Silver Street (after the Great Fire to St. Alban, Wood Street), maids
strewing the way with flowers. At Church there was a “goodly masse”
celebrated, and in later times a “devyne sˀrvice,” which, being ended,
the parson and some of the church officials had customary fees and
returned with the Company to the Hall to celebrate the Election dinner.
The feast over, the outgoing Masters, according to “auncient order,”
walked about the table, each bearing a garland and placing it on the
head of the member who had been chosen to fill his place in the year
ensuing. If anyone elected happened to be absent, his garland was
placed on the head of one of the Ancient Masters as proxy, and the
newly-elected Masters were sworn on the Holy Evangelists to the due
execution of their offices, absentees being sworn at the next Court.
The Election dinners were held at any early hour in the afternoon (1
or 2 p.m.) and were generally followed by a play or a dance, sometimes
both; the wives of the livery and Assistants were present at the
dinner, and the latter had their apprentices in attendance waiting at
table.
In 1633 the mode of choosing the Electors was varied as follows: a
“fair ballating box” with two cells therein, one labelled “Surgeons”
and the other “Barbers” was placed upon the table,
Into _each_ cell the Master put the names of
two Ancient Masters, and drew one out of each 2
The second and third Governors put into _each_
cell the names of six Assistants, and the Master
drew three out of each 6
The fourth Governor put into _each_ cell the
names of four liverymen and the Master drew
two out of each 4
--
12
==
The twelve so drawn constituted the Electors, and the proceedings were
then much the same as has been before described.
The new Masters or Governors commenced their duties immediately upon
being sworn.
From the earliest period the custom has been to hold the monthly and
ordinary Courts on Tuesdays, but the meetings do not seem to have
taken place on any definite or fixed days, numerous Courts being
held at irregular intervals and frequently on Mondays. “Courts of
Assistants,” as distinguished from Monthly and special Courts, were,
in early times, for some reason or other, particularly prohibited from
being held on Tuesdays, there being several orders and by-laws to this
effect, but why, I do not know.
In the year 1557 twenty Courts were held. In 1572 forty-one Courts,
the average attendance at which was twelve. In 1599 forty-six Courts
assembled. At the intermediate Courts a great deal of important as
well as minor business was transacted, including the admissions and
presentations of freemen and apprentices, the examination of Surgeons
and Sea Surgeons, and a great variety of business connected with the
medical service of the army and navy.
Previous to the separation in 1745, the office of Master was supposed
to be, and generally was, held by a Barber and a Surgeon alternately,
the Wardens being chosen in like manner, any member not practising as
a Surgeon being accounted a Barber, whatever his trade or occupation
might be.
Great importance has at all times been attached to the question of
precedence in sitting at table and in speaking in Court, and many have
been the rules enacted, and the disputes and jealousies which have
arisen between members of the Court on this question.
Some of the powers executed by the Masters of old and by the Court
of Assistants in later times have been those which now are peculiar
to Courts of Law, _e.g._, the settlement of disputes upon every
conceivable question, the imposition of fines, and their recovery by
distress levied by the Beadle, the summary committal of offenders to
gaol, and the issuing of orders for their release, the prohibition of
actions and suits at common law (if commenced by a freeman without
leave of the Court), the inhibition of members from practising their
profession, and the infliction of corporal punishment upon unruly
freemen and apprentices.
The Court as now existing, consists of four Masters or Governors and
twenty Assistants, appointed under the provisions of the Act 18 George
II, cap. xv. By this Act the election of the Masters or Governors is
in the Court and takes place on the second Thursday in August, but
alas! without the ancient ceremonies of attending Church, crowning with
garlands, and--may I add?--the Election dinner for the Livery.
As will be seen elsewhere, there have been frequent disturbances at
the Courts, and there are numerous entries of Assistants, Wardens, and
Past Masters having been expelled the Court and sometimes dismissed
from the Livery as well, for their misconduct or quarrelsome behaviour.
Instances of impertinence and abuse by freemen and liverymen before the
Court, are also by no means rare, and in these cases condign punishment
by imprisonment or fine was invariably meted out.
9th March, 1624. This daye Mr. Warden Thornebury made knowne to this
Court y{t} one Tanner, a brother of this Companie, hath abused him
in words. Whereupon it is ordered by this Court that John Bayard
the officer belonging to this Companie shall laye the Lord Maio{rs}
comaund on the said Tanner and comitte him to one of the Compters
of this Cittye And that imediately upon the said comittm{t} shall
acquaint the M{rs} therewith That thereupon the M{rs} maye acquaint
the lo: Maio{r} with the reson of his comittem{t.}
19th January, 1626. This daye the letter directed to the Maister
Wards and Assistants of the Companie of Barbor Surgions of London
from M{r} William Clowes Sarjeant Chirurgion to his Ma{tie} was
here in Courte reade in hec verba viz{t} Right worthie Maister and
Governors and assistants of the companie of Barbers and Surgions
in my true love I wish all health and florishinge goverment of
yo{r} Company to the glory of God the honor of the Kinge and the
good of Gods people Amen. Now whereas I have bin not only by many
Brothers advertised but also of yo{r} Officer legally by letter and
otherwise given to understand that you had chosen me Renter warden
of the company from the w{ch} Election I desired by M{r} Cooper and
M{r} Thomas Allen I might be freed yett could not, I then knewe
well that in duty I owed you an aunswer which might well be seeme
my reverent respect to yo{r} Authoritye; and my tender regard of
the kinge my M{rs} honor which in yo{r} Chusinge and my acceptinge
maye be considered, which as much as in me is I desired to doe, And
nowe, not once questoninge the troblesomnes of the place, nor other
hinderances w{ch} god Almighty did then send I thus aunswer (because
I wilbe free of Ambition or pride) that if you can make that appeere
upon yo{r} Records that any of my predecessors did beare the office
of Wardein after he was sworne Serjeant Surgion to any of the Kˀs or
Queenes of England I shall humbly serve it, if not, I Crave yo{r}
pˀdon for I might not soe poorely value the Kinge my M{r} as thinke
him less mighty, less absolute a Prince then any Kinge whatsoever
hath raigned before him, and so as his Servaunt I expect from the
Company as good respect as any Sergeant Surgion heretofore hath had,
for my M{rs} honor I will not give to any other, And further because
I am many tymes summoned to yo{r} Courts and other meetings, w{ch}
service I am very willinge to performe, when I shall knowe my place
in the Company, which I must leave to yo{r} grave considerac͠on, only
if you please to take notice how the Colledge of Phisitions and the
Company of Apothecaryes of London have rancked the Kingꝭ Phisitions
and Apothecaryes, you may thereby guess what place I expect, but
howsoever if by the occasion of back freinds wee may not so well
agree as I desire, so as I may personally absent my selfe from the
Company yett thus much I ingenuously and religiously profess that I
will alwayes in harty love be present and ready press either by the
Kinge my M{r} or any other wayes to doe the Companye any loveing
Service I may, And so ceasing further troubling you but desireing to
heare of yo{r} smoothe acceptance, I rest.
Whereas he was chosen renter warden of this Companie for this yere
ensueing w{ch} place by reason of this contagious tyme and other
respects he is not able to execute, It is thereupon ordered by this
courte that he shalbe discharged from the said place of youngest
warden and second warden of this Company, And it is further ordered
that he shall take place next unto the youngest of our assistants
that have served the place of upper warden and when he shall have
served the place of upper warden of this Companye then he to take his
precedencye and ranck according to that service.
21st August, 1626. Serjeant Clowes was elected Master, but it seems his
election was called in question, as it was the turn for a Barber this
year, and it was moved that the electors should be fined for breach of
the ordinance in choosing a Surgeon, but the Court decided not to do
so. There was evidently a dislike to Mr. Clowes on the part of some of
the Company, as the Wardens of the Yeomanry were on the 20th September,
fined 40_s._ for refusing, or neglecting to carry the Standing Cups
before him and the Wardens of the Livery on the Election day.
1638. Serjeant Clowes was again elected Master.
9th April, 1641. M{r} Warden Martin Browne made his complaint against
M{r} Serjeant Clowes and he did freely declare that he did forgive
the Serjeant his personall Wrong, and did referr the Wrong due to the
Court unto the Court, And this Court did order that M{r} Serjeant
Clowes shall acknowledge that in his anger and passion he did speake
some words to the wrong of this Court, and this being done this Order
to be annihilated.
22nd September, 1642. Alsoe for the more peaceable treaty and
discussing matters in times of Courts of Assistants It is ordered
That decency be held in these Courts proceedings and that every one
of the Assistants as he is in his turne and time of Delivery to
yeild his voyce shall not use any impertinent speeches or divert
the matter in question into some other busines but give his answer
freely to the present matter proponed and that during the time of his
delivery of his speech or opinion none other of the Assistants shall
give crosse or thwarting speeches or calumniate that Assistant And
if any Assistant shalbe soe Uncivill That then the present M{r} or
Governour shall cause him to be silent and shall put such Assistants
Interrupc͠on of speech to question concerneing his ffine for evill
behaviour and such Interruptor being found faulty shall pay the ffine
of vj{s} viij{d} according to the Ordinance in that behalfe made.
3rd October, 1642. Alsoe M{r} Cotton layed downe his ffines imposed
on him at the last Court of Assistants viz{t} xxvj{s} viij{d} The
M{r} of the Company moveing by the consent of the last Court M{r}
Cotton to withdrawe himselfe according to Orders and Custome, he gave
this Court this peremptory answer, I will not goe out of the Court
nor the M{r} hath noe power to bidd mee goe out and that the Court
had noe power to fine him, then he threatned M{r} Warden Arris as
he sat in the Court saying Winter will come, Alsoe he abused M{r}
Dye in his delivery of speech to this Court that his speeches were
rotten speeches and thwarted him to the generall disturbance of the
Court, and to M{r} Martin Browne threatning him I will make you know
it better in another place Alsoe he sought to disable the M{rs} hand
which was signed to Ticketts for his and other appearances at the
Hall for defaults saying they might choose whether to appeare or not
Alsoe he told the Court with high language I will not be dismissed.
fforasmuch as this Court is informed and it doth fully appeare to
this present Court of Assistants That M{r} Lawrence Cotton hath from
time to time bin a disturber of the Unity peace and amity of this
Society and hath by many reproachfull Words and ill behaviour abused
the present M{rs} of the Company and divers of the Assistants and
Members of this Company Whereupon this Court doth dismisse the said
M{r} Cotton out of and from his place of an Assistant and being an
Examiner.
Mr. Cotton subsequently made his peace, was reinstated and served the
office of Master, 1645!
8th July, 1644. Whereas by Order of the Honourable house of Comõns
assembled in Parliament of the 28{th} June last the President of the
Colledge of Physicians was appointed to call this Company before them
and to tender the Covenaunt by them This Court conceiveing their
Priviledges to be thereby infringed this Co{rt} the M{r} doe advise
with Councell Doth order that a Petic͠on be framed to be preferred
by all the Assistants that are now present or the major part, to the
House of Comõns to have the tendring of the Covenñt themselves to
theire owne Members and the Charge to be allowed out of the Comõn
stock.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE COMMONALTY.
The admission to membership in the Company has ever been by servitude,
patrimony, or redemption, and the fines and fees payable have varied
so much at different periods in our history, and have frequently
been so capricious, that no attempt has been made to tabulate them,
though references will be made here and there to the prevailing fees
of the period. The fees for apprentices have always been of a nominal
description, and generally so of freemen, though, in olden time,
the Court, as became the Masters of the mystery of “bleeding,” not
unfrequently bled a new member by a substantial fine on admission, but
also put him to the expense of a dinner into the bargain.
[Footnote: The initial letter T is reduced from one in the Audit Book
1614-15.]
An ample fine, suited to the period, has always been taken from
the Liverymen who were, in the days of the Tudors and Stuarts a
comparatively small section of the Company, and rarely exceeded fifty
in number; they were always chosen from the more substantial of the
Yeomanry, and if on election they refused “to take the clothing,”
as was frequently the case, a heavy penalty was imposed, which, if
not paid, the unhappy yeoman was forthwith committed to the Compter,
where, upon reflection, he generally came to the conclusion to submit.
It is right, however, to state that at all times the Court have, in
cases where the proposed Liveryman was actually a poor man, remitted
the fine, and allowed him to continue a yeoman; on the other hand,
contumacious refusal was invariably met in the firmest manner and
conquered.
The practice of calling up yeomen to the Livery was at times resorted
to as a means of putting the Company into funds, and as these calls
generally took place at periods of national trouble, when the coffers
of the Company had been emptied by the King or the Parliament, the
intended Liverymen were themselves not unfrequently in sore straits,
and great contentions arose.
About one hundred and fifty years ago the practice of enforcing these
fines was in regular operation, but since then it has been attended
with varying success; not that the Company has not by law the power of
enforcement, but a prejudice had grown up against the system, and the
Court has been unwilling to sanction a resort to extremities.
Early in the present century three or four actions were brought against
freemen to recover penalties of £20 for refusing to accept the Livery;
in one case which was ripe for trial the Company withdrew the record
and paid the costs, and the others seem to have been abandoned.
All freemen on being sworn were liable to pay “quarterage,” which has
been from the earliest period, and still is, 2_s._ per annum.[169] On
a man coming up for admission he was “presented,” that is, seen by the
Court who enquired into his position, knowledge, fitness and general
qualifications, and if approved he paid his fees and was sworn. Some of
the earlier forms of oath will be seen on reference to the Ordinances,
and that used up to a very recent period was as follows:--
[169] The quarterage is now usually compounded for on admission by
payment of a sum down.
You shall swear That you shall be True and Loyal to our Sovereign
Lady Queen Victoria and faithful and true in all lawful things unto
the Corporation and Company of the Mystery of Barbers of London,
whereof you are now made free, and accordingly be obedient to the
Master and Governors thereof: and as much as in you lieth maintain
amity and unity therein; and obey observe and perform all the
lawful rules statutes and ordinances thereof; and be proportionably
contributory to the best of your power, to all lawful or reasonable
charges contributions and payments belonging or necessarily
appertaining to you to bear and pay as other Brethren of the same
Company do. And also you shall obey all manner of summons or warnings
done, or to be made by the Clerk Beadle or other officer of the said
Company thereunto assigned in the name of the Master and Governors,
having no lawful or reasonable excuse to the contrary. All these
articles you shall duly, truly, fully and faithfully observe, perform
and keep to the best of your power. So help you God.
A few years since, this oath was changed into a declaration, the words
“You shall declare” being substituted for “You shall swear.”
It was generally the practice, when a member wished to be translated
to another Company or entirely discharged, that he should pay a fine
for his dismission. In 1724, Mr. John Bamber, a Surgeon, informing
the Court that he intended to practise as a Physician and to become a
Member of the College of Physicians prayed for his discharge, which
was granted to him on payment of thirty guineas, and there are other
entries to the like effect.
The regulations for the governance of the members are very fully
contained in the Ordinances referred to elsewhere, and it would
therefore be tedious to further allude to them here. On a perusal
of the extracts from the minutes, etc., many curious particulars
will be seen concerning both freemen and liverymen who were liable
to be expelled for not being “able” (_i.e._, solvent) and also for
not attending in their livery gowns and hoods upon summons. There
are many and often reminders to the livery to appear in their gowns
with their hoods upon their shoulders, and there are also cases in
which individuals were forbidden to wear their gowns and hoods by way
of punishment. The dress of the livery has been well described in
Herbert’s Livery Companies, and Planche’s Costume, and we can see it
in our great Holbein picture, though the dresses worn on that occasion
were of a much richer description than those in daily use.
It will be seen that the Livery were constantly going out in procession
in days of old. There were the services at St. Paul’s on Christmas and
Candlemas days, the Lord Mayor’s procession, the setting of the watch
on Midsummer Eve, the celebration of 5th November, the anniversary
of Gowrie’s Conspiracy, the Election Service at St. Olave’s, Silver
Street, days of thanksgiving and humiliation, Royal progresses and
Civic pageants. To all of these the Livery were bidden to go by
precept, and on neglect of the summons were fined. In many cases
certain of them were appointed to ride on horseback with velvet coats
and chains of gold about their necks, and when not so apparelled
they appeared in their gowns of black and scarlet, with their hoods
upon their shoulders. What would we not give for a photograph of one
of these gorgeous scenes wherein we should see the “liverie of our
solempne and grete fraternite” riding “ayenst,” say, Queen Elizabeth in
1599?
Our earlier records of freemen are unfortunately lost, the first
register commencing in the year 1551, but at Guildhall I have
discovered several admissions of freemen Barbers to the freedom of the
City, and here place a few of them upon record. The first is in 1309:--
Thomas Orgor barbitonsor admissus fuit in libtãte civitatis & jurˀ
&c die sabĩ pˀxima post festñ scĩ Edmundi Regis & martirˀ anno R. E.
filˀ R. E. tcĩo coram Nich̃o de ffarendon Joh̃e de Wyndesore & Henrˀ
de Dunolm Aldris Et dat commitati xx{s} quos pˀdcĩ Aldr̃i recepˀunt.
(TRANSLATION.) Thomas Orgor, Barber, was admitted into the freedom of
the City and sworn, etc., on Saturday next after the feast of Saint
Edmund the King and Martyr in the third year of King Edward, the son
of King Edward, before Nicholas de Farendon, John de Windsor and
Henry de Durham, Aldermen, And gave to the Commonalty 20_s._, which
the aforesaid Aldermen received.
Other entries are much in the same form, a few of which, abridged,
follow:--
1309. John de Dodinghurst, Barber, admitted and sworn, etc., Friday
next after the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle; paid half a mark.
1310. Ralph the Barber admitted, etc., 16th March; paid one mark.
1310. Gilbert Blaunchard, Barber, admitted, etc., 1st April; paid 10_s._
1310. Peter de Pecham, Barber, admitted, etc., 12th May, “at the
instance of Roger le Brabanzon, a justice of our Lord the King”; paid
5_s._
1310. Galfridus de Trengye, Barber, admitted, etc., Saturday before the
feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist; paid 10_s._
1311. John Syward, Barber, admitted, etc., Monday before the feast of
St. Edmund the King, at the instance of the Lord Walter, Bishop of
Winchester, Chancellor, “et ideo nichil dat ꝓ liᵬtate habenda,” “and
_therefore_ gave nothing to have the freedom!”
1312. Ralph de Bosbery, Barber, admitted, etc., on Monday in the feast
of St. Valentine; paid half a mark.
1312. John de Fynceham, Barber, admitted, etc., 6th April; paid 10_s._
1312. Henry de la Chaumbre, Barber, admitted, etc., on Monday in the
vigil of the Assumption; paid half a mark.
1312. Thomas de Mangrave who was the apprentice of Richard le Barber of
Bread Street, was admitted on Wednesday before the feast of St. James
the Apostle, on the testimony of Katherine, widow of the said Richard
and of Robert de Gloucester, the executors of his will; paid 2_s._ 6_d._
The “Richard le Barber” mentioned in the last entry was Master of the
Company in 1308.
The freemen were formerly enrolled in the “yeomanry” and formed a minor
fraternity within the Company (_see_ the chapter on the Yeomanry).
All freemen practising as journeymen or assistants, if Barbers,
Surgeons, or Barber-Surgeons were “sessed at the Hall,” that is, their
wages were settled for them by the Court, and entered in a book,
together with the period for which they agreed to serve, the period
being never less than one year nor more than three. These men were
often called “covenant servants,” but they paid quarterage, and were
entitled to all the privileges of freedom, excepting that they could
not take apprentices.
If a freemen desired to start in business, the By-laws of 1530 required
that he should prove to the Court as an act precedent to his so doing,
that he was possessed of goods to the value of ten marks.
A certain class of members called “Foreign Brothers” are very
frequently alluded to in the Books, and it has been a matter of some
difficulty to ascertain what their status exactly was, but by collation
of numerous entries I have come to the conclusion that, with very few
exceptions, they were all of them practising Surgeons, and that they
had _not_ been apprenticed to freemen of the Company. If practising
within the jurisdiction of the Company, they were compelled to join, or
else to forbear to practise, and it seems that on admission they were
required to satisfy the Court by the production of their Indentures of
apprenticeship to Country or other Surgeons that they had duly served
seven years, and to give ample proof of their skill and knowledge
before the Examiners; exceptions to the production of indentures were,
however, made in favour of those who came with recommendations from
persons of quality, or of such as had acquired eminence and position
in the profession. All sea surgeons were “Foreign Brothers” and paid a
fine (generally seven guineas) on admission, they also paid quarterage
as freemen, and when they resided within the jurisdiction were subject
to all the rules and ordinances of the Company as other freemen, being
frequently fined and imprisoned for malpractice, etc., though they were
not entitled to the benefit of the charities, to come to the dinners,
or to confer the right of admission by patrimony upon their sons, nor
do they seem to have been necessarily free of the City. Many Surgeons
practising in the Country became Foreign Brothers for the sake of the
diplomas granted at Barber-Surgeons’ Hall.
There are a few instances of “Barbers” being compelled to become
Foreign Brothers, for which I am unable to give an explanation, unless
they be errors of description by the Clerk for “Barber-Surgeons.”
Every freeman on admission formerly paid 3_s._ 4_d._, and every
apprentice on “presentation” 2_s._ 6_d._ For many years the names of
these persons are entered in the Audit Books, and thus it has been
possible to ascertain the number admitted extending over a considerable
period.