Ward  of  Bridge  Without.  Was  Sheriff  of  London 
and  Middlesex  in  1868,  and  Lord  Mayor  in  1875,  and  repre- 
sented the  City  of  London  in  Parliament  from  1870  to  1879. 
Took  an  active  part  in  the  inquiries  of  the  Livery  Companies' 
Commission,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  rendered  con- 
siderable service  to  the  Livery  Companies.  He  is  Chairman 
of  the  associated  Guilds,  and  was  first  (provisional)  Chairman 
of  the  London  School  Board,  of  which  he  was  a  Member  from 
1870  to  1879.  He  is  a  J. P.  for  London,  Hampshire,  and 
Middlesex.  His  portrait,  by  Mr.  Cyrus  Johnson,  painted  by 
order  of  the  Com.pany,  hangs  in  the  Hall. 


AND  Wardens.  215 

1876  Andrew  Row  McTag-     1881     Alfred  Ridsdale. 

gart  Milroy,  1882     Hayter  Marsh  Reed. 

1877  Moses  Dodd.  1883     William  George 

1878  RichardJamesNicholls.  Peachey. 

1879  William  James  Nutting.  1884     Archibald  McDougall, 
r  Frederick  Field.  junior. 

1 880  <^  William    Jas.    Rich- |  r  Moses  Dodd.i  "1 

L  mond  Cotton.      V  ^  \  Second  time.  / 

Second  time.  ^ 

1  In  August,  1885,  Lord  Halsbury,  then  Lord  High  Chan- 
cellor of  Great  Britain,  would,  in  the  ordinary  course,  as  Key 
Warden,  have  been  elected  to  the  office  of  Master,  but  owing 
to  exigencies  of  State  his  Lordship  was  compelled  to  decline 
the  office,  and  Past-Master  Dodd  was  elected  thereto  a  second 
time.  Upon  the  resignation,  however,  of  the  Conservative 
Ministry  in  the  following  February,  Mr.  Dodd  invited  Lord 
Halsbury  to  serve  the  office  of  Master  for  the  remainder  of 
the  year,  which  invitation  his  Lordship  having  accepted,  Mr. 
Dodd  resigned  the  Chair,  and  Lord  Halsbury  was  elected 
Master  accordingly. 

"At  a  Court  of  the  Master,  Wardens,  and  Assistants  of  the  Worshipful 
Company  of  Saddlers,  holden  at  their  Hall  in  Cheapside,  in  the  City  of 
London,  on  Thursday,  the  nth  day  of  March,  1886  : — 

"  It  was  resolved  unanimously, — That  this  Court,  having  this  day 
accepted  the  resignation  of  Past-Master  Dodd,  second  time  Master  of  this 
Company,  in  favour  of  the  Right  Honourable  Lord  Halsbury,  who  on  last 
Election  Day  requested  that  he  might  not  be  put  in  nomination  for  election 
to  fill  the  office  of  Master  of  this  Company,  in  consequence  of  having 
previously  accepted  the  appointment  of  Lord  High  Chancellor  of  Great 
Britain,  and  who  on  his  retirement  therefrom  having  intimated,  on  the 
invitation  of  Past-Master  Dodd,  his  willingness  to  accept  the  Mastership 
of  this  Company  if  elected,  and  his  Lordship  having  just  been  unani- 
mously elected  as  Master  of  this  Company  for  the  remainder  of  the  current 
year,  this  Court  hereby  tenders  to  Past-Master  Dodd  their  cordial  thanks 
for  the  very  efficient  manner  in  which  he  has  at  all  times  attended  to  the 
duties  and  interests  of  this  Company,  and  the  great  courtesy  which  he 
has  on  all  occasions  shown  to  its  members. 

"  It  was  further  resolved  unanimously, — That  Past-Master  Dodd  be 
invited  to  co-operate  with  the  present  Wardens  during  the  remainder  of  the 
current  year,  and  be,  and  he  is  hereby  elected,  a  member  of  the  Wardens' 
Committee  accordingly. 


2i6        Ancient  Masters  and  Wardens. 

1885  The  Right  Hon.  Lord     1887     Col.  Robert  Peter 

Halsbury.i  Laurie,  C.B.,  M.P.s 

1886  Cliaries  Octavius  1888     Wilham  Spencer 

Humphrey  S.2  Watson,     M.B., 

F.R.C.S. 

"  It  was  further  resolved  unanimously, — That  Past-Master  Dodd  be  re- 
quested to  take  the  chair  of  the  Company  at  all  its  meetings  when  present 
during  the  temporary  absence  of  the  Master. 

"  It  was  further  resolved  unanimously, — That  this,  together  with  the  three 

foregoing  resolutions,  be  engrossed  on  vellum,  signed  by  the  Master,  and 

forthwith  forwarded  with  an  official  letter  by  the  Clerk  of  this  Company 

to  Past-Master  Dodd. 

"Halsbury, 

"Master." 

1  The  Right  Hon.  Hardinge  Stanley  Giffard,  Baron 
Halsbury  of  Halsbury,  co.  Devon,  Lord  High  Chancellor 
of  England,  M.A.,  was  called  to  the  Bar  at  the  Inner 
Temple,  1850,  became  Q.C.  1865,  was  Solicitor-General 
from  1875  to  1880,  and  was  appointed  Lord  High  Chancellor 
1885.  He  resigned  February,  1886,  and  was  re-appointed 
in  the  following  July.  He  represented  Launceston  from 
1877  to  June,  1885,  when  he  was  created  Baron  Halsbury. 
His  Lordship's  portrait,  by  Mr.  Cyrus  Johnson,  hangs  in  the 
Hall. 

2  Was  Clerk  of  the  Company  from  1862  to  1868,  and 
Solicitor  from  1862  to  1878,  when  he  resigned  the  retainer  of 
the  Company  to  take  his  seat  on  the  Court. 

2  Robert  Peter  Laurie  was  one  of  the  earliest  members  of 
the  Volunteer  Force,  having  joined  it  in  August,  1859.  Since 
April,  1867,  he  has  been  Lieut.-Colonel  Commandant  of  the 
3rd  London  Volunteers.  He  was  elected  member  for  Canter- 
bury in  1879  at  a  bye  election.  At  the  General  Election  in 
1880  he  was  again  returned  for  that  city,  but  with  the  Hon. 
A.  E.  Gathorne  Hardy  was  unseated  on  petition.  In  1885  he 
contested  the  representation  of  Bath,  and  was  only  defeated 
by  nineteen  votes.  In  1886,  however,  he  was  returned  for 
that  city  by  a  large  majority.  In  June,  1887,  the  Companion- 
ship of  the  Bath  was  conferred  upon  him  in  recognition  of 
his  services  to  .the  Volunteer  Force.     He  is  a  J. P.  for  Kent. 


217 


THE    COMPANY    IN    1889. 

The   Master,   Wardens,   and   Court  of 

Assistants. 


Admitted 

on 

Livery. 


Master. 

William.    Spencer    Watson,    M.B.    Lond., 
F.R.C.S.  Eng.... 

Wardens. 

Benjamin  Coulson  Robinson,  Serjeant-at- 

X-idW    •••       •••       •••       •••       ••• 

Isaac  Wilcox 
Daniel  Morgan 

Assistants. 

Thomas  Porteen  Smith*     ... 

Henry  Heylyn* 

Charles  Wills* 

William  James  Richmond  Cotton, ^Alderman 

Andrew  Row  McTaggait  Milroy*... 

Moses  Dodd* 

Richard  James  NichoUs*   ... 

William  James  Nutting*    ... 

Alfred  Ridsdale*     ... 

Hayter  Marsh  Reed* 

Archibald  McDougall* 

The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Halsbury*... 

Charles  Octavius  Humphreys* 

Colonel  Robert  Peter  Laurie,  C.B.,  M.P."^ 

Theophilus  Goodwin 

Lieut.-Gen.  John  Wimburn  Laurie 

William  Sturdy 

Isaac  Dan  McDougall 

Frederick  William  Porter,  F.R.I.B.A. 

John  Terry  ... 


1857 


Admitted 
Assistants. 


1881 


I86I 

1882 

1859 

1882 

1800 

1883 

I83I 

1855 

1842 

1861 

1843 

1861 

1870 

1870 

1847 

1866 

1848 

1867 

1852 

1868 

1853 

1872 

1853 

1872 

1856 

1873 

1857 

1876 

i860 

1876 

1850 

1878 

1857 

1880 

1845 

1863 

1856 

1883 

1859 

1888 

ib6i 

1888 

1861 

1888 

1862 

1889 

Have  passed  the  Chair. 


2l8 


The  Company  in   1889. 


Livery. 


Admitted 

William  Pickford 

•     ••                                                •••                                                •! 

.      1850 

John  Buchanan  NichoUs 

•     •     •                                                •    •     •                                                .     « 

.      1856 

Charles  Griffith,  M.A. 

•    •    •                                                •    •     •                                                •    < 

.      1857 

John  Ring 

•    •     •                                               •     »   '                                                 •     < 

.      1858 

John  Knowlton  Preedy 

•    ••                                               •••                                                •• 

.      i860 

Charles  Goldsworthy  Smi 

thers 

.      1862 

William  James  Prosser 

•    ••                                               •••                                               ,4 

.      1863 

Thomas  Horsey 

•     •     •                                                •     •     •                                                • 

•      1863 

Thomas  Porteen  Smith,  j 

un.  ... 

.      1864 

Frederick  William  Mart 

•  •  •                    •  •  •                   * 

.      1864 

Peter  George  Laurie   ... 

•  »  •                    •  •  •                   « 

.      1864 

John  Prosser    ... 

•  •  •                   •  •  •                   • 

.      1866 

Colonel  Julius  D.  Dyson- 

Laurie 

.      1866 

Philip  Lawdeshayne    ... 

...         ... 

.      1866 

Charles  Horsey 

•  •  •                  •  •  •                  • 

.      1866 

Walter  McDougall 

•  •  •                  •  •  •                  • 

.      1867 

Alfred  St.  George  McAdam  Laurie 

.   .  1869 

Walter  Alfred  Satchell,  : 

F.R.C.P.  Edinburgl 

M.R.C.S.  England 

•  •  •                  •  •  •                  > 

.      1869 

C.  Lang  Huggins 

«9*                                   •••                                  •< 

.      1870 

Peter  Paget 

...                                   ... 

.      1870 

George  Henry  Hogan... 

...                                    •    •    • 

..      1870 

Henry  Frederick  Griffin 

•   ••                                    •    •    •                                    • 

.      1870 

Joseph  Lewis  ... 

•   •   •                                    •  •    • 

.,      1870 

Isaac  Harris  Wrentmore 

•    •   .                                    •   •    •                                    • 

.      1870 

Frederick  McDougall... 

4    •    •                                        •    •    •                                         • 

..      1871 

Walter  Lawley... 

•    •    •                                         •     •     •                                         • 

..      1872 

Henry  Augustus  De  Ros 

Hyde 

.      1873 

John  Welch     ... 

•  .  •                  «  •  •                  • 

•      1873 

William  Henry  Cotton 

...                  c  •  •                  • 

..      J874 

Charles  Walters  Dodd 

•  •  .                  ...                  • 

..      1875 

Henry  Savory  Way 

•   •  •                                .    .  r                                a 

..      1875 

Joseph  Snowden,  C.C. 

•   •   •                                •   .   •                                • 

..      1875 

Sir  John  Braddick  Monckton,  Town  Clerk  . 

•      1875 

William  Hardinge  Humphreys 

.       1876 

The  Company  in   1889. 


219 


Reginald  Peter  Northall-Laurie,  J. P. 

...     1873 

Frederick  Henry  Reed,  M.I.B.A. 

1877 

Francis  John  Hames  ... 

1877 

Arthur  Byrne  Hudson,  C.C,  F.S.I. 

...     1878 

Arthur  Booty  ... 

1861 

John  Howard  Maynard 

1874 

Edmund  Thomas  Bruff 

1877 

Frederick  Horsey 

1878 

Henry  W.  Prosser 

1878 

WiUiam  John  Gilks     ... 

1879 

Robert  Hughes  Humphreys  ... 

1880 

Charles  Frederick  Crawford  ... 

1880 

Henry  Edward  Kaye  ... 

1880 

Raymond  Louis  Roumieu 

1880 

Nowell  Stanhope  Stott 

1880 

Captain  George  Bering  Remington  ^ 

^Villiams        1883 

Horatio  Porter 

1883 

James  Francis  Kershaw 

1883 

Frank  Tayler,  C.C,  F.S.A.,  F.R.G.S 

...      1883 

Francis  William  Way  ... 

1884 

Lieutenant  John  Halliburton  Laurie. 

1886 

OFFICERS. 

Chaplain — The  Rev.  Edward  Rudge,  LL.B. 
Clerk — John  William  Sherwell. 
Solicitor — William  Hardinge  Humphreys. 
Surveyor — William  Hudson. 

Clerk- Assistant  1  Ph-   1      Wll'       F 

Beadle  and  Hallkeeper   J 


Q 


220 


SUPPLEMENT. 

A  Description  of  some  Plate  and  other 
Articles  of  Interest  in  the  Company's 
possession. 

The  ''Cocoa-nut"  Cup. — Bequeathed  in  1627 
by  Robert  Labourne,  Master  of  the  Company  in 
1 6 1 5.  This  is  a  covered  Cup,  enclosed  by  three  ver- 
tical bands  and  supported  by  a  baluster  stem  ;  the 
mountings  are  of  silver  gilt,  richly  chased.  The 
sides  of  the  cocoa-nut  are  beautifully  carved  in 
three  tableaux,  representing  the  Annunciation,  the 
Adoration  of  the  Magi,  and  the  Nativity.  Prob- 
ably belonging  to  the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth,  or 
the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century,  -a  period 
which  was  rich  in  such  specimens.  Height  12 
inches.     Plate  I. 

The  ''Rich"  Cup. — This  is  a  very  elegant,  two- 
handled,  covered  porringer-shaped  Cup,  presented 
to  the  Company  in  1681,  by  Alderman  Sir  Peter 
Rich  (Master  of  the  Company  in  1678  and  1680). 
Height,  8|  inches  ;  diameter,  7I  inches  ;  original 
weight,  35  oz.  5  dwts.  It  is  inscribed  "  The  gift 
of  Peter  Rich  Esquire^'  and  is  beautifully  decorated 
in  repousse  work  with  acanthus  leaves  round  the 
Cup  and  on  the  cover,  the  handle  to  which  is 
formed  by  eight  acanthus  leaves  erect.  Hall 
mark,  1681.      Plate  HI.,  fig.  4. 


Supplement.  221 

The  "Dashwood"  Cup. — This  is  a  handsome 
silver  gilt  standing  Cup,  or  "  Loving  Cup,  "  20 
inches  high  and  7^  inches  in  diameter.  On  the 
sides  of  the  Cup,  which  are  plain  and  frosted,  are 
three  panels,  containing  the  arms  of  the  Company, 
the  arms  of  the  donor,  Alderman  Sir  Francis 
Dashwood,  Master  in  1653,  and  the  inscription, 
''  The  gift  of  Sir  Francif  Dajhwood  to  the  Wor- 
fhipftdl  Company  of  Saddlers,  Londoiz,  May, 
16^4!'  The  cover  is  cone-shaped  and  surmounted 
by  a  horse,  saddled  and  bridled  (the  Company's 
crest).  Original  weight,  62  oz.  15  dwts.  Hall 
mark,    1651.     Plate  II.,  fig.  8. 

The  "  Fisher  "  Cup. — This  is  a  tall  standing 
or  ''  Loving  Cup"  and  cover,  silver  gilt.  Height, 
21  inches;  diameter,  7  inches.  It  is  richly  chased, 
and  bears  the  arms  of  the  Company  and  of  the 
donor,  with  the  figures  of  two  horses,  saddled. 
The  intervening  spaces  are  filled  in  by  the  acan- 
thus form  of  decoration,  so  common  at  the  period. 
The  cover  is  cone-shaped  like  that  of  the  "  Dash- 
wood  "  Cup,  and  is  also  surmounted  by  a  horse, 
saddled  and  bridled ;  under  the  rim  of  the  cover 
is  inscribed,  ^^  Ex  dono  Guilielmi  Fisher  genero si 
in  me^noriam  patris  sui,  Edwardi  Fisher  olim 
huJMs  Societatis  membri,  Anno  D^^^-  1662'' 
Hall  mark,  1661.  Original  weight,  61  oz.  15  dwts. 
Plate  II.,  fig.  I. 

The     ''  Lee  "    Tankard.  —  A    massive    Tan- 
kard, presented  in  1676  by  Edmund   Lee,  Master 

Q  2 


22  2  Supplement. 

of  the  Company  1675  and  1677.  Height,  8 
inches  ;  diameter  at  base,  7^  Inches.  It  is  richly 
chased  round  the  sides,  on  which  is  represented  a 
hunting  scene,  In  which  the  quarry,  a  stag,  is 
being  pistolled.  The  large  handle  and  the  rim  of 
the  cover  are  treated  In  acanthus  work,  which  is 
also  adopted,  round  the  base  ;  the  centre  of  the 
cover  contains  the  armorial  bearings  of  the  donor. 
Original  weight,  62  oz.  Hall  mark,  1676. 
Plate  H.,  fig.  5. 

The  ''Sawyer"  Tankard. —  This  was  pre- 
sented in  1695,  by  John  Sawyer  (Master  of  the 
Company  in  169 1).  It  is  a  large  Tankard  with 
overhanging  hinged  lid  and  purchase,  and  large 
bow  handle.  It  is  quite  plain,  and  bears  the  arms, 
crest,  and  motto  of  the  Company  on  the  front, 
and  underneath,  the  inscription,  ''  The  ^ift  of  Mr. 
John  Sawyer,  late  Master  of  the  Company,  anno 
i6g^r  Height,  8  inches  ;  diameter  at  base,  6^ 
inches,  tapering  to  5^  inches.  Hall  mark,  1686. 
Plate  IV.,  fig.  6. 

A  similar  Tankard,  but  somewhat  smaller,  is 
one  purchased  by  the  Company  in  1677  with  the 
proceeds  of  a  sale  of  spoons.  It  is  6f  inches  in 
height,  and  6  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base, 
tapering  to  5^  Inches.  The  arms,  crest,  and 
motto  of  the  Company  are  engraved  on  the  front. 
Original  weight,  2>o  ^^-  ^5  dwts.  Hall  mark 
1676,      Plate  IV.,  f\g.  3. 


•  UPPLEMENT.  223 


A  Silver  Ewer  and  Bason.  —  Alderman 
Smith's  bequest.  The  Ewer  is  9^  inches  in 
height  and  5^  inches  In  diameter,  and  bears  the 
arms  of  the  Company  and  of  the  donor  (Alder- 
man Edward  Smith,  Master  In  1654)  engraved. 
Hall  mark,  1691.     Plate  IV.,  fig.  8. 

The  Bason,  or  Rosewater  Dish,  Is  22  inches  in 
diameter.  Is  richly  decorated  in  repousse  with  a 
wreath  of  fruit  and  flowers,  the  terminals  enclosing 
the  arms  of  the  donor.  The  centre  rises  In  a 
boss  which  is  bordered  by  another  floral  wreath 
enclosing  the  Company's  arms,  crest,  and  motto. 
Circa,  1680.      Plate  II.,  fig.  4. 

This  Bason  and  Ewer  were  purchased  with  a 
bequest  of  ^30,  but  cost  £/\\  \6s.  6d.  Original 
weight,  126  oz. 


The  ''  Pack"  Monteith. — This  Is  a  handsome 
Punch  Bowl,  presented  by  John  Pack  (Master 
1699).  Height,  8^  inches  ;  diameter,  13  Inches. 
The  top  is  scalloped  in  eight,  and  the  sides  are 
ornamented  by  as  many  heart-shaped  panels 
outlined  e^z  rouleau.  Two  swinging  handles 
depend  from  lions'  faces  on  opposite  sides.  The 
arms  of  the  Company  and  the  donor  are  on 
separate  panels,  a  third  contains  the  donor's 
monogram,  and  a  fourth  the  inscription,  ''  Ex 
doiio  Jo/iannis  Packe  armigeri  et  Dignitifsimce 
Societatis  Ephipiariorum  prcesidisr  Hall  mark, 
1698.  Original  weight,  59  oz.  12  dwts.  Plate  V,, 
fig.  I. 


2  24  Supplement. 

The  "  Tesmond  "  Monteith.— Presented  by 
Michael  Tesmond  (Master  1720).  The  rim  Is 
scalloped  In  eight,  the  Indentations  differ  some- 
what from  those  of  the  "  Pack  "Bowl,  resembling 
battlements.  On  the  sides,  which  are  with- 
out chasing  and  otherwise  quite  plain,  are  two 
shields  bearing  the  arms  of  the  Company  and  of 
the  donor,  together  with  this  inscription,  "  Michael 
Tesmond  vetustifsimcE  EpJiippiariorum  Societatis 
per  Biennhmt  Presses  hoc  Dono  dedit  Sep.  24, 
1720."  Two  swinging  handles  also  depend  from 
lions'  faces  on  the  side.  Height,  8^  inches ; 
diameter,  13  inches  ;  original  weight,  ']6  oz.  10 
dwts.      Hall  mark,  1720.      Plate  V.,  fig.  6. 

The  "  Fizer  "  Salt.  —  This  Is  a  plain 
octagonal  Salt,  In  shape  resembling  an  hour-glass 
with  four  arms  or  horns  extended  vertically  from 
the  top,  and  which,  according  to  Mr.  Cripps, 
supported  the  napkin  which  covered  the  salt,  the 
latter  being  placed  in  a  circular  depression  or 
cavity  on  the  top.  It  was  presented  to  the  Com- 
pany In  1687  by  Edward  Fizer  (Master  1685  and 
1686),  is  engraved  with  the  Company's  arms, 
and  bears  the  Inscription,  "  The  gift  of  Thos. 
Fizer ^  Master  of  tJie  Working  Saddler  Company^ 
1686-1687."  Height  to  salt,  6f  inches,  the  horns 
extend  an  inch  higher;  original  weight,  ^^  oz. 
10  dwts.     Hall  mark,  1686.     Plate  V.,  fig.  5, 

Two    Octagonal  Salts. — Dumb-bell  or  hour- 


Supplement.  225 

glass  shaped,  purchased  in  1677  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  sale  of  spoons.  Each  has  four  arms  or 
rests,  a  circular  depression  for  the  salt,  and  is 
engraved  with  the  Company's  arms.  Their  respec- 
tive dimensions  are  : — 

Height,  extreme,  6^  inches  ;  diameter  at  base, 
7|-  inches  ;  original  weight  32^  oz.  Hall  mark, 
1676. 

Height,  extreme,  6  inches  ;  width  at  base, 
7  inches  ;  original  weight,  27  oz.  12  dwts.  Hall 
mark,  1676. 

Circular  Salt  (hour-glass  shape). — The  gift, 
in  1690,  of  Edward  Benskyn,  Master  1664  and 
1665.  It  has  three  arms  and  a  circular  depression 
for  the  salt,  and  contains  the  inscription,  ''  The 
Gift  of  Edward  Benfkin,  Member  of  this  Com- 
pany. The  18  Septemb®'',  1690."  Extreme 
height,  6^  inches ;  diameter  at  base,  8  inches. 
Hall  mark,  1661.     Plate  V,,  fig.  2. 

The  "Rich"  Candlesticks. — A  pair  presented, 
in  1692,  by  Lady  Rich  and  Elias  Rich,  the  widow 
and  son  of  Sir  Peter  Rich.  They  have  fluted  Doric 
columns  and  octagonal  bases.  Height,  13  inches  ; 
width  at  base,  8^  inches  ;  original  weight,  67  oz. 
14  dwts.     Hall  mark,  1692.     Plate  H.,  fig,  3. 

The  ''Banner"  Candlesticks. — Richard  Ban- 
ner, formerly  Clerk  of  the  Company,  bequeathed  in 
1720  the  sum  of  ^20,  with  which  were  purchased, 


2  26  Supplement. 

pursuant  to  the  bequest,  a  pair  of  Candlesticks, 
weighing  64  ounces.  They  have  fluted  Doric 
columns  and  octagonal  bases,  and  are  engraved 
with  the  arms  of  the  donor.  Height,  13  inches  ; 
width  at  base,  y^  inches.  No  Hall  mark.  Plate 
n.,  flg.  2. 

The  "Precious"  Candlestick. — Bequeathed 
in  1 8 10  by  Robert  Precious,  Master  1788.  En- 
graved with  the  Company's  arms,  crest,  motto, 
and  supporters.  Height,  16  inches  ;  to  top  of 
branches,  28  inches  ;  width  of  branches,  24  inches. 
Hall  mark,  1787.      Plate  IV.,  fig.  5. 

The  "  Adderley  "  Testimonial. — This  con- 
sists of  a  pair  of  silver  Claret  Jugs  of  very  chaste 
design,  presented  by  the  Court  to  the  Company 
in  1847,  ''  ^s  ^  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of 
the  late  Thomas  Adderley^  Esq.,  a  member  of  the 
Court  during  38  years ^  and  in  testimony  of  his 
high  character  and  private  worths  Height,  14 
inches  ;  ornamentation,  vine  leaves  and  grapes, 
engraved  and  intaglio.  Hall  mark,  1847.  Plate 
HI.,  fig.  2. 

Rosewater  Dish. — The  gift  of  Isaac  Neal, 
Master  1850.  Fruit  and  flowers  in  repousse. 
Diameter,  22  inches.     No  Hall  mark.     Plate  HI., 

fig-  3- 

"Williams"  Cup. — A  large  two-handled  covered 


Supplement.  227 

Cup.  Height  17  Inches;  extreme  width,  15 
inches  ;  Inscription,  "  Given  to  Toosey  Williams, 
Scots  Gj^eys,  on  the  *  Flying  Dutchman  '  win^iing 
the  St.  Leger,  September  12th,  1849,  by  A.  Mas- 
singberd,  13//^  Light  Dragoons T  Bequeathed  to 
the  Company  by  Benjamin  Bacon  WIlHams, 
Master  1846  and  1863.  Subject  :  Boys  with 
Grapes  and  Wheat.  It  bears  the  DubHn  assay 
mark  corresponding  to  the  year  1753.  Plate  V., 
fig.  4. 

The  "  McDouGALL  "  Cups.  —A  pair  of  Loving 
Cups,  presented  by  the  late  Mr.  Archibald 
McDougall,  Master  1866  and  1874;  a  pair  of 
silver  gilt  standing  cups  of  tapering  shape,  and 
covers,  with  baluster  stem.  On  the  sides  of  each 
cup  are  the  arms  of  the  Company  and  of  the 
donor  ;  the  mantling  is  carried  round  the  cup  and 
forms  the  prevailing  feature  of  the  decoration. 
Immediately  above  the  base  are  four  horses'  heads, 
crested  and  bridled.  The  covers  are  8  inches  In 
diameter  and  each  Is  surmounted  by  a  horse 
saddled,  crested,  and  bridled.  Height,  21  Inches. 
Hall  mark,  1875.     Plate  II.,  fig.  i. 

Top  of  Under-Beadle's  Mace  (12  inches 
high). — A  horse  saddled  and  bridled,  supporting 
In  front  a  shield  with  the  Company's  arms.  It 
bears  the  following  figures  inscribed,  ''11  8  ^,"  the 
meaning  of  which  is  not  clear.  The  trappings  of 
the  horse,  and  the  character  of  the  shield,  suggest 
the  sixteenth  century,  to  which  period  it  probably 


2  28  Supplement. 

belongs.     There    is  no   Hall  mark       Plate    IV., 

%•  7. 

Top  of  Beadle's  Mace. — A  horse,  silver  gilt, 
crested,  bridled,  and  saddled,  supporting  in  front 
a  shield  with  the  Company's  arms.  The  gift,  in 
1711,  of  John  Heylyn,  Master  1710.  No  Hall 
mark.     Plate  IV.,  fig.  9. 

Silver  Waiter  on  feet;  length,  19  Inches; 
width,  14  Inches.  Presented  in  1797  by  Edward 
Heylyn,  Master  1779  and  1793.  Hallmark,  1796. 
Plate  IV.,  fig.  4. 

Two  Silver  Punch  Ladles,  with  gilt  bowls, 
each  14^  inches  long,  and  engraved  on  the  handles 
with  the  arms,  crest,  and  motto  of  the  Company. 
One  of  these  was  presented  by  Mr.  Richard 
Burton,  in  18 11,  and  bears  the  H[all  mark  of  the 
same  year.  It  contains,  in  the  bowl,  a  fine  large 
gold  coin  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  on  one  side  of 
which  is  a  crowned  figure  of  the  Queen  in  profile, 
with  sceptre  and  orb,  and  around  it  the  motto 
"  posvi  :  DEUM  :  adivtorem  :  mevm  ;  "  while  on  the 
reverse  are  the  royal  arms  of  France  and  England 
quarterly,  together  with  the  inscription ''Elizabeth: 

D.G.  ANGL  :  era  :  ET  :  HIBER  I  REGINA."        The  Other 

Ladle  was  presented  by  Mr.  Wm.  Smart  In  181 7, 
and  bears  the  Hall  mark  of  that  year.  In  the 
bowl  is  a  fine  large  gold  coin  of  Queen  Anne, 
dated  1 708,  of  which  the  reverse  is  seen  on  the 
underside  of  the  bowl. 


Supplement.  229 

Coffee  Cup. — Hall  Mark,  1730.  Presented 
in  1789  by  Robert  Precious.     Plate  IV.,  fig.  i. 

Six  Taper  or  Pipelight  Candlesticks. — 
Baluster  stem  and  bases  hexagonal.  Height,  5^ 
inches.  Hall  mark,  1720.  Purchased  by  the 
Company.      Plate  V.,  fig.  3. 

A  PAIR  OF  Silver  Candlesticks  of  very  graceful 
pattern  designed,  after  the  style  of  Flaxman,  from 
the  antique.  An  elegant  stem  or  pedestal, 
decorated  at  the  shoulders  with  rams'  heads 
upon  a  festooned  base,  supports  an  amphora- 
shaped  vase  or  urn  (but  without  arms),  which 
holds  the  sconce.  Height,  12  inches.  Hall  mark, 
1738.     Plate  IV.,  fig.  2. 

Another  pair  exactly  similar  but  of  later  date, 
and  bearing  the  Sheffield  assay  mark  ;  the  date 
mark  is,  however,  not  legible. 

A  SILVER-MOUNTED  Ram's-head  Mull,  presented 
by  Thomas  Porteen  Smith,  Master  in  1869.  The 
lid  of  the  box  is  mounted  with  a  fine  yellow  cairn- 
gorm, which  again  is  surmounted  by  the  figure  of 
a  horse,  saddled  and  bridled.  The  head  is  a  very 
handsome  one,  and  the  horns  are  tipped  with  two 
other  cairngorms  of  a  darker  colour.  The  mull 
bears  the  Edinburgh  assay  mark,  the  date  of 
which  corresponds  to  the  year  1853. 

The    remainder    of    the    Company's    plate    is 


230  Supplement. 

mostly  modern,  and  possess  few  features  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest. 

An  interesting  relic  consists  of  an  ancient 
Ballot  Box.  It  is  of  wood,  painted,  resembling 
in  shape  a  Chinese  pagoda.  It  bears  date  161 9, 
and  has  been  in  regular  use  ever  since  for  the 
annual  election  of  Wardens. 

There  Is  also  preserved  an  Ancient  Book  bound 
in  leather,  with  large  brass  hasps,  containing  illu- 
minated portions  of  the  four  Holy  Gospels,  with 
which  are  bound  copies  of  ancient  ordinances, 
wills,  and  covenants,  in  handwriting  extending 
over  a  period  from  the  fifteenth  to  the  seven- 
teenth centuries.  The  Wardens,  Assistants, 
Livery,  and  Freemen  are  severally  sworn  upon 
this  venerable  book,  which  bears  on  the  front 
cover  the  following  inscription  engraved,  In  brass 
frame  :- 


OTI)o 

:  so 

:  on 

ivis 

St 

0 

a 

♦♦ 

•  • 

«* 

*^ 

S 

*  * 

«-n> 

W 

0 

>CN 

<-s 

•  * 

tft. 

? 

rfSs 

*» 

:355ud55op:3ano  :p 


riate  1. 


THE    COCOANUT    CUP.      HEIGHT    12    INCHES. 


I 


Plate 


Plate  III. 


Plate  IV. 


Supplement.  231 


PICTURES. 


In   the    Hall. 


A  full-length  portrait  of  H.R.H.  Frederick 
Prince  of  Wales,  said  to  be  by  Fyshe. 

A  portrait  of  the  Right  Hon.  Baron  Halsbury, 
Lord  Chancellor,  Past-Master,  by  Mr.  Cyrus 
Johnson. 

A  portrait  of  Queen  Anne,  by  Clostermans. 

A  portrait  of  Pitt,  by  Romney. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Alderman  Cotton,  by  Mr. 
Cyrus  Johnson. 

A  portrait  of  Alderman  Sir  Peter  Laurie. 
Painter  unknown. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Bishop,  Common  Crier. 
Painter  unknown. 


In  the  Court  Room. 

"  The   Triumph   of  David,"  after   Poussin,   by 
Mr.  J.  E.  Fisher,  Master  in  1868. 

"  Venus  instructing  Cupid,"  by  Carlo  Moratti. 

In  the  Committee  Room. 
"Dutch  Boers  Carousing,"  by  Van  Ostade. 


232  Supplement. 

In  the  Wardens'  Room. 

Portrait  of  Mr.  Joseph  Peacock,  Master  1832 
and  1850. 


In  the  Entrance  Passage. 

Full-length  portrait  of  Mr.  Sheriff  John  Laurie, 
M.P.  for  Barnstaple,  and  Master  in  1847. 


O   '>  -I 

^30 


ADDENDUM. 

The  Will  of  William  de  Lincolne,  Saddler, 
dated  20th  November,  1392,  proved  November, 
1393,  and  enrolled  in  the  Court  of  Hustings, 
Guildhall,  contains  the  following  bequest  :  "  Item, 
to  the  wise  men  of  the  mistery  of  '  Sadellers  '  of 
London,  I  leave  ten  marks  on  condition  that  they 
make  a  common  Hall  (itnmn  aidant  coni7nuneni)  to 
the  use  of  the  said  mistery  within  three  years 
next  after  my  decease,  and  if  they  make  not  the 
Hall  aforesaid  within  the  said  three  years,  I  then 
leave  the  said  ten  marks  to  be  distributed  by  my 
executors  among  the  poor  of  the  said  mistery  of 
'  Sadellers  '  of  London." 


^35 


INDEX. 


Act  of  5  Eliz.,  c.  4,  i8i. 
5  Eliz.,  c.  8,  194. 
Adderley,    on    funeral    sconces    in 
Hall,  177. 
,,       Testimonial  Plate,  226. 
Alluring  of  servants  and  customers 

forbidden,  192. 
Almshouses  at  Isleworth,  144. 
Ammunition,  supply  of,  90. 
Ancient  Testament,  230. 
Apprentices,  number  limited,  183. 
,,  turnover  of,  184. 

,,  to  be  presented  to  the 

Wardens,  184. 
,,  bound  for  eleven  years, 

188. 
,,  disputes  between  mas- 

ters and,  189. 
Apprenticeship,  compulsory,  181. 
,,  Statute   respecting, 

181. 
Arms,  Company's,  lent  to  State,  92. 

,,      Grant  of  Heraldic,  58. 
Askew,   Anne,    tried    at    Saddlers' 

Hall,  51. 
Assistants  removed,  121. 
Audit,  A. D.  1568,  55;  A. D.  1584,57. 
"  Ayde  money,"  75. 


"Bachelerie,"  154. 

Ballot  Box,  150,  230. 

Banner,   Candlesticks  presented  by 

Mr.,  225. 
Banners,  Silk,  bought  by  Company, 

143- 
,,       presented  by  Sir  P.  Laurie, 

143- 


Barge,  Company's  State,  112. 

Bartholomew  Feast,  164. 

Beadle  imprisoned,  71. 

Blackmore,  Sir  Richard,  125. 

"  Bringing  home,"  164. 

Burials,  174. 

Burton,    Richard,    Plate    presented 

by,  22S. 
Bury  St.  Edmunds,  Plague  at,  89. 


"  Cadett,"  150. 

Cambridge,  Duke  of,  visits  Saddlers' 

Hall,  147. 
Chaplain,  174. 
Charters — i  Edward  I.,  7. 

37  Edward  HI. ,  38. 

18  Richard  H.,  44. 

3  Henry  VI.,  49. 

24  Henry  VI.,  49. 

3  Edward  IV,,  50. 
II  Henry  VII.,  51. 
32  Henry  VIIL,  51. 
I  Elizabeth,  52. 

4  James  I.,  73. 

,,  surrendered  to 

Charles  II.,  118. 
24  Charles  II.,  120. 
Charles  I.  borrows  money,  88,  90, 
91. 
,,  his  arms  removed  from 

Saddlers'  Plall,  99. 
Charles  11.  enters  London,  100. 

,,  Saddlers'  Company  vote 

him  ;[^I44,  loi. 
,,  Coronation  of,  102. 

,,  visits  the  City.  103. 

„  quo  wariJinlo,  116. 


R 


236 


Index. 


Charles  II.  dies,  120. 

Cheapside  in  seventeenth   century, 

63. 
,,         Cross,  65. 

,,         Standard,  65. 

Christ's  Hospital,  Company  meet  at, 

107. 
Clerk  to  let  Hall,  iii. 
Cloathing,  ceremony  of,  153. 
,,         Election  of,  153. 
,,         penalty  for  refusing,  153. 
Cloth  of  Livery,  153. 
Clothes,    light-coloured,   forbidden, 

171. 
Coaches,  introduction  of,  81. 
Coachmaker     appointed      "  King's 

Esquire  Saddler,"  115, 
Cocoa-nut  Cup,  loS,  220. 
Collegia  Roman,  Introduction,  xvii. 

et  seq. 
Colonization  of  Virginia,  75 ;  Ulster, 

Compters.     See  Counters. 
Convention  between  Saddlers'  Guild 
and  St.  Martin's,  3  et 
seq. 
,,  translation  of,  5. 

Cotton,   Mr.   Alderman,  Mayoralty 
of,  144. 
,,  and  Livery  Companies 

Commission,  147. 
,,  biographical        notice, 

214. 
Counters,  Wood  Street  and  Poultry, 

67,  200. 
Cox's  Charity,  206. 
Cradock,  Chas.,  Bequest,  213. 
Cradock,  Thos.    Bequest,  213. 
Crown,  interference  by,  76. 
Cupfillers,  1 5 1. 


Dashwood,  Alderman,  presents 
barge  cloth,  l\:c.  ,  113; 
biographical  notice, 
207. 


Cup,  108,  221. 


Deykin,  ill-made  saddles,  142. 

Disputes,  170. 

Distillers'   Company   use   Saddlers' 

Hall,  no. 
Dodd,  P.  M.  Moses,  resigns  Chair, 

215. 
Dragoons  to  be  raised  by  Saddlers' 

Company,  124. 
Duel  threatened  between  Members, 

172. 
Duke  of  Cambridge  and  Saddlers' 

Exhibition,  147. 
Dutch  Wars,  103,  104. 


Early  Minute  Bookslost,/'r^f(?,  xiv. 
Edward  I.,  Charter,  7. 

„       III.,      „      38. 

,,         ,,     Ordinances,  27. 
,,       IV.,  Charter,  50. 
Election  Day,  151. 
Elizabeth,  Charter  of,  52. 
,,         Ordinances,  54. 
,,         introduces  Lotteries,  55. 
,,         processions  ef,  57. 
English  Guilds,   Antiquity  of.     See 

Introduction. 
Epitaph,    Jacobite,    on    Frederick, 

Prince  of  Wales,  139. 
Esquire  Saddler,  115. 
Etiquette  of  Company,  171. 
Exhibition  of  Saddles,  145,  146. 


Feasts,  157. 

Fellowship,  The  Company  a,  167 

Fines,  165  et  seq. 

Fire,  Great,  of  London,  106. 

Fisher  Cup,  108,  221. 

Fizer  Salt,  224. 

Fitzstephen's  description  of  London 

crafts,  I. 
Foster  Lane,  Antiquity  of,  ']%. 
Frederick,    Prince  of  Wales,   visits 
Saddlers'  Hall,  131, 
,,  accepts    Freedom    of 

Company,  132. 


Index. 


'^Zl 


Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  elected 
Perpetual     Master, 

134. 
,,  dies,  1 38. 

Freedom,    Custom   on   taking    up, 

185. 
Funerals,  174. 
Funeral  Pall,  177. 

,,       Sconces  in  Hall,  177. 

George  I.  enters  London,  128. 
Girdlers,  Ordinances  of,  23. 
Goldsmiths,  earliest  Charter  of,  7. 
Gibson,  Jesse,  architect  of  present 

Hall,  142. 
Gloves,  Gift  of,  165. 
Gowrie  Conspiracy,  75. 
Granaries,  City,  94. 
Great  Plague,  105. 
Great  Fire,  106. 
Gunpowder  Plot,  71. 

,,  Store  of,  98. 

Gunton's  Charities,  210. 

Hair,  long,  forbidden,  172. 

Hall,  Saddlers'.     See  letter  S. 

Halsbury,  Lord,  215,  216. 

Harris,  Mr.,  offers  prizes  for  Sad- 
dles, 146. 

Henry  VI.,  Charter  49. 
„  VH.,  „  51. 
„     VHL,     „       51. 

Herbert,  on  the  antiquity  of  Sad- 
dlers' Guild,  6. 

Herse  Cloth,  174. 

Heylin,    John,    presents     Beadle's 
mace,  228. 

Heylyn,    Edward,    presents    silver 
waiter,  228. 

Hides  to  be  viewed,  194. 

Holland,  war  with,  103,  104. 

Honnor's  Charity,  212. 

,,         Home  at  Isleworth,  144. 

Humphreys,  Mr.  C.  O.,  216. 

Illustrations,  List  of,  xi. 


James  I.,  Charter,  73. 

,,         Ordinances  ratified  by,  74. 
James  II.  discharges  Wardens  and 
Assistants,  121. 
,,         abdicates,  124. 
Joiners  and   Saddlers,   Early  Ordi- 
nances of,  9. 
,,  ,,  Disputes  be- 

tween, II. 
Journeymen    Saddlers    to    serve   a 
year,  192. 

Kent,  Estates  in,  107. 

Key  Warden,  150. 

King  of  Denmark  visits  City,  71. 

King's  Esquire  Saddler,  115. 

Labourne  Cup,  108,  220. 
Labourne's  Charity,  206. 
Lambe,  Dr.,  mobbed,  86. 
Laurie,  Colonel  R.  P.,  biographical 

notice,  216. 
Laurie,  Sir  Peter,  Mayoralty  of,  143. 
,,  presents  banners, 

143- 
Leadenhall,  Leather  Market  at,  194. 

Leases,  quaint  custom,  165. 
Leather,  Statute  concerning  sale  of, 
194. 
,,        Market  at  Leadenhall,  194. 
Lee  Tankard,  221. 
Lieht -coloured    clothes    forbidden, 

171,  172. 
Livery.     See  also  Cloathing. 

,,       Summoned,  re  Sale  of  Plate, 
92  ;  re  Surrender  of  Char- 
ter, 117. 
,,      Junior,  act  as  Waiters,  159.. 
,,      Companies'  Commission,  147. 
Loans  to  King  and  Parliament,  88, 

90,  91,  93.  125. 
London  Tavern,  141. 
Loriners'  Ordinances  burnt,  ii. 
Lord  Mayor's  Feast,  160. 
,,  Show,  III. 

Lottery,  First  English,  55. 


238 


Index. 


"  Loyall  London,"  The  ship,  104. 
Ludgate  Prison,  70. 

Machyn's  description    of   funerals, 

177. 
Marshalsea  Prison,  71. 
Marlborough,  Fire  at,  99. 
Master,  Title  of,  149. 
Master's  Feast,  157. 
Masters     and    Wardens,     List    of 

Ancient,  205. 
McDougall  Cups,  227. 
Meetings,  165  ;  diminished,  92. 
Members,  Rules  for  Governance  of, 

166  et  seq. 
Mermaid  Tavern,  Cheapside,  67. 
Mottoes  of  Company,  58. 
Municipal    Corporations'    Inquiiy, 

147. 

Neal  Rosewater  Dish,  226. 
New  London  Tavern,  141. 
Numa  and  the  crafts  of  Rome,  In- 
troduction^ xviii. 

Officers,  219. 

Opening  Shop,  191. 

Order  Books  lost,  Preface,  xiv. 

Ordinances,  Edward  IIL,  27. 

Elizabeth,  54,  151,153, 

165,  183,  192. 
James  I.,  74?  166. 
Charles  IL,    152,    154, 
165,  166,  191. 


>> 


5> 


JJ 


Pack,  Monteith,  223. 

Painters  and  the  Saddlery  Trade, 

10. 
Painters     and     Saddlers,     Dispute 

between,  11. 
Pall,  Funeral,  174. 
Paris,  Articles  of  Saddlers  of,  27. 
Paul's  Cross,  75. 
Peacemaking,  170. 
Pease's  Charity,  207. 
Plague,  84, 85  ;  "The  Great,"  105. 


Pictures  in  Hall,  231. 

Plate  sold,  91,  92. 

Plate,  Description  of  Company's, 
220. 

Porter,  F.  W.,  Architect  of  Alms- 
houses, 145. 

Precious,  Robt.,  Plate  presented  by, 
226  and  229. 

Prime  Warden,  title  introduced, 
134;  discontinued,  138. 

Prince  of  Orange,  124. 

Processions  by  water,  ill,  143. 

"  Proof  Piece,"  190. 


Quarterage,  154. 
Quarter  Warden,  1 50. 
Quo  Warranto,  116. 


Rebuking,  167. 

Religious  Observances,  173. 

Renter  Warden,  149. 

Restoration,  The,  100. 

Revolution,  The,  88. 

Rich,  Sir  Peter,  208. 

„  Cup  given  by,  220. 

,,  Candlesticks  given 

by,  225. 

Richard  IL,  Charter  of,  44. 

Rings,  Gift  of,  to  Wardens,  177. 

Roman  Guilds   and    Crafts,   Intro- 
duction. 

Russian   Ambassador    received    by 
City,  102. 


"Saddlery  of  Westchepe,"  The,  2. 
Saddlers'    wages    fixed    by    Royal 

Ordinance,  21. 
Saddlers  of  York   fined  by  Henry 

n.,  8. 

Saddlers  of  Paris,  Articles  of,  27. 
Saddlers'  Guild — 

Antiquity  of.     See  Preface ;   also 
p.  6. 

and  Joiners,  Articles  of,  9. 


Index. 


239 


Saddlers'  Guild — 

and      Loriners,       Joiners,      and 
Painters,  Disputes  between,  11. 
and  the  Girdlers,  23. 
and   Edward   Ill's  French  wars, 

31- 
Representatives      on       Common 

Council,  39. 
Masters  of,  Sworn,  40. 
Petition  against  Nicholas  Brem- 

bre,  Mayor,  41. 
Dispute    between    Masters     and 

Yeomen,  46. 
in  A.D.  1537,  51. 
■  Redemption  of  Charitable  Estates 

by,  52. 
and  Colonization  of  Virginia,  75  ; 

of  Ulster,  78. 
and  introduction  of  Coaches,  81. 
and  supply  of  Saddles  to  Army, 

96. 
and  the  Restoration,  loi. 
contribute  to  Charles  II,  loi. 
and  fund   for   disbanding  forces, 

lOI. 

and   Coronation  of   Charles   II, 

102. 
subscribe  to  Dutch  Wars,  103. 
decimated  by  Plague,  105. 
their  Barge,  112. 
and  Water  Processions,   112. 
subscribe  to  "Voluntary  Fund," 

139. 

their  Almshouses,  144. 
Prizes  for  Saddles,  145,  146. 
Internal  Affairs  of,  149. 
and  the  Trade,  179. 
in  1889,  217. 
Saddlers'  Hall- 
Anne  Askew  tried  at,  $i. 
used  by  Commissioners  for  relief 

of  City  of  Marlborough,  99, 
destroyed  by  Great  Fire,  106. 
rebuilt,  108. 
let,  no,  III,  176. 
description  of  old,  127. 
partially  burnt,  140. 


Saddlers'  Hail- 
completely  burnt,  141. 
rebuilt,  141. 

Saddlers'  .trade    to    be    learnt   by 
apprenticeship,  181,  182. 

Saddlery   wares   not    to    be    made 
covertly,  193. 

Saddles  ill-made,  burnt,  142. 

,,  ,,  punishment       for, 

1975  199  ^^  seq. 
„       Exhibition  of,  145,  146. 

Salts,  Silver,  224,  225. 

St.  Martin's-le-(jrand,  2,  3. 

St.  Mary-le-Bow,  64. 

St.  Michael-le-Querne,  64. 

St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  Repair  of,  87. 

St.  Paul's  Cross,  75. 

St.  Peter  Cheap,  64. 

St.  Vedast,  77,  in. 

Sawyer  Tankard,  the,  222. 

Scholars,  Company's,  at  the  Univer- 
sities, 77. 

Sconces,  Funeral,  in  Hall,  177. 

Scotch  Rebellion,  136. 

Search,  prerogative  of,  196. 

,,      punishment     for     resisting, 

201. 
,,       impartiality  of,  203. 
,,      useful  results  of,  204. 

Searchers  and  Sealers  of   Leather, 
194. 

Severus,  A. ,  and  the  crafts  of  Rome, 
Introduction,  xix. 

Second  Warden,  149. 

Ship  "Loyall  London,"  104. 

Ship  money,  89. 

Shopkeeping,  to  be  licensed  by  War- 
dens, 183. 
,,     opening,  191. 

Smart,  Wm.,  presents  Silver  Ladle, 
228. 

Smith's  bequest,  Alderman,  223. 

Smithfield,  Saddles  burnt  at,  199. 

Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  95. 

Spoons,  Gift  of,  185  ;  Sold,  186. 

Stage  Coaches  introduced,  84. 

Standard,  Cheapside,  65. 


240 


Index. 


Stands,  115,  129. 

State  Barge,  Company's,  112. 

Statute  concerning  Apprenticeship, 

181  ;  Leather  Trades,  194. 
Statute  of  Chantries'  Act,  52. 
Steelyard  Merchants,  Guild  of,  In- 

troduction. 
Stewards,  160. 

Tenants  to  give  Venison,  164. 
Tesmond  Monteith,  The,  224. 
Third  Warden,  149. 
Trades  to  be  learnt  by  Apprentice- 
ship, 181. 
Translations,  155. 
"Treasurie,"  151. 
Trees,  Saddle-,  broken,  199. 
"Trial  Saddle,"  190. 


Ulster,  Colonization  of,  78  ;  Rebel- 
lion in,  93. 
"  Under  Renter,"  Title  of,  150. 
Upper  Warden,  149. 

Venison,  Tenants  to  give,  164. 
Virginia,  Colonization  of,  75. 


Voluntary  Fund,  139, 

Wages    of    Artificers     limited    by 

Statute,  21. 
"  Wayters,"  159. 
Wardens  adjudicate  in  disputes,  169. 

,,        and    Assistants    removed, 
121. 

,,        Titles  of,  149. 

,,        Election  of,  152. 

„        fined  for  absence,  166. 

,,        of  the  Yeomanry,  160. 
Water  Pageants,  in,  143. 
Weaver's  Company,  Charter  of,  7. 
Wheat,    Company's   proportion  of, 

94. 
"  Whiflers,"  85. 
"  Williams  "  Cup,  the,  227. 
William  III.  and  Mary,  124. 
Wine  Cellar,  142, 
Worcester,  Battle  of,  98. 
Wren,  Sir  Christopher,  in. 

Yeomanry,  154. 
Yeomanry's  Dinner,  160. 
Yeomen  Saddlers,  Dispute  between 
Masters  and,  46. 


Harrison  &  Sons,  Printers,  St.  Martin's  Lane,  London. 


I 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinaiy  Medicine 
Cummings  School  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 

200  We^thnrn  Road 


r^s- 


ifs>^ 


■x:^. 


r> 


•  •. 


','-   \