Memorials: 1362

Regulations for the Trade of the Alien Weavers in London.

36 Edward III. A.D. 1362. Letter-Book G. fol. xciii. (Norman French.)

"Unto the most honourable Lords, and rightful, the Mayor and Aldermen, of the City of London, humbly pray the Weavers alien working in the same City, that the points and Ordinances underwritten may be granted and allowed to them, for the common profit of the land and of the City, and for the saving of their said trade.—

"In the first place,—that three good folks of the weavers alien may be ordained and sworn to keep and rule their trade, and the points underwritten.

"Also,—that if any alien shall come to the said city to work in the said trade, and to make his profit, he shall do nothing in the same, before he shall have presented himself to the Masters alien of the said trade, and by the said Masters have been examined if he knows his trade or not; and thereupon, let orders be given by the said Masters what he shall take by the day for his work.

"Also,—that no one of the said trade of weavers alien shall be so daring as to work at the trade by night.

"Also,—that no one in the said trade shall work at the trade on Saturdays; or on the Eve of Double Feasts, after None rung in the Parish where he resides.

"Also, —if any workman has served his alien master by the day or by the week, and the said master will not pay the workman for his work, according as they shall have agreed, the good, folks who shall be ordained and sworn to keep and rule their said trade, shall have power to forbid the said master to be so daring as to work at the said trade, until he shall have paid his workman what he is bound to pay him. And if he shall do the contrary, and be convicted thereof, let him pay to the Chamber the penalty that is underwritten.

"Also,— whereas heretofore, if any dispute occurred between a master alien in the said trade and his workman, such workman was wont to go to all the workmen within the City in the said trade, and, by covin and conspiracy between them made, they would give orders that no one of them should work or submit to serve until the said master and his workman should have agreed; by reason whereof the masters of the said trade were in great trouble, and the people left unserved;—it is ordered that, from henceforth, if any dispute shall occur between any master alien, and his workman in the said trade, the same dispute shall be rectified by the Wardens of the trade. And if any workman who shall have offended, or have misbehaved towards his master alien, will not submit to be adjudged before the said Wardens, let such workman be arrested by a serjeant of the Chamber, at the suit of the said Wardens, and brought before the Mayor and Aldermen; and before them let him be punished, at their discretion.

"Also, —if any alien of the said trade shall be found doing mischief in the way of larceny, to the value of 12 pence; the first time, let him make amends to him against whom he shall have so offended, at the discretion of the Masters alien of the said trade. And if he shall be found guilty thereof a second time, let him be brought before the Mayor and Aldermen, and before them be punished, according to his deserts.

"Also,—if any alien of the said trade shall be found guilty in any point aforesaid, let him be amerced, the first time, in 40 pence, to the use of the Chamber; half a mark, the second time; 20 shillings, the third time; and the fourth time, let him forswear the trade in the said city; and every time, let him also pay 12 pence to the Wardens for their trouble."

(fn. 1) John le Grutteret and Peter Vanthebrok, Flemings, and John Elias, Brabanter, were chosen on the 23rd day of February in the 36th year, and sworn to keep and oversee the Articles aforesaid, and the alien men of the same trade.

Royal Order that materials for roofing, and the wages of Tilers, shall not be enhanced, by reason of the damage done by the late Tempest.

36 Edward III. A.D. 1362. Letter-Book G. foil. xcix. (Latin.)

"Edward, by the grace of God etc., to our well-beloved and trusty John Pecche, Mayor, and Thomas de Lodelowe, Recorder, of our City of London, and the, Sheriffs of the same city and of the County of Middlesex, greeting. Whereas we have been given to understand that under pretext of the tempest (fn. 2) of wind which has of late unhappily occurred in divers parts of our realm, by reason whereof many buildings have been levelled with the ground, and many dilapidated, broken, and damaged, and great multitudes of tiles and other coverings have been wholly or for the greater part torn from the roofs thereof; those who have tiles to sell, and other things suitable for roofing such houses, do sell the same, entirely at their own pleasure, at a much higher price than heretofore they were wont to do; and that the tilers and other roofers of buildings, seeing so great an urgency for persons of their calling, hesitate to follow their trade, or to do any work, unless they receive excessive wages for the same, and in like manner refuse, to the no small loss and grievance of our commonwealth;—by reason thereof, by advice of our Council, we have ordered that tiles and other things requisite for the roofing of buildings shall be sold at the same price at which they used to be sold before the Feast of our Lord's Nativity last past, and at no higher rate; and that tilers and their men, or assistants, and all other servants, artificers, and workmen, shall not take, or in any way presume to exact, for their daily labour, greater stipends or wages than before the said Feast they were wont to take; and that the makers of tiles and other things requisite for the roofing of buildings, shall make from day to day tiles and all other things for the roofing of buildings, and shall expose the same for public sale, when so made, as heretofore they used to do, without any withholding or concealing thereof. And we do entrust to you, and command you, that all and singular the matters aforesaid you will cause to be publicly proclaimed in the City, and in the said County of Middlesex, as well within the liberties as without, and will cause it on our behalf strictly to be forbidden, that any one shall do aught against the Ordinance aforesaid, or dare to attempt to do, privily or openly, on pain of forfeiting unto us all things that he may forfeit; and all those who, after our proclamation and prohibition aforesaid, shall be found doing to the contrary thereof, will take and imprison without delay, and their goods and chattels, as being forfeited unto us, will arrest, and under arrest detain, until we shall think proper to give other orders as to the same; you certifying us from time to time in our Chancery as to all that you shall do herein. Witness myself, at Westminster, the 28th day of March, in the 36th year of our reign." (fn. 3)

Regulations for checking the malpractices of the Dyers.

36 Edward III. A.D. 1362. Letter-Book G. fol. ci. (Norman French.)

"We do command, on behalf of our Lord the King, that no dyer or weaver shall be so daring as to prepare any manner of cloth, on pain of forfeiting all the cloth by them so made.

"Also,—that no dyer who dyes wools with woad, shall dye hats, caps, linen thread, or silk, on pain of paying 100s. to the Chamber, every time he shall be convicted thereof.

"Also,—that dyers shall dye at the rate of ten pounds for eight.

"Also,—that no dyer shall refuse to let any one take away his dyed wools, without demanding anything for the dyeing of them, before the wools so dyed shall be dry; on pain of paying 100 shillings to the Chamber every time he shall be convicted thereof; to the end that the owners of such wools may know that their wools have not been changed; as also, that they may have their full weight, and the wools may be of the colour they ought to be. And forthwith, so soon as the wools shall be dry, if the owners of the wools so dyed shall not make ready payment for the dyeing of the same,—that is to say, according to the weight that the wools shall weigh when dry,—the dyers who shall have dyed such wools, are to come before the Mayor, and make their plaint by petition, in manner of the Statute of Smythefeld; and by the Mayor and Aldermen judgment and execution shall be given to them, according to the same Statute."

Release given by William Olneye to the Executors of Richard de Hakeneye.

36 Edward III. A.D. 1362. Letter-Book G. fol. ci. (Latin.)

"Know all men by these presents, that I, William Olneye, have remitted and released unto Agnes Hakeneye and Sir Adam de Burdene, Rector of the Church (fn. 4) of St. Mary atte Hulle, in London, executors of the will of Richard de Hakeneye, all manner of personal actions which I have or in future may have against the executors aforesaid, by reason of any contract made between me and the said Richard, from the beginning of the world to the day of making these presents. In witness whereof, to these presents I have set my seal. Given at London, on the Friday next before the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary [15 August], in the 36th year of the reign of King Edward, after the Conquest the Third."

Payment of several sums of money for the good of the Soul of John de Oxenford, by Adam Fraunceys, his devisee.

36 Edward III. A.D. 1362. Letter-Book G. fol. cviii. (Latin.)

"Whereas by common assent of the Prelates and Clergy of England, it is now ordered that no yearly Chaplain shall take more by the year than five marks sterling, for celebrating Mass for the soul of any person, under a certain penalty by the aforesaid Clergy and Prelates thereon ordained. And also, in the Parliament of our Lord the King at Westminster, holden on the quinzaine (fn. 5) of St. Michael [29 September], in the 36th year, etc., among other articles there ordained, it is enjoined that no person, of whatsoever estate or condition he may be, who is under the dominion and power of our Lord the King of England, shall give to any yearly Chaplain more than five marks by the year; and that he shall be fined in a certain sum of money to our Lord the King, if he shall be convicted thereof etc.

And whereas Adam Fraunceys, (fn. 6) citizen of London, is bound to dispose of a certain sum of money, the residue of 100 pounds, for the celebration of Masses for the soul of John de Oxenford, (fn. 7) late citizen and pelterer of the city aforesaid, in return for a tenement, with its appurtenances, which the said Adam has had left to him by the same John de Oxenford, in the Lane known as 'Fyngkeslane,' (fn. 8) in the Parish of St. Michael on Cornhulle, in London. And whereas he, the same Adam, cannot get any Chaplain for five marks only to celebrate for the soul of the said John, and does not dare to infringe the Ordinance of our Lord the King published thereon; and yet desires to discharge his conscience thereof, and faithfully to expend the same, in the relief of divers churches that have been levelled to the ground by the tempest of wind, for the salvation of the soul of the aforesaid John de Oxenford, in such manner as by him was ordained etc.;—the same Adam, on the 17th day of the month of October, in the 36th year above-mentioned, in the Chamber of the Guildhall of London, in presence of Stephen Cavendisshe, Mayor of the city aforesaid, Thomas de Lodelowe, Alderman and Recorder, and other Aldermen, then present, gave to the Prior of the Hospital of St. Mary without Bisshopesgate, in the suburb of London, 10 pounds sterling; on condition that he, the same Prior, on peril of his soul, should find three Canons to celebrate for the soul of John de Oxenford aforesaid for one whole year then next ensuing. And the said Prior so received the said 10 pounds, on peril of his soul.

Also, the said Adam, the day and year aforesaid, in the Chamber of the Guildhall, gave to the Prior of the Church of the Holy Trinity, in London, 10 marks, on condition that he, the same Prior, on peril of his soul, should find two Canons to celebrate etc. (fn. 9)

Also, the said Adam, etc., (fn. 9) gave to the Prior of the Church of St. Bartholomew in Smethefelde 10 marks, on condition that he, the same Prior, on peril of his soul, should find two Canons to cele brate, etc. (fn. 10) Also, etc., to the Abbot (fn. 10) of Stratforde 10 marks, on condition that he, the same Abbot, on peril of his soul, should find two monks to celebrate etc. (fn. 10) Also, etc., to the Abbot (fn. 10) of Lesnes (fn. 11) 10 marks, on condition that he, the same Abbot, on peril of his soul, should find two Canons etc., in form aforesaid. (fn. 10)

(fn. 12) Also, paid to the Warden of the Friars Minors in London, (fn. 13) the 20th day of February in the 37th year, by the hands of Adam Fraunceys, for praying for the soul of John de Oxenford, pelterer, 40s.

Also, paid to the Prior of the Order of the Friars Preachers (fn. 14) in London, the 20th day of February etc., for praying for the soul of John de Oxenford, pelterer, 40s.

Also, paid to the Order of the Friars Carmelites, (fn. 15) in the suburb of London, the 20th day of February etc., for praying for the soul of John de Oxenford, pelterer, 40s.

Also, paid to the Prior of the Order of St. Austin in London, (fn. 16) the 20th day of February etc., for praying for the soul of John de Oxenford, pelterer, 40s.