the Company in 1376), and Margaret his wife, mother of the said Alice,
came before the Mayor, &c., and proved that the said Alice was dead,
whereupon Gilbert Prince, the Executor of Nicholas the Barber’s will,
was discharged, and the money paid to Lawrence and Margaret de Weston.
(_Letter-Book G._ 244 and 317{B.})
Reverting now from individuals to the Company, we find that the Barbers
existed as a Trade Guild, but unincorporated certainly from the year
1308, and that they were at first ruled by one Master, and later on
(in 1376) by two Masters, appointed annually. This Company of Barbers
was composed of two classes of Members--viz., those who practised
Barbery proper (perhaps including phlebotomy and tooth drawing), and
those who practised Surgery, and who were, for distinction sake, called
Barber-Surgeons (in the City books they are spoken of as “Barbers
exercising the faculty of Surgery”). For aught we know to the contrary,
a perfect harmony and good understanding existed between these two
sections of the Company, and it is probable that the ranks of the
latter were continually recruited from the former.
1381. The earliest evidence of the existence of our Hall is to be found
in Harl. MS. 541, which contains a list of Companies’ Halls in the
City, temp. 5 Richard II, by which it appears that the Barbers’ Hall
was then, as now, in the Parish of Saint Olave, Silver Street, and
doubtless on the same site; the entry is, “Barbar hall y{e} p’yssh of
Seynt Oluf in Sylverstrete.” In 1490 the Hall is _known_ to have been
on the same site.
1388. In this year Richard II sent his writs all over the Kingdom to
enquire into the nature and constitution of the several guilds and
fraternities, religions, social or craft, and the returns to these
writs, which must have been an immense number, were formerly kept among
the Records at the Tower of London. Herbert, in his History of the
Livery Companies, refers to his fruitless endeavours to discover these
returns, and I have made diligent enquiry at the Record Office for
them also, with the undoubted result that all of those which relate to
the London Trading Guilds are lost. There are, however, a great number
relating to London religious guilds and to trade guilds all over the
country. Two of these concerning the Barbers of Norwich and of Lincoln
are so highly interesting that I have preserved them in Appendix A.
Amongst our Archives at Barbers’ Hall, is a vellum book of Ordinances
written out fair in 1658, and therein is to be found a copy of the
return made by the Barbers of London to the writ of Richard II, and
which the Company caused to be extracted from the Tower Records in
1634. It is certified by William Colet as agreeing with the original,
but unfortunately Mr. Colet (although he was Deputy-Keeper of the
Records) or his copyist has made one or two mistakes, which necessitate
a little hiatus in the translation, and he has put the year as the 11th
instead of the 12th of Richard II. That the latter year is the correct
one is abundantly proved by the dates on the original writs and on the
numerous returns still in existence at the Record Office, as also by
the names of the Masters certifying, who are recorded at Guildhall as
having been admitted 10th September, 12th Richard II.
Richard II was more solicitous as to the funds and property of the
Guilds, than he was about their observances, and our predecessors seem
to have quickly acquainted him with their pecuniary position, “the
which Company have neither tenements nor rents to their common use.”
The Masters recite an old document which they found in their strong
box, and which will well repay perusal; it opens with a devout
dedication to the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, and the glorious company of
heaven, and the first Ordinance being expressly made in honour of God
and all saints, and with the intention of stirring up the people to do
well and to persevere therein, we must all approve of it. It provides
firstly, that decayed brethren shall have an allowance of 10-1/2_d._
per week, if their poverty have not come about by their own folly.
The second and third Ordinances relate to attendance at funerals and
obits of deceased members. Then follow certain rules, that no man shall
entice away another’s servant; the Masters to settle disputes, payment
of quarterage, refusal of office, absence from Mass and the yearly
feast, the livery clothing, &c., &c. It is well to observe here the
evidence of the antiquity of our livery, of the quarterage, and of the
feast, all of which have come down to these days.
Some later Ordinances are added, which were apparently made in 1387.
This return is probably the only one extant of the whole of those made
by the London trade guilds, and is therefore of the highest interest.
A copy of the original (which is in Norman French), together with a
translation, follows.
COPIA extracta ex Bundell’ Fraternitatum et Gildar’ Civitatis
London remaneñ de Recordo prout patet in Rotulis dñi Regis infra
Turrim London.
Anno xj{o}.[29] Ricardi Secundi.
[29] A mistake for Anno xij{o.}
JOHAN HEYDON et Hen Cook Mestres[30] William Chapman et William
Gomine Surveyours de la Compaignie appelle ffraternite des Barbers de
la Citee de Londres dauncien temps ordeigne certifiant au Counsail
ñre S{r.} le Roy en sa Chancellarie la forme manere et condicion de
touz articles obseruancez et lour circumstances contenuz en la paper
de dite Compaignie en la forme quesuyt la quel compaignie nont nul
teñt ne rent a lour c͠oe oeps les queles articles la dite Compaignie
nont usez en lour temps forsqz soulement pur auer lour vesture un
foitz per añ et paier lour quarterage pur sustiner pouerez geñtz de
mesme la Compaignie et un foitz per añ assembler pur manger et eslire
neuells Mestres et Surveiours sanz ascun autre article de sontz
escript mettre en use forsqz ceux qˀ tan soulement sont faitz al
honour de dieu mes purtant qils ont trouez un paper one les articles
de sontz escriptz fait del temps donc memorie ne court ils les ont
p’sentez a vrẽ tressages discrecions.
[30] Sworn Masters of the Barbers, 10 Sept., 1388. 12th Ric. II.
(_Letter-Book H._ 235{B.})
CESTE ENDENTURE fait en nom̃ de Dieu omnipotent pier et fitz et
seynt Esperitz et de nr̃e Dame Seynt Marie et de tout la gloriouse
Compaignie de Ciel de la foundacion et de Lordinance de la fraternite
des Barbers de la Cite de Londres tesmoigñ coment et sur queux pointz
la dite Fraternite est funduz et ordeigne.
PRIMEREMENT al honourance de Dieu et touz ses Seyntes et pur
excitac͠on les coẽns des geñtz a bien faire et perseuerance auoir
en bien faitz est ordeigne qˀ si ascun frere de cel fraternite qi
ad este de cell fraternite per vij anz sil cheit en mischief ou en
pouerte pˀ auenture issint qil neit de quoy il purra viure de son
propre et ces ne luy aucigne de sa propre folye qu donqz il auera
chescun semaigne de lour c͠oe boyste x{d.} oᵬ. pur sa sustenance.
ITEM quant ascun frere du dite fraternite soit mort les freres de la
dite fraternite serront la veyle al dirige et le jour al Messe et al
dirige et al Messe del Moys obit et qˀ chescun tiel frere mort eit
xxx messes de lour c͠oe Boyste et qˀ chescun frier qˀ soit absent
sanz reasonable eucheson a ascun des ditz iiij foitz qil mette a lour
c͠oe Boyste en noun de ses offrandes et dispences queux il deust auer
fait sil eust este en p’sent iij{d.}
ITEM quant ascun Meistre de la dite Fraternite eit feme Mort qˀ les
freres de la dite ffraternite soient a La Vigile et a la Messe le
jour de sont enterment et a la Moys obit et quel frer qˀ soit absent
a ascun de tres foitz qil paie pur chescun foitz qil soit absent en
lieu des costages et autres dispences queux il ferreit sil feusse
present a lour c͠oe boyst iij{d.}
ITEM qˀ nul frere de la dite Fraternite abette autri seruant hors des
seruice son Meistre priuement ne apertement.
ITEM si ascun debate surdre pˀ entre ascuns des freres qˀ dieu defend
et ces soit redresse per amour per la consideration des Meistres de
la dite Fraternite . . . . . faire bonement et qˀ nul ne sue vers
autre en autre manere autant qil ad assaie sil puisse pˀ leide des
ditz Mestrez estre recorde.
ITEM qˀ chescun frere de la dite ffraternite veigne chescun quarter
del an et paie son quarterage a Collectors decell issint qˀ les dits
Collectors ne.
ITEM accorde est entre toutz les ditz freres qˀ quel de eux qˀ refuse
son office quant ces vient a luy sil voet estre de ces allegge qil
paie a lour c͠oe boyst.
ITEM si ascun frere soit absent a lour Messe et Manger quant il serra
un foitz en lan qil paiera a tant en offrandes et toutz autres choes
come un.
ITEM qˀ nul des ditz freres allowe autre hors de sa Meason.
ITEM si ascun frere per auenture tarie ses paiements entre añ et
demy qil face gree demz les ij anz sanz rien outre le certain doñ.
Et sil ad luy soient . . . . . . p’donez issint qil paie ce gest
aderer. Et a ceux pointz tenir solonc amendement si mistier soit qils
soient amendez ceste Fraternite sont entre jurez et ont chescun de
eux pleine sa foy et si fra chescun qi serra de la dite ffraternite.
Et accorde est entre eux . . . . . . endenture soient enclos en lour
c͠oe boyst et lautre demurge vers les Mestres qˀ serront pur le temps
de la dit fraternite.
ITEM chescun frere du dit fraternite paie en arres pur son Drap auant
la mayn xl{d.} ameyns.
ITEM qˀ chescun frere garde la liuere ij anz enterrement deuant qil
le donne ou vende ou aliene la liuere en ascun manere sur peyne de
paier al compaignie un noble dor sur lour grace.
ITEM est ordeyne le dymenge ps̃ch ensuant lassumpc͠on de nr̃e Dame
lan le Roy Richard sẽde xj{o.} qe les Surveiours du dit Mistier
soient esluy per lassent de tout la ffraternite et nemy per les
Mestres.
ITEM qˀ nul du dit Fraternite paie plus pur son mangre qˀ xiiij{d,}
en apres.
ITEM ordeyne est qˀ chescun Meistre qˀ eslisera ascun autre home pur
estre en son lieu cesta sauoir pur estre Meistre celuy qˀ eslisera
tiel home pur estre Meistre apres lan serra obligee per mesme luy a
la Compaignie pur la monoy en un obligacon.
Convenit cum Recordo
WILLŨS COLET.
A COPY taken from a Bundle “of the Fraternities and Guilds of the
City of London” which remains of record, as the same is seen in
the Rolls of the Lord the King, at the Tower of London.
Anno 12.
Richard II.
JOHN HEYDON and Henry Cook, Masters, William Chapman and William
Gomine, Surveyors of the Company called the Fraternity of Barbers
of the City of London of ancient time established, certifying
to the Council of Our Lord the King, in his Chancery, the form
manner and condition of all the articles, customs and their
circumstances contained in the Records of the same Company in the
form following:--The which Company have neither tenements nor rents
to their common use, And these articles the said Company have not
used in their time excepting only for to have their Livery once a
year, and to pay their quarterage to maintain the poor folk of the
same Company, and once a year to assemble to feast, and to elect new
Masters and Surveyors without any other article of their writing to
put forward except those which only are made to the honour of God;
but, however, as they have found a document amongst the articles of
the Records, made of the time to which memory runneth not, they have
presented it to your most wise discretions.
THIS INDENTURE made in the name of the Omnipotent God, the Father
and Son and the Holy Ghost, and of our Lady Saint Mary and of all
the glorious Company of Heaven, concerning the foundation of the
Government of the Fraternity of Barbers of the City of London
Witnesseth how and upon what points the said Fraternity is founded
and ordained.
FIRSTLY to the honour of God and all his Saints, and to stir up the
Commons of the people to do well, and to have perseverance in well
doing, it is ordained that if any brother of this Fraternity who has
been of this Fraternity for seven years by chance fall into trouble
or into poverty, and if he have nothing of his own by which he may be
able to live, and it be not through his own folly, that then he shall
have each week from their common box tenpence half penny for his
sustenance.
ITEM. That when any brother of the said Fraternity dies the brethren
of the said Fraternity shall go on the Vigil to the dirge, and on
the day[31] to the Mass, and to the dirge and to the mass of the
month’s obit, and that each such brother dead have thirty masses from
their common box,[32] and that each brother who is absent without
reasonable excuse at any of the said four times, shall put into their
common box in place of his offerings and expenses, as he ought to
have done if he had been present, three pence.
[31] The day of the funeral.
[32] Thirty masses sung at the expense of the common box.
ITEM. When any Master of the said Fraternity has a wife dead, the
brethren of the said Fraternity shall be at the Vigil and at the Mass
on the day of her burial and at the month’s obit, and that brother
who is absent at any of the three times shall pay for each time that
he be absent, in place of the costs and other expenses which he would
have borne if he had been present, three pence to their common box.
ITEM. That no brother of the said Fraternity entice any servant from
the service of his master, privily or openly.
ITEM. If any dispute arise between any of the brethren, which God
forbid, it is to be amicably settled by the decision of the Masters
of the said Fraternity [_and they are_] to deal plainly,[33] and that
no one sue another in other manner than at the assize (_?_) [_and
then only_] if he be empowered by leave of the said Masters to be
recorded.
[33] _i.e._, honestly.
ITEM. That each brother of the said Fraternity shall come
each quarter of the year and pay his quarterage to the
collectors[34] . . . . . .
[34] I am unable to complete this sentence.
ITEM. It is agreed between all the said brethren that whoever of them
refuses his office when it comes to him, if he wishes to be relieved
of it, that he pay to their common box.
ITEM. If any brother be absent from their Mass and Feast when it
shall be once a year, he shall pay so much in offerings and all other
things as one present.
ITEM. That none of the said brethren put [?] another out of his
house.
ITEM. If any brother by chance delay his payments beyond a
year-and-a-half, that he make acquittance within two years without
any [_penalty_] beyond the ordinary fine. And if he be thus forgiven
that he settle the matter at once.
AND to hold these points pursuant to amendment alone if the Mystery
will that they be amended, this Fraternity are sworn among themselves
and have each of them pledged his troth, and so from each who shall
[_hereafter_] be of the said Fraternity. And it is agreed amongst
them that this Indenture be enclosed in their common box, and the
counterpart be held by the Masters for the time being of the said
Fraternity.
The document which the Masters found amongst their records made in “the
time to which memory runneth not” probably ends here, and the following
Items (see the third one) were doubtless additional Ordinances made
circa 1387.
ITEM. That each brother of the said Fraternity pay in pledge for his
livery, when he has the same, forty pence at the least.
ITEM. That each brother keep the livery two whole years before he may
give, or sell, or alienate it in any manner, under pain of paying to
the Company for their pardon, a noble of gold.
ITEM. It is ordained that on the Sunday following the Assumption of
our Lady in the 11th year of King Richard the Second,[35] that the
Surveyors of the said Mystery be elected by the assent of all the
Fraternity, and no longer by the Masters.
[35] 18th Aug., 1387.
ITEM. That none of the said Fraternity hereafter pay more than
fourteen pence for his feast.
ITEM. It is ordained that each Master who shall choose any other man
to be in his place, that is to say for to be Master; he who shall
choose such man to be Master for the year shall be bound by himself
for him, in an obligation to the Company for the money.[36]
[36] _i.e._, a guarantee for his honesty.
It agrees with the Record,
WILLIAM COLET.
Coeval with our Company of Barbers there existed in the City of London,
another Fraternity or Guild, that of the Surgeons, in no way connected
with the Barbers, but, like them, existing by prescription only and
unincorporated. It is not to be expected that these two Companies
would, in the days of so much trade protection and jealousy, exhibit
an over-friendly feeling towards one another, and the records of the
period, though meagre, show that this was the case. The Surgeons’ Guild
at no time appear to have been a numerous body, indeed there is reason
to believe that frequently their numbers were less than a dozen, and
they possibly never exceeded twenty.
In the researches undertaken for the purpose of this work, various
references to the Surgeons’ Guild have turned up, and although at this
early period there was much in common between the two Fraternities, I
have considered it quite apart from the subject in hand to go into any
detail concerning that Guild, more especially as it has recently been
so ably and fully dealt with by Mr. D’Arcy Power in his “Memorials of
the Craft of Surgery.”
1376. In the 50th Edward III, the Barbers made a complaint to the Mayor
and Aldermen against unskilled practitioners in Surgery, and prayed
that two Masters should be yearly appointed to inspect and rule the
craft, and that none should be admitted to the freedom of the City, but
upon due examination of their skill; and this was granted by the Court,
entered of record and Lawrence de Weston and John de Grantone were
chosen Masters. The following is a translation of the original record
concerning this matter.[37]
[37] In this and some other cases I have adopted the able translations
made by Mr. Riley in his “Memorials of London and London Life.”
To the honourable Lords, and wise, the Mayor and Aldermen of the City
of London, shew the good folks, the Barbers of the same city, that
whereas from one day to another there resort men, who are barbers,
from uppelande[38] unto the said city, who are not instructed in
their craft, and do take houses and intermeddle with barbery,
surgery, and the cure of other maladies, while they know not how
to do such things, nor ever were instructed in such craft; to the
great damage, and in deceit, of the people, and to the great scandal
of all the good barbers of the said city:--therefore the said good
folks do pray that it may please your honourable Lordships, for
the love of God, and as a work of charity, to ordain and establish
that from henceforth no such stranger, coming to the said City from
uppelande, or from any other place, of whatsoever condition he be,
shall keep house or shop for barbery within the same city, before
that he shall be found able and skilled in the said art and office
of barbery, and that, by assay and examination of the good folks,
barbers of the same city, whom out of the said craft it may please
you to ordain thereunto. And that it may please you to ordain and
establish, that from henceforth there shall always be two good men of
their said craft chosen by their common assent to be Wardens of the
craft; and that such two persons shall be presented unto the Mayor,
Recorder, and Aldermen, of the said city, and sworn before them well
and lawfully, to the best of their power and knowledge, to rule their
said craft; and that the said Masters may inspect the instruments of
the said art, to see that they are good and proper for the service of
the people, by reason of the great peril that might ensue thereupon;
and that on the complaint of such two Masters, all rebellious persons
in the said craft, shall be made to come before you, and whosoever
shall be found in default against this Ordinance shall pay to the
Chamber 40 pence. And that from henceforth no man of their craft
shall be admitted to the franchise of the said city, if he be not
attested as being good and able, upon good examination before you
made. And that no foreigner shall keep house or shop in their craft
within the said city, or the suburbs thereof. And that this Ordinance
shall be enrolled in the Chamber of the Guildhall of London, for all
time to last.
[38] The general name for country places in those days.
And the same was granted unto them. Whereupon, Laurence de
Westone and John de Grantone were chosen Masters of the Barbers.
[_Letter-Book H. 28._]
The foregoing ordinance must surely have given umbrage to the Surgeons’
Guild as it placed the Barbers upon an equal footing with them in the
examination of Surgeons, the inspection of their instruments, etc.; and
this more especially as seven years previously (in 1369) the Surgeons
had obtained from the same Court an Ordinance investing them with the
power of presenting the defaults of all unskilful Surgeons.
1382. As an example of a quack Surgeon’s method of practice, and of his
rogueries and punishment, the following case of Roger Clerk will be
found interesting:--
Roger Clerk, of Wandelesworth,[39] on the 13th day of May in the 5th
year (_Richard II_), was attached in the Chamber of the Guildhall of
London, before the Mayor and Aldermen, to make answer, as well to the
Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London, as to Roger atte Hacche,
in a plea of deceit and falsehood: as to which, the same Roger said,
that whereas no physician or surgeon should intermeddle with any
medicines or cures within the liberty of the city aforesaid, but
those who are experienced in the said arts, and approved therein, the
said Roger Clerk, who knew nothing of either of the arts aforesaid,
being neither experienced nor approved therein, nor understood
anything of letters, came to the house of him, Roger atte Hacche, in
the parish of St. Martin, in Ismongereslane, in London, on Thursday,
the morrow of Ash Wednesday, in the 5th year, etc.; and there saw one
Johanna, the wife of the aforesaid Roger atte Hacche, who was then
lying ill with certain bodily infirmities, and gave the said Roger,
her husband, to understand, that he was experienced and skilled in
the art of medicine, and could cure the same Johanna of her maladies,
if her husband desired it.
[39] Wandsworth.
Whereupon, the said Roger atte Hacche, trusting in his words, gave
him 12 pence, in part payment of a larger sum which he was to pay
him, in case the said Johanna should be healed. And upon this, the
same Roger Clerk then and there gave to the said Roger atte Hacche an
old parchment, cut or scratched across, being the leaf of a certain
book, and rolled it up in a piece of cloth of gold, asserting that it
would be very good for the fever and ailments of the said Johanna;
and this parchment, so rolled up, he put about her neck, but in no
way did it profit her; and so, falsely and maliciously, he deceived
the same Roger atte Hacche. And he produced the said parchment here
in Court, wrapped up in the same cloth, in proof of the matters
aforesaid.
And the said Roger Clerk personally appeared, and the said parchment
was shown to him by the Court, and he was asked what the virtue of
such piece of parchment was; whereupon, he said that upon it was
written a good charm for fevers. Upon being further asked by the
Court what were the words of this charm of his, he said;--“Anima
Christi, sanctifica me; Corpus Christi, salva me; in isanguis
Christi, nebria me; cum bonus Christus tu, lava me.”[40] And the
parchment being then examined, not one of those words was found
written thereon. And he was then further told by the Court, that a
straw[41] beneath his foot would be of just as much avail for fevers,
as this said charm of his was; whereupon, he fully granted that it
would be so. And because that the same Roger Clerk was in no way
a literate man, and seeing that on the examination aforesaid, (as
well as on others afterwards made,) he was found to be an infidel,
and altogether ignorant of the art of physic or of surgery; and to
the end that the people might not be deceived and aggrieved by such
ignorant persons, etc.; it was adjudged that the same Roger Clerk
should be led through the middle of the City, with trumpets and
pipes, he riding on a horse without a saddle, the said parchment and
a whetstone, for his lies, being hung about his neck, an urinal also
being hung before him, and another urinal on his back. [_Letter-Book
H. 145._]
[40] “Soul of Christ, sanctify me; body of Christ, save me; blood of
Christ, saturate me; as Thou art good, Christ, wash me.”
[41] In allusion, perhaps, to the custom of men who were ready to
perjure themselves, as false witnesses, to go about with a straw
sticking out from between the foot and the shoe--“men of straw.”
[Riley.]