Statut de la guilde des cordonniers dExeter

Editor:

Smith, Joshua Toulmin, 1816-1869

Title:

English gilds : the original ordinances of more than one

hundred early English gilds : together with The olde Usages
of the cite of Wynchestre; the Ordinances of Worcester; the
Office of the Mayor of Bristol; and the Costomary of the
Manor of Tettenhall-Regis : from manuscripts of the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries / edited by Toulmin
Smith ; with an introduction and glossary, etc., by Lucy
Toulmin Smith ; and a preliminary essay on the history and
development of gilds by Lujo Brentano

Publication
Info:

Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Humanities Text

Initiative
1999

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source:

English gilds : the original ordinances of more than one

hundred early English gilds : together with The olde
Usages of the cite of Wynchestre; the Ordinances of
Worcester; the Office of the Mayor of Bristol; and the
Costomary of the Manor of Tettenhall-Regis : from
manuscripts of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries
Smith, Joshua Toulmin, 1816-1869, ed.
London: Published for the Early English Text Society by the
Oxford University Press, 1870

URL:

http://name.umdl.umich.edu/EGilds

Page 331
(b) GILD OF THE CORDWAINERS.

*. [From the Rolls of the Mayor's Court of Exeter: Roll xix. of the year 21 and 22 E. IV. These
interesting Rolls exist from 48 Henry III., A.D. 1264, to the beginning of last century. The
present Ordinances show what a tight hand the Corporation of Exeter sought to keep upon the
Gilds in that city. They enable us, therefore, the better to understand the anger and longcontinued feud against so independent a body as the Tailors' Gild. The Cordwainers' Gild was,
from the first, content to put itself under the condescending patronage of the Corporation.
Izacke says that "the cordwainers and curriers were first incorporated by grant under the
common seal of the city 21 R. II. (1387); which was confirmed 21 E. IV. (1481); and lastly 3
Marie, 1555." (Antiquities of Exeter, ed. 1724, p. 62.) The above extract is therefore the
confirmation of 1481.]

To all men that this presentez schall here or see, gretyng in oure lorde euerlastyng.
Where-as the Maister of the crafte of cordynerez, of the fraternyte of the blyssed
Trinyte, in the Cyte of Exceter, hath diuerse tymez, in vmble wise, sued to the
honorable Mayor, bayliffs, and commune counsayle of the saide citee, for certayne
ordinauncez and ruelles to be vsed wtin the jurisdiccion of the saide cite, concernyng
the said crafte, vnder the favoure of the saide Maior, baylifs, and commune counsayle,
in reformyng diuerse inconveniencez that ben down before this tyme, and here-after
myght ensue, and for the conseruacion of the politik gouernaunce of the same, to the
lawde and honor of the saide fraternite of the blessyd Trynyte, and the wele of the
kyng oure souerayg lordez people. Wherefore, Mayor bayllifs and commune
counsayle, consyderyng there desirez, wille and graunte that the Mayster and
Wardenez of the sayde crafte schall enyoye and vse suche ordinauncez and ruellez
wythin the jurisdiccion of the saide cite as folowith.
ffirste, that the saide Maister and Wardenz, and their successors, wt iij. othere men of
the saide crafte convenient, schall make due serche, att alle tymys, of euery thyng
necessary perteynyng to there saide crafte, as by sufferaunce they have vsed Page 332
wtin the jurisdiccion of the saide cite;*. [See what is said by Izacke, in the note on the
foregoing page, as to the earlier grant of 1387.] that is to wete, of all wete lethere and
drye botez, botwez, schoez, pyncouz, galegez, and all other ware perteynyng to the
saide crafte, made and unmade, whiche is desceyteously wrought, as in tannyng,
coryyng, cuttyng, or sowyng, or in any other wyse made, where-thurgh the kynges
lege peopell scholde be disceuyd; that then suche ware, so founde defectyf, to be by
the saide Maister and Wardenz forfet and seased; and that to be preysed lawfully in
the Yeldehall of the saide cite;half of the same to be to the behough of the saide
cite, and the other halfe to the behough of the saide fraternyte.
Also, where-as they have a-leccion a mongez the saide crafte, of a Mayster and
Wardynz for the convenyent gouernaunce of the same; That he that is so by the saide
fraternyte electe to be a Maister, and he wolde refuse to take the gouernaunce vppon
hym, wherby a inordynatt ruell schulde ensue, that then he so electe, for his refusell,
to paye xx.s.; wherof the half to be to the behough of the saide cite, and the other half
to the behough of the saide fraternyte, as ofte as they so do offende.
Also, where-as the saide ffraternite haue, by sufferaunce, to electe Wardynez of the
saide crafte, for the yere folowyng, whereof ij. of theyme schalbe schoppeholders, and
ij. other jorneymen, wtin the saide Cite; that if he so electe for the Wardyn of the
schopholders, refuse to take vppon hym, to forfette xiij.s. iiij.d.; halfe therof to the
behough of the saide cite, and the other half to the behough of the saide ffraternite, as
ofte as hit schall so happen to offende. And if any of the Jornaymen of the saide crafte
be electe Warden, refuse to take the office of Wardynschippe, that then they forfet vj.s.
viij.d.; the one halfe to be to the behough of the saide cite, and the othere half to the
behough of the saide ffraternyte, as ofte as hit schall happen.
Also, if any person of the saide crafte, what degre or condicion Page 333he be of, be
warned, in resonable tyme, to come before the saide Maister and Wardynz, att there
place acustumed, and he so warned absent hym, and no resonable excuse hadd, that
then, for euery defaute so donn, that thay schall paye for the saide dissobedience iij.s.
iiij.d.; the sayde cite to have the oone halfe, and the saide fraternyte the othere half.

Also, that no maner of man, what condicion he be of, of the saide crafte, holde no
open schoppe wtin the jurisdiccion of the saide cite, butte he be a ffraunchised man,
accordyng to the olde custumez conteyned in the blake rolle of the saide cite, uppon
payne of vj.s. viij.d.; half to the behough of the saide cite, and the othere half to the
behough of the saide fraternyte.
Also, that no maner of man of the saide crafte, dwellyng wtin the jurisdiccion of the
saide cite, as well in the suburbis as in the cite, were none lordes levery ne other
gentilman-is, uppon payne of vj.s. viijd.; the half therof to the behough of the saide
cite, and the other half to the saide fraternyte.
Also, that if any schopholder of the saide crafte within the saide cite, set any man
aworke by the space of a monyth, and then the straunger to paye iiij.d. to the wax of
the saide fraternyte; and that he that so settyth hym aworke schall awnswere the saide
iiij.d.
Also, that no man of the sayde crafte in the saide cite, sette no man a-worke that is
reteyignde in any man-ys service, on the tyme that he be had, in examinacion before
the saide Maister, Wardyns, and felisshipp, to understond the departure of hym; and if
any do the contry, he to forfette vj.s. viij.d.; the halfe therof to the behough of the saide
Cite, and the othere half to the behough of the saide fraternyte.
And also, if any man of the said mystere, of what degree or condicion he be of, that
suche summys of mony as he or thaye bene sett for to paye, for the sustentacion of the
Prest and of there chapell, after ons warned, and refuse to paye hys duty, he to lose,
for euery defauut, xl.d.; and that euery Maister answere for his servauntz to the same,
vppon the same payne: the Page 334forfett whereoff, the one half to grow to the Cyte,
the other half to the saide ffraternyte.
Provided alleway, that the saide Maister and Wardons of the said Mistere, shall come,
euery yere, on-to the Yeldhall of the said cite, the nexte Moneday vppon the Eleccion
of the new Maier, Baillifs, and other offycerres of the saide Cite; and ther, by the
payment of iiij.d., to surrendre all there sayde power on-to the saide Maier Bailifs and
communalte; and then and there to take and resume hit, by the new Maier-ys graunte,
of the saide cite, accordyng to the saide enrollement vnder his seale of office, without
any fees there-for to be payed; provyded all-so, that the liberteis of the saide cyte,
francheis, and old vsuages, allwaye be savyd, and yn no wyse interrupte by the saide
graunte.*. [The intense jealousy cherished by this Corporation towards all Gilds,
could not be more strongly shown than by this extraordinary requisition, that a yearly
surrender should be made of all this power and authority of the Gild. And for this
yearly humiliation, the Gild had to pay to the corporation a fine, besides the half of all
payments received by it! It was thus without any really independent existence
whatever. The Tailors' Gild never submitted to anything of the sort, but took up
"swerdis and daggariis" rather, in maintenance of their independence. See before, p.
303. Terms so hard as these were not imposed even on the Bakers. See the Gild next
following.]
And that this saide ordynauncez and constitucionz, wt othere conuenyent rewlis as
acordyth wt reason, schall be ferme and stable, we the saide Maior bailifs and
commune counsayle haue lette enroll hit in a roll, beryng date the Munday next after

the ffeste of the Purificacion of oure lady, yn the xxjti yere of the reynyng of the kyng
our souerayg lord, kyng Edward the iiijth, amongez the recordez of the saide cite.