BHO
  1. London Record Society
  2. Scriveners' Company Common Paper 1357-1628 With A Continuation To 1678
  3. The Common Paper: Ordinances, 12 Jan 1497/8, 16 Mar 1557/8

The Common Paper: Ordinances, 12 Jan 1497/8, 16 Mar 1557/8

Pages 49-52

Scriveners' Company Common Paper 1357-1628 With A Continuation To 1678. Originally published by London Record Society, London, 1968.

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Citation:

Ordinances, 12 Jan 1497/8, 16 Mar 1557/8

[p. 189 transcript] Be it Remembered that the xijth Day of Janyver The yere of our Lord god (fn. 1) M (fn. 1) cccclxxxxvij And the xiijth yere of the Reigne of Kyng Henry the vijth the hoole Company of the Felasship' or Mistere of Scryvaners of the Courte l're of the Citee of London' in good and honest maner assembled theym' self togider in the Mansion' or Dwellyng place of Henry Wodecok than' one of the Wardeyns of the said Felashep' or Mistere And than' and there by good Delib'acion' herd redde openly amonges theym' the articles Rueles & orden'nces concernyng theym' and their said Mistere beyng Wreten' and conteyned in this Book called their' Co'en papir Of which Articles div's been' regestred and enrolled in the Chamber of the Geldhall of the said Citee And ev'y suche of alle the said Articles as to theym' than' semed to be good and necessary honest and profitable for the said Felaship' thei than' caused to be marked on the heed wt [blank] Aggreying gen'ally wt one assent to alle those articles so marked And from hensforth to have theym duely kept and put in execution' accordyng to the good meanyng and entent of the same And ovir that to the better ordryng comforte and Relief of the said Felaship' than' and there thei ordeyned made and establisshed amonges theym' certeyn' other newe articles here under Wreten'. To the Which new articles thei have hooly condescended and aggired to be kept and put in execution' as here under is specified that is to sey

First thei have ordeyned and establisshed contynuelly from hensforth to endure that the two Wardeyns for the tyme beyng of the said Felaship chosen' comenly on the Sonday next after Midsomer Day shall contynue in their' Office of Wardeynship' for two yeres togider as thei have doon' certeyn' yeres past, one (fn. 2) Wardeyn' alway to be taken' of the elder men' suche as afore have been' Wardeyns and the other to be taken' of the yonger men' suche as afore that have not been' Wardeyns And to be chosen' alwey after their' use and maner accustumed. And ev'y such' two Wardeyns in their' tyme of Wardeynship' to hold and kepe amonges (fn. 3) the Felaship' onely three Sopers and one Dyner that is to sey ev'y of the thire (fn. 4) first half yere a Soper And at the last half yere a Dyner therat chosyng the newe Wardeyns So that the first Soper shall alway be kept and holden' the Sonday Sevenyght after the Feest of the Epiphanye of our' Lord. The Second Soper the Sonday next after the Feest of the Natyvyte of Saynt John' the Baptist/The third Soper the Sonday Sevenyght ageyn' after the Feest of the Epiphanye. And the Dyner wt a masse of the Hooly Goost afore it to be kept and holden' the Sonday next after the Feest of the Nativite of Saynt John' Baptist at thende of two yeres next after the election' of ev'y suche two Wardeyns/At Which' masse ev'y p'sone Freman' of the said Felaship' to offer jd. And at which' Dyner alwey the newe Wardeyns to be chosen and elect as is aforsaid. And upon' ev'y such' election' the old Wardeyns wtin [blank] Dayes to make and yeld [p. 190] a Due accomptes unto the new Wardeyns Beyng called alwaye to ev'y such' accomptes iiij others of the Felaship' beside the said old and new Wardeyns that is to say two of the same iiij that have been' Wardeyns And two of theym that have not been' Wardeyns And ev'y p'sone Freman' of the said Felaship' to the mayntenannce of the Co'en charges of the said Sopers and Dyners to pay at ev'y suche said Soper xijd. and at ev'y Dyner ijs. for hym self. And for his Wif if she come to the Dyner iiijd. these paiementes to be in lieue of their' old charges of vijd. a quart' and xijd. the Dyner. the first of the said Sopers now to begyn' the Sonday next after the Feest of the Natyvyte of Saynt John' Baptist next now comyng. And the Dyner that Day twelve moneths And so forth' to contynue alwey in two yeres wt three Sop's and one Dyner. And the cause why to have so fewe Sopers is for asmoche as afore these tymes hederto Whan' thei had ev'y quarter a Soper their' vijd. a quart' and xijd. a Dyner was not equyvalent unto the payementes and charges used and accustumed to be paide by the Wardeyns for their' Sopers and Dyner So and in such' Wise that comenly their' payementes and charges exceded their' Receytes ev'y two yeres v. or vj. m'rc Wherthurgh' the Co'en Treso' if eny be of the said Felaship' alway decreseth' and mynyssheth' and so consequently shuld be utterly spent and wasted/

Also (fn. 5) forasmoche as div's App'ntices have been' taken' contynued and s'ved their' app'ntishodes wtin the said Felaship' that have not had their' p'fact congruyte of gramer Which' is the thyng moost necessaire and expedient to ev'y p'sone ex'cisyng and usyng the science and faculte of the said Mistere. And in default Wherof they can' not have the p'fact knowlege and connyng of the said science. Wherthurgh' often' tymes thei erre/And their' actes and feates been' incongrue and not p'factly doon' to the gret Reproche and sclanndre of the said Felaship'. It is therfore ordeyned and enacted by the Com'en assent abovesaid that ev'y p'sone of the said Felaship' Which' at eny tyme hereaft' shall take any App'ntice to the said science shall bryng and p'sent the same app'ntice to the Wardeyns of the said Felaship' for the tyme beyng the name of the said app'ntice to be Wreten' in the booke of the said Felaship' And than' to be examyned by theym' or their' assignees if the same app'ntice have his congruite or not. And if it be founden' that he have not his said congruite. that than' the maister of the said app'ntice to be monysshed and charged by the said Wardeyns that the same App'ntice be set and founden' to gramer scole unto such' tyme as he have or by resonable capacite may have posytif gramer. or atte lest that he be competently erudite and lerned in the bookes of p'vula (fn. 6) Gendres Declynysons p't'ites (fn. 7) and supynes Equivox & Sinonimes wt the other pety bookes And that wtin iiij (fn. 8) the first yeres of his t'me upon' payn' that eny' maister of eny' suche app'ntice Which' dooth' or suffer to be doon' the [p. 191] contrary to this acte beyng monysshed as is aforsaid shall forfaite and pay at ev'y tyme (fn. 9) that he so doo'th the Contrary. C.s sterlinges to be applyed to thuse herund' writen' that is to sey the one half therof to be eq'ally devyded bitwene the Chamber of the Guyldhall of London' and the body of the same Felaship'. And the other half to thuse of the said app'ntice if he or his Frendes woll' therof compleyn' and make Due prouf of the same. And that also ev'y maister takyng such' app'ntice shall geve and Deliv' to the Wardeyns of the said Felaship' for the (fn. 10) tyme beyng to thuse of the Treso' of the said Felaship' A Spone of siver price of iijs. iiijd. or iijs. iiijd. in money for the same spone

And for asmuche as it is not playnely p'scribed at the making of the order last aforespecified Wtin What tyme eny p'sone of the saide felowshipp' sholde bringe and p'sent the name of his app'ntice or app'ntices to the Wardeyns of the saide Felowshipp' for the tyme beyng not only to cause the name of the saide app'ntice to be Written' in the boke in the saide felowshipp' But also to be examyned by them or by some of the saide felowshipp' Whether the same app'ntice have his congruytie in the lattyn' tonge or not To thentent that reformac'on and redresse may be had and taken therin accordingly

It is nowe therfore decreed condiscended and fully agreed by thassentes and consentes of Thomas Went and William Pierson now Wardeyns of the saide company And by the consentes and agreamentes of William Blackwell John lee thelder John Melsham [John, deleted and] Richard [written above] Mannsell Thomas Pierson' Barthelmew Brokesby Thomas Atkynson' Thomas Wytton and John Norden' at a meating att the Wexchaundelers hall in london the xvjth daie of Marche a° d'ni 1557, That ev'y p'sone and p'sones of the saide Mystery or felowshipp' Whiche fromhensfo'the (fn. 11) shall take and have any app'ntice or app'ntices shall W'in Syx Wekes (fn. 12) next and imediatly after he or they shall so take and have any suche app'ntice or app'ntices bounde unto hym or them Bring and p'sent the same app'ntice to the Wardeyns of the saide Mystery or felowshipp' for the tyme being to thentent to have his and their names entred in the co'en booke of the saide felowshipp' and to be examyned in forme aforesaide according to the effecte and true meanyng of the saide first recyted order, upon suche paynes and penalties as in the same first order is declared/And further that no p'sone or p'sones of the saide Mystery or felowshipp' shall at any tyme or tymes from hensforthe Willingly suffer any his app'ntice or app'ntices to Certefie or Witnes the Sealling or delyv'y of any dede Evidence bonde Writing or conveyannce Whatsoever, unles he or they have byn bounde app'ntice Wkmt fraude or covyn Wt his Mr by the space of one hole yere at the least upon' payne for the First offence contrary to this order xs. and for the second offence xxs. and for the thirde offence xls. to be levied to suche like uses as in the saide first recyted order is lymytted for not p'senting of app'ntices as in the same first order more playnely appereth

Footnotes

  • 1. In the right-hand margin at the end of this line: 1497.13 H.7.
  • 2. In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: Wardeyns.
  • 3. In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: Three Sopers & one Dyner.
  • 4. The manuscript is not very clear; this passage should read 'the three first half yeres'.
  • 5. In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: App'ntices.
  • 6. The word is pervula orparvula and refers to a Latin grammar; for printed editions, see Short Title Catalogue (1926), nos. 19, 439–42. I owe this identification to the kindness of Mr. A. G. Watson.
  • 7. The word is preterites.
  • 8. The sense requires a word or words to follow this figure.
  • 9. In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: pena Cs.
  • 10. In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: A Spone or iijs. iiijd. modo ijs. vjd.
  • 11. In the left-hand margin at the beginning of this line: vj Wekes.
  • 12. In the right-hand margin at the end of this line: Wthin vj weekes to p'sent app'ntices.