Memorials: 1404

Petition of the Hurers and Cappers.

5 Henry IV. A.D. 1404. Letter-Book I. fol. xxix. (Latin and Norman French.)

(fn. 1) On the 28th day of June, in the 5th year etc., came the reputable men of the trade of Hurers (fn. 2) and Cappers of the City of London, and presented unto William Askham, Mayor, and the Aldermen of the said city, a certain petition, as under written; entreating the same that they would deign to order the Articles in the said petition contained to be entered of record, in future time to be observed. Which Articles, hereunder written, being there read and fully understood, by unanimous assent they were ordered by them here to be entered.—

(fn. 3) "Unto the honourable Lords, the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, pray humbly all the folks of the trade of Hurers and Cappers in the said city; that whereas they have been at divers times slandered and reproved, as well in the said city as in divers country-places within England and without, for divers false works found in the said trade, and made by folks following the trade, both within the said city and without, who make cappes, hures, hattes, and many other things belonging to the trade, with fullyng at mills and fullyng by foot; (fn. 4) which work, so made by fullyng at mills and by foot, is false work, reprovable, and deceitful, because that the said work cannot be properly fulled except by hand-fulling only, and in no other manner. And besides this, very gracious Lords, divers folks following the same trade in the said city, do make divers works in the said trade with pelwolle (fn. 5) and coursewolle, (fn. 6) to dye the same the colour of scarlet, whereas such work is not able to bear that colour, in great deceit of all the common people, and to the great prejudice of the custom of our Lord the King.—May it please your very noble and very gracious Lordships, to ordain that no work of the said trade shall be fulled in mills or by the feet, but only by the hands of men; and that no one of the said trade shall sell to any person, freeman or foreigner, any manner of hure or cappe, before that the Wardens of the trade shall have made their search and survey of all such work, and of the wool put therein, on the pain that follows, that is to say:— the first time that any one shall be found in default, the offender shall pay 3s. 4d.; on the second default 6s. 8d.; and on the third default, 10s.; and that every time that such false work shall be found, the same shall be forfeited, and one-half of the fine and the forfeiture shall go to the use of the Chamber of the Guildhall, and the other half to the use of the said trade. So always, that the said search be duly made, and that without delay. And further,—may it please you to grant unto the Wardens of the said trade, for the time being, sufficient power that they may search all persons working in the trade within the franchise of the said city, and present the defaults, if any such be found therein, unto your honourable Lordships, or unto the Chamberlain of the Guildhall; to the end that due punishment may be inflicted for the same, according to the extent of the default so found; for the love of God, and as a work of charity."

Regulation as to those who shall be present at the Elections of the Mayor and Sheriffs.

5 Henry IV. A.D. 1404. Letter-Book I. fol. xxxiii. (Latin.)

On Tuesday, the 23rd day of September, in the 5th year etc., seeing that on the Day of St. Matthew the Apostle [21 September] last past, at the congregation of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, in the Guildhall, for the election of Sheriffs for the ensuing year, such an exceeding number of apprentices and serving-men, belonging to citizens of the said city, as well as of other men, strangers to the freedom of the City, was, without any summons, assembled together in the said Guildhall; and so loud and so clamorous was their shouting, that the Mayor (fn. 7) and Aldermen were unable to understand the reason for their noise; to the manifest troubling and disturbance of the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, there summoned; it was ordained and established that in future, as well at the election of the Mayor as of the Sheriffs, or other officers of the said city to be elected, no person, of whatsoever estate or condition he may be, shall presume to enter the Guildhall for the purpose of taking part in any election therein, unless he shall have been especially summoned and chosen to make such election, by the serjeants of the Mayor, Sheriffs, or Chamber, for the time being; on the pain that attaches thereto etc.

On the understanding also, that no one shall be summoned to any election hereafter, unless he be one of the more substantial men of the said city, or one of the Common Council thereof.