Part 2

The “othe of the newe maister and wardeyns the morowe after the day of corporis X’pi,” as taken in the fifteenth century, is worthy of note. “Ye shall swere that ye shalbe true liegemen unto oure liege lorde the Kyng, and to his heyres Kyngs; ye shall be indifferent jugis betwene party and party, withoute favoure, love, or affeccion, and withoute malice or any evill will to any parsone or parsons: all maner ordenances and good rules that bene made or shall be made for the wele of this craft of Skynners ye shall truly execute and kepe; ye shall not breke any of the ordenances made by ye comyn assente and hole agreement of all the XVI of thys Companye w^toute ye hoole agrement of alle or of ye most part of ye same XVI. All these thyngs ye shall truly observe and kepe; so help you God and all seyntes, and by the boke; and kys ye hyt.”

The old custom was that the Lord Mayor of London acted as Chief Butler at the Coronation of a Sovereign, assisted by a representative of each of the twelve great Companies. John Pasmer, Pellipar, represented the Skinners’ Company in this way at the Coronation of Richard III, in 1483; and so recently as the Coronation of George IV, in 1821, the Company was similarly represented by Mr. Thomas Moore, who was Master of the Company at the time of that King’s accession to the throne.

The Company has in its possession a complete list of the Masters from 1485 downwards. A few only of the earlier Masters can be identified. Thus, John Penne is described as Master of the Company in 1409 in a deed of that year, and William Newenham as Master in 1434 in a will of that date.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries it seems to have been customary for the same member to occupy the Chair on several occasions, especially when he was conspicuous among the Aldermen of the City of London. Thus, between the years 1485 and 1600 only thirty-nine members served the office, of whom the most frequent occupants of the Chair were:—

Sir William Martyn, 5 times, the first being in 1485, and the last in 1502.

Sir Thomas Mirfine, 5 times, the first being in 1509, and the last in 1516.

Geoffrey Walkeden, 5 times, the first being in 1561, and the last in 1577.

Sir John Champneys, 6 times, the first being in 1527, and the last in 1539.

Sir Andrew Judd, 6 times, the first being in 1533, and the last in 1555.

Sir Wolstan Dixie, 7 times, the first being in 1573, and the last in 1592.

Alderman Philip Gunter, 8 times, the first being in 1556, and the last in 1582.

Seven others served for four years each within the same period.

After the sixteenth century the practice of re-election became nearly obsolete, and at the present day it is never adopted except in the case of the death or retirement of the Master, or one of the five members in the succession to the Chair, in which event a Past-Master has to be elected in order to avoid dislocating the ordinary course of the Company. Only eight re-elections took place during the whole of the nineteenth century; and there are at the present time only two double Past-Masters in existence. On leaving the Chair for the second time, a double Past-Master regains his original precedence.

In the seventeenth century, three instances occurred of noblemen who had joined the Company being elected and serving as Master. These were the Earl of Berkeley in 1685, the Earl of Monmouth (afterwards of Peterborough) in 1690, and the Earl of Romney in 1696. At the Election Court at the conclusion of the Earl of Monmouth’s Mastership (June 18th, 1691), it is recorded in the Minutes that “Ye R^t Hon^{ble} ye Master appeared and tooke his place;” and after the elections were over it was ordered that a dinner should be given, on which £60 should be expended, “To w^{ch} the R^t Hon^{ble} the Master declared hee would make the same up 100_l._ But the Co^{rt} considering his Lo^{pps} extraordinary bounty from time to time shewed to ye Company, w^{th} great importunity prayed his Lo^{pps} excuse therein, letting his Hono^r know a Buck was ye usuall and only p^rsent made by ye Mast^r on ye like occasion. Upon mo’con to know who should preach ye Elec’con Sermon, it was by the R^t Hon^{ble} ye Mas^{tr} declared that he would appoint his owne Chaplaine to performe ye same.” In recent years it has become usual for each Master to leave with the Company some permanent record of his year of office, in the form of a piece of plate, but this is a purely voluntary act.

It is usual for the Master to officiate at public ceremonials—such as laying of foundation-stones, opening of new buildings, and the like, instead of inviting distinguished aliens to act; and a collection of the records of some of such occasions will be found in Appendix III.

It is also usual, in the event of a child being born to the Master during his year of office, for the four Wardens to stand godfathers to the child on behalf of the Company, and for a silver cradle or its equivalent to be presented by the Company to their godchild. It is an understood thing that the child, if a boy, shall be christened “Skinner,” and, if a girl, shall be christened “Pellipar,” or some variant of that name. Such occasions have of late years been far from frequent. In fact, there has been only one within the last quarter of a century, and that happened twenty years ago.

The Hall of the Company is situate in Dowgate Hill, facing the west side of Cannon Street Station, and having the Hall of the Tallow-Chandlers’ Company adjoining it on the north, and that of the Dyers’ Company on the south. In and prior to the fourteenth century, the buildings standing on the site were known as the Copped Hall, but since the fourteenth century the Copped Hall with certain shops adjoining, or the buildings which have replaced them from time to time, have formed the Hall of the Skinners’ Company. The earliest deed relating to the premises which is in the possession of the Company is a grant of the Copped Hall by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall, to Reginald de Thunderley, in December, 1295. The old Hall was consumed in the Great Fire of 1666, after which the present Hall was erected in its place.

One of the earliest members of the Company to arrive at distinction was Thomas Legge, who was Lord Mayor in 1347 and again in 1354, and was the ancestor of the Earls of Dartmouth. His was the age of the wars with France, and he contributed £300 to the expenses of the expeditionary forces. In 1364, the Skinners’ Company supplied a sum of £40 for the same purpose.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the order of precedence of the Companies was not clearly defined, and struggles took place between them from time to time, in which one Company sought to establish its superiority over another. The Skinners, who always ranked high among the chief Companies, fell out with the Fishmongers over this matter in 1339, and fighting took place, which had to be put down by force.

But the chief of these disputes in which the Skinners were concerned took place at the beginning of the reign of Richard III, between the Skinners and the Merchant Taylors, which again caused fighting, and led to the question of precedence in processions between the two Companies being submitted to the arbitration of Lord Mayor Billesdon and the Aldermen of the City of London, by whose award, dated the 10th April, 1484—1 Ric. III—it was in effect decided that each Company should invite the Master and Wardens of the other to dine with them in their Common Hall once a year, and that the two Companies should take precedence in processions in alternate years, beginning at Easter. This order was only to be disturbed by the event of a member of either Company becoming Lord Mayor, in which case, according to old custom, the Lord Mayor’s Company was to take precedence of all others. The award will be found in Appendix I, together with a supplementary award of the 17th January, 1521—12 Hen. VIII—explaining that the original award was applicable on all occasions.

Lord Mayor Billesdon’s award, which forms the subject of the painting recently placed by the two Companies jointly in the Royal Exchange, has continued to be scrupulously observed down to the present time. The two Companies rank alternately sixth and seventh among the twelve great Companies of the City, and the Master and Wardens of each dine with the other once a year; the Skinners’ entertainment taking place in December, and that of the Merchant Taylors’ in June. The representatives of the visiting Company are received as the chief guests of the occasion, and after dinner the Master of the entertaining Company gives the time-honoured toast, which, when the entertainment is at Skinners’ Hall, is in the following terms:—“The Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Skinners drink health and prosperity to the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, also to the Worshipful Company of Skinners, Merchant Taylors and Skinners, Skinners and Merchant Taylors root and branch; may they continue and flourish for ever!” To which the Master of the Merchant Taylors’ Company responds in identical form, but transposing the names of the two Companies. When the entertainment is at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, the Master of that Company gives the toast on behalf of his Company, to which the Master of the Skinners’ Company responds.

In the year 1681, some little friction appears to have occurred with respect to the annual visit, as the Court Book for that year contains the following entry under date August 9th:—“Whereas, at a Court holden the 8th of June last, it was ordered that the Mast^r and Wardens of the Merchant Taylors should be invited to dine with this Worp^l Comp: on their Election Day, viz^t, on the 15th of the said month, and whereas the Mast^r and Wardens of the said Compa: were invited by the Wardens of this Worp^l Comp: at Merchant Taylors schoole at the usuall time, and forasmuch as the Mast^r and Wardens of the said Company of Merchant Taylors for severall reasons to their Court appearing did decline the said invitac’on and sent one of their Wardens to excuse their comeing; and since, viz^t, on Monday, the 8th of August instant, one of their Wardens with some other p’sons in his Comp: made an invitac’on to the Mast^r and Wardens of this Worp^l Company to dine with their said Company, on Thursday, the 11th of this instant August. Now, this Court haveing had informac’on from the Mast^r and Mr. Warden Key that such their invitac’on was not made by ord^r of Court of Assistants of the said Company of Merchant Taylors, but only by one of their Wardens, with the consent and direction of the said Mast^r and Wardens—This Court doth therefore desire Mast^r and Wardens of this Company now p’sent to decline goeing to their said Dinner or to accept thereof in respect the said invitac’on was not made by ord^r of their Court according to their usuall custome.”

In pre-Reformation times, an important feature in the conduct of the Company was the performance of obits and rendering of honour to departed members. The Renter Warden’s accounts, which have been preserved from 1491 downwards, contain numerous references to such matters. Thus, in 1535–6—

“Pay’d to Syr John Stylbone, pryst, syngynge and prayinge for the soule of Master Merfen at the Charnel-house, and at Seynt Antolyns, by yere

vii_li._”

“Item, pay’d for the kepynge of Mr. Myrfyns obbyte by yere at the Charnel-house xxvi_s._ viii_d._”

Again, in the following year—

“Payd for a dyner provided at Skynners’ Hall for the bequest of William Tornor, Skynner, decessed, for the clothyn of thys felysshipe in the tyme of thys accompt

iiii_li._ v_s._ ii_d._”

“Item, payd for spice, bred, wyne, and ale at hys buryinge at Skynners’ Hall after _Dirige_ for the Company at the tyme of his buryall in the tyme of thys accompt

vi_s._ viii_d._”

On the other hand, we find among the receipts in 1535–6—

“R’d of Thomas Davy the yonger for a fyne for that he denyed to bere the corpus of Thomas Franke to hys beryall

xii_d._”

“Item, r’d of Water Bucknell for a fyne for that he gave oprobryus wordes to the Master and Wardens, xx_d._, and for that he denyed to bere the corpus of Thomas Franke, decessid, according to the ordynances

iii_s._ iiii_d._ Summa v_s._”

So, in 1536–7—

“Receyved of the executors of John Edwards, Skynner, latte decessed, for his bequest to make a recreacion at Skynners’ Hall for the clothinge of the Company that were present at his buryall in the tyme of thys accompt

xl_s._”

The fine imposed on Water Bucknell for his “oprobryus” words to the Master and Wardens show that the authorities of the Company knew how to guard themselves from insult. But they were equally careful in the case of less important members. Thus, in 1535–6—

“R’d of William Tornor for a fyne for that he Revyled and myssayd ongoddly wordes to George Forman

v_s._”

“Item, R’d of George Forman for slaunderus wordes and mysbehavyor to the sayd William Turnor the same day

iii_s._”

It may be conjectured that the 2_s._ by which Turner’s fine exceeded Forman’s was owing to the blasphemous character of his language.

Litigation was a cheap and inexpensive amusement in those days. Thus, in 1535–6—

“Payd for the sute in the lawe bytwene thys house and Mystres Bedell in the Spirituall Corte for maynteynynge of the Torches Master Bedyll gave thys house

vii_s._ vi_d._”

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Company contained many men of distinction. One of the more conspicuous of these was Sir Andrew Judd, who was Master of the Company in 1533, and on five subsequent occasions. He was Alderman, Sheriff, and (in 1550) Lord Mayor of London. He was also Mayor of the Staple of Calais, and in all his various offices he was distinguished by loyalty and capacity, taking, among other things, an active part in the suppression of Sir Thomas Wyatt’s rebellion. He died in 1558, having amassed a considerable fortune as a merchant, and was a benefactor of the Company to a substantial extent. He founded the Company’s almshouses for men in Great St. Helen’s. But his especial glory is that, in the year 1553, he founded and endowed, in his native town of Tonbridge, under letters-patent obtained by him from Edward VI, the famous free Grammar School, now known as Tonbridge School, which has since made good its claim to a place among the great public schools of England. This school is, by direction of the Founder, governed by the Skinners’ Company, in whom he reposed the fullest confidence, not unwisely.

Very little now remains of the original school buildings, with the exception of a part of the Head-Master’s house; the old buildings were removed and new ones erected in 1863–4, to which were added a large block of science rooms, with a library and gymnasium, in 1886–7, and a great hall with another large block of class-rooms and workshops, joining the science buildings to the 1863–4 buildings, in 1894. A new chapel was erected in 1900–2, replacing a smaller one which had been built in 1859, but which was never consecrated, and is now used as a museum. Still further additional buildings are in prospect. Large additions have also been made to the playing-fields. The school is now governed under a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 1881, and contains about four hundred boys.

The annual Visitation of the Governors takes place at the end of the summer term, when the doors of the houses in the town are decorated with young birch trees, in a way which I only remember to have seen elsewhere at the old Imperial city of Rothenburg, in Bavaria, at Whitsuntide. On the first day the buildings and property are inspected, and any necessary directions given. On the second day a Latin address, reminding one of the _Ad Portas_ at Winchester, is delivered by the Head Boy on the arrival of the Governors at the School, to which one of the Examiners replies. A roll-call in the Great Hall follows, succeeded by a commemorative service in the parish church, at which an interesting bidding prayer is repeated (see Appendix II). In the afternoon there is a prize distribution in the Great Hall, with the addition of addresses by the Head Master and the Master of the Governors, an announcement of the result of the examination for leaving exhibitions, and a list of honours obtained, which grows from year to year. Three silver pens, respectively gilt, parcel-gilt, and plain, are also presented to distinguished scholars, in accordance with the Founder’s directions.

The inscription on Sir Andrew Judd’s monument in the church of St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate, is as follows:—

“To Russia and Muscova To Spayne Gynny withoute Fable Traveld he by land and sea Bothe Mayre of London and Staple. The commenwelthe he norished So worthelie in all his daies That ech state fullwell him loved To his perpetuall prayes. Three wives he had: one was Mary Four sunes one mayde had he by her Annys had none by him truly By Dame Mary had one dowghter Thus in the month of September A thowsande fyve hunderd fyftey And eyght died this worthie Staplar, Worshipynge his posterytye. S’r Andrew Judd Knt.”

Sir Andrew Judd’s daughter by his first wife was named Alice, and married one Thomas Smythe. She, by her will dated in 1592, left considerable bequests for the benefit of the inhabitants of the almshouses founded by her father, and for other purposes connected with the Company. Her second son was the well-known Sir Thomas Smythe, referred to later on.

Other conspicuous Skinners of the sixteenth century were Sir John Champneys, Lord Mayor in 1534 and six times Master of the Company; Sir Richard Dobbs, Lord Mayor in 1551 and four times Master, who took a very active part in the foundation of Christ’s Hospital; Sir Wolstan Dixie, Lord Mayor in 1585 and seven times Master, also President of Christ’s Hospital; Sir Stephen Slaney, Lord Mayor in 1595, Master four times and President of Christ’s Hospital; Sir Richard Saltonstall, Lord Mayor in 1597, Master four times, and Governor of the Merchant Venturers’ Company.

The sixteenth-century benefactors of the Company include Thomas Hunt and Lawrence Atwell, under whose wills, dated respectively in 1557 and 1588, considerable property was bequeathed to the Company for various charitable purposes; and Henry Fisher, under whose benefaction, by deed dated in 1562, an Exhibition at Brasenose College, Oxford, is maintained for a Tonbridge scholar, and remuneration is provided for the preacher of the annual Corpus Christi sermon.

Sir James Lancaster was a successful merchant, trading to the East Indies, and an esteemed naval commander. In 1600 he was appointed the first Admiral of the fleet of the East India Company, of which he was a director. Under his will, dated 1618, certain Exhibitions at the Universities, and stipends for poor preachers, are awarded by the Company.

Sir Thomas Smythe, son of Dame Alice Smythe, and grandson of Sir Andrew Judd, after serving the office of Sheriff of London, became the first Governor of the East India Company. He was also prominent in connection with the Muscovy Company and the Virginia Company, and acted as Ambassador from James I to the Czar of Russia. By his will, proved in 1625, property was left to the Company, out of which certain University Exhibitions, as well as scholarships at Tonbridge, are established; and the residue is distributed for charitable purposes among poor residents in certain parishes in Kent, under a scheme sanctioned by the Chancery Division in 1883.

Under the will of William Stoddard, dated 1611, the Company possesses the right to nominate children to Christ’s Hospital.

In the early years of the seventeenth century the Company was largely occupied with the acquisition and settlement of its Irish estates in the County of Londonderry. Proposals for the colonisation of large districts in the North of Ireland were issued by the Crown in 1608, and the response made by the public proving inadequate for the purposes in view, application was made to the City of London, which resulted in the City undertaking the plantation of the County of Londonderry. This was effected through the instrumentality of a new Corporation composed of Aldermen and members of the Common Council, to which was given the name of “The Irish Society.” Of this Society the first Governor was Alderman Sir William Cokayne, Lord Mayor in 1619, and Master of the Company in 1609 and two later years. He was also President of St. Thomas’ Hospital, and was son of the donor of the Cokayne cups. The first Deputy-Governor was also a Skinner, William Towreson, or Towerson, who was Master in 1616. The _modus operandi_ was that the county (exclusive of the towns of Derry and Coleraine, and the ferries and fisheries) was divided into twelve portions, equalised as far as practicable, and that these were appropriated by lot among the twelve great Companies. With two exceptions, each of the twelve had associated with it some of the minor Companies, who contributed certain proportions of the necessary funds, so that each of the twelve, with its associated Companies, provided one-twelfth of the total expense. The Skinners’ estate, constituting the Manor of Pellipar, was shared by them with the Stationers, the White-Bakers, and the Girdlers, the Skinners’ share being somewhat larger than those of the other three combined. In 1876, the Skinners’ Company bought out the Stationers and Bakers, leaving the Girdlers their sole co-owners, the latter owning rather more than eleven per cent, of the undivided estate, and the remainder belonging to the Skinners’ Company. For many years the estate was let to middlemen on successive leases for three lives, but in 1872 this system came to an end, and the estate was managed directly by the Skinners’ Company. It has recently been disposed of under the Irish Land Acts.

In the seventeenth century, the Company became possessed of a considerable estate in Clerkenwell, known as “Clarke’s Close,” under the will, dated in 1630, of John Meredith. They also award another University Exhibition under the will of Edward Lewis, dated in 1673. Under the will of Lewis Newbury, dated in 1683, the Company’s almshouses for women were erected at Mile End. These, as well as the Judd almshouses for men at St. Helen’s, have recently been replaced by new and more commodious buildings at Palmer’s Green: to which all inscriptions and other objects of interest at the old almshouses have been carefully removed.

The Company was involved in the troubles arising from the arbitrary proceedings of the kings of the Stuart family, and the disturbances attending the establishment and supersession of the Commonwealth. In 1625, the Company was compelled by judgment, obtained on a writ of _quo warranto_, to surrender its lands to the Crown, but the judgment was set aside by the Parliament in 1641, and Charles I assented to their decision. During the great Civil War large sums of money were advanced to the City, and the Renter Warden’s accounts contain numerous entries of expenditure on arms and gunpowder. In 1645–6, the following entries appear:—

“Aug. 5. Paid the Collectors of Dowgate Ward for 2 months ending 1 Aprill, 1645, for the maintenance of S’r Thomas Fairfaxes army

0024 00 00

Aug. 13. Paid the Collectors of Dowgate Ward for the fortifications for 2 months

0021 00 00

Aug. 25. Paid the Collectors for 3 months for the maintenance of S’r Tho: Fairfaxes army

0036 00 00