Читать книгу A Source-Book of English Social History - M. E. Monckton Jones - Страница 24

Table of Contents

(Toulmin Smith, English Gilds)

Summary

These be the olde usages of the City of Winchester, that have been used in the time of our elderne, be and shall be to the franchise[15] saving and sustaining.

The Mayor shall be chosen every year, by the four and twenty sworn men and the commonalty.

There shall be four and twenty sworn men, for a Council to help the Mayor: who shall attend him on summons.

There shall be two Bailiffs, who shall be chosen by the Commonalty, out of four named by the Mayor and Twenty four, at the Michaelmas borough moot.

Also four Serjeants to do the bidding of the Mayor and Bailiffs.

And two Coroners who are to act in the soke[16] as well as in the city.

The Bailiffs must every year lodge the plea rolls[17] for common use.

N.B.—The Twenty four must be impartial, and be careful in speech.

Makers of quilts and blankets must work within the city and pay an annual tax for the houses where quilts are made. Every worker does not become a freeman.

The price of burel cloth shall be according to the time of year.

Burel cloth shall be made by freemen of the town.

Blankets of given lengths shall be made of given breadths.

Blankets not made of the given lengths and breadths shall be forfeited.

No stalls to be in the High Street at mere will.

None but freemen may buy untanned leather or raw hides in the town, and these not to be taken out of the town.

No fish nor poultry to be bought for sale before undern. (i.e., 9 a.m.). Victuals brought in for sale shall not be taken back unsold without leave.

Regrators and engrossers shall be heavily punished. A rent of a farthing to be paid to the king for every board on which fish is shown for sale.

Every one shall pay a halfpenny to the king for every load of fish that he puts out for sale.

Every non-freeman shall pay for every cartload of fish brought in, twopence halfpenny: and for every horseload of fresh fish, a penny halfpenny, and of salt fish a halfpenny.

[Similar regulations for bakers and brewers with rules as to the quality of the food.]

No non-freeman may have a booth for sale of goods within the town.

Cheese, butter, grease, and smear pay the same toll as wool, half weight counting the same as the whole.

Each sort of goods that ought to be weighed shall be brought into the town. Misdoers shall be punished.

Six good men shall be chosen, three by the Commonalty, and three by the Twenty four to gather in all king’s dues and town rates; who shall yield an account thereof. An account must be given to the Six of moneys gathered by the Mayor or others out of town. If any man find goods for common use, it shall be put to his score, or the goods be returned.

When the time comes for the great Gild sale, men of good name shall be sought, to gather the fees of the merchants.

Non-freemen shall pay to the bailiffs, at the town-gates, for every cartload of corn coming into the town for sale, a halfpenny toll; and for every horse load a farthing.

Steel or iron 2d. per cartload, 1d. per horseload. New saddles the same, Millstones 4d. or 2d., Barrels 1d. or ½d., Tanned leather 2d. or 1d., Madder 2d. or 1d., Woad waxen 4d. or 1d.

Every cordwainer that has a shop shall pay to the king 6d. a year; and to the clerk 1d. for registration.

The master dyers of the painters have a custom to choose two good men who shall assay the goods of outsiders as between seller and buyer.

Every tanner shall pay 2s. a year for a stand in the High Street; and to the clerk a penny.

Every seller of grease, smeare and tallow shall at Easter pay to the king 1d. as smergavel.

Every shoe-maker using new ox leather shall pay at Easter 2d. as shongavel.

The city has a Common Seal and authentic, with which the town charters are sealed. An alderman keeps the charters for a year and a day. Three days warning must be openly given of the sealing. Such charters, unchallenged, are made good for ever by that seal. The sealers of grants to have 6d. for wax and all.

There shall be three copies of the seal. Two of the Twenty four shall keep two and one of the Commonalty the third. All shall be kept in a coffer, set in a larger coffer having two locks; the keys of one lock being kept by one of the Twenty-four, and that of the other lock by one of the Commonalty.

[Rules of pleading in the courts of the city of Winchester follow.]