Part 22

M_emorandum_. That whereas by Precept yearly from the right Honourable, the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen. Our companie is streightly commanded to provide and have readie LXXX. Quarters of Corne for this Cities service, a Court of assistants, was held the 18{th}. Day of _December_ 1633. to consider how to raise the Money, in regard our Companie is much indebted, by building our Granary, _&c._ And upon mature deliberation had, it was concluded & ordered, that each Person then being, or that thereafter should be, a Livery-man, should thereunto lend XXs. To be hereafter by the Masters, or Governours, for the time being, repaid out of their Corne-stock, to such Livery-mans Executors, or Administrators, within one moneth next after such Livery-mans death, being demanded, we therefore the present Masters, or Governours, do hereby acknowledge our selves to have received of Mr. the said allotted some of Twenty shillings for the use aforesaid, And do hereby promise, that we or, our Successors then being, shall repay the said XX{s.} accoding as is before expressed witness our hands this 3{d} day of Aprill _Anno Dom._--1688

Roger Knowles } John King } Will Sayfield } Governours. John Standbrooke}]

4th March, 1634. 52 quarters of corn only being in the granary, it was ordered that 8 quarters more should be purchased to make up the complement of 60, which the Company were required by the City to keep in stock.

14th January, 1634. The question of “Ship money” being considered by the Court, it was thought that the Surgeons of the Company were free from the same by Charter, and a Committee of the Court was appointed to take counsel’s opinion thereon.

20th April, 1635. £10 was ordered to be given towards the restoration of the Church of St. Alban, Wood Street.

2nd June, 1635. Hugh Ward, for his absence from lectures, was summoned before the Court, when he used “approbrious language,” and defied the Masters,

Whereupon this Court did in the Lord Maiors name comitt the said Hugh to the Compter in Woodstreete & charged the said Ward to staye but he struggled to gett forth of y{e} parlor soe the M{rs} comaunded the dores to be shutt till an officer had taken him in charge, but after the officer had him in charge and they were gone forth into the streete (as the officer reported to this Court) Ward stepped from him and drew his knife & swoare hee would sheath it in his guttes if he came after him and soe he made an escape from the officer.

13th August, 1635. Ward made his submission and paid a fine of 40_s._

1st December, 1635. John Robinson a forreyne bar̃b was questioned here in Court for setting up a barbars shopp in Blackfriers before he had made knowne to this Court that he had served 7 yeares appnˀticeship with a barbar by trade, and had a licence to sett upp shopp, said he was bound appˀntice to Rich. Davyes of Hereford barbar x{th} of Januar xxj{th} of King James for 8 yeares but could not bring testimony he had served that time This Court doth charge him to take in his barbars pole & basons & to forbeare keepeing that shopp any longer.

8th March, 1637. Whereas there was an intenc͠on to make an open Gallery The Court is now resolved & doe order that it shalbe made a convenient faire Parlour over the walke leading into the Theater at the costꝭ of y{s} house.

30th March, 1637. It is ordered that the Gallery or Parlour leading to the Theater from the Bullwarke shalbe built and the Hall Cupboard that cants into the stone yarde shalbe taken downe and the leade thereof shalbe imployed to leade the Tarris that passeth from that plo{r} into the Theater.

19th May, 1637. £10 was ordered to be paid towards the ransom of Thomas Wright, a Surgeon, who had been captured by the Turks.

10th June, 1637. It is ordered that the 3 stone Columbꝭ allready wrought shalbe sett up and the walk next the hall side to be leaded over and railes & turned ballasters to be sett up Alsoe that there shalbe Iron barrs for all the windowes Alsoe a portland stone for the mantle tree Alsoe a tablett of stone shalbe sett up in the front and the M{r} & Wardeins names to be insculpted thereon and a sunn diall to be in a convenient place.

24th July, 1637. It is ordered that the Concave seeleing of the Theater shalbe painted with the Constellac͠ons of the Heavens and the 7 planetts over the 12 signes in every peere and sceletons to be wrought and sett up on every one of the 12 signes or Corbells.

Alsoe that this mottoe shalbe sett in the tablett of stone in the front of the greate pˀlor. This Parlour was built in y{e} yeare of o{r} Lord 1637 M{r} Richard Powell being M{r} M{r} John Heydon M{r} W{m} Huckle M{r} Law: Cotton Wardeins.

13th August, 1637. The painting the ceiling of the Theatre was ordered to be deferred until next year, and the scaffolding to be taken down forthwith.

20th September, 1637. It is ordered that the seeleing of the greate pˀlo{r} shalbe boarded shott & planed over with hole deales.

20th September, 1637. It is ordered that there shalbe given xl{s} to St Edmunds berey for reliefe of the poore people visited with the plague.

20th November, 1637. It is ordered that the yeomanryes hearse cloth shalbe altered and the imbrothered scutchions & figures to be decently sett by an Imbrotherer to be alwayes used at the publique discections in the Theater.

28th December, 1637. This daye complaint was made ag{t} Thomas Trevilion now Rento{r} Wardein both for his obstinacy and ill words and exacting money from yonge freemen and throughing up his keyes of the Threasurye & sayeing he would come no more to keepe Courtꝭ at the Hall and desireing to be put out of his place, for w{ch} his misdemeano{rs} and other evill behavio{r} being made apparent to this Court and his acknowledgem{t} of them upon due considerac͠on of all w{ch} It is ordered by this Court y{t} the said Thomas Trevilion doe stand and shalbe from henceforth absolutely removed and dismissed from his office & place of ffowerth M{r} or Governo{r.}

Mr. William Lingham was subsequently chosen in Trevilion’s place.

The Court sometimes acted in the capacity of private trustees of the estates of deceased members, and among the archives there remains a deed of acknowledgment signed by the Master and Wardens in 1637, wherein it is recited that Richard Mapes, a former Master of the Mystery, deceased, had left legacies to his four children, then being infants, and had appointed his wife Faith, executrix and trustee, with the proviso that in the event of her marrying again the Court of this Company were to be the trustees for the said children, and that the widow, having remarried, had paid over the children’s portions to the Masters or Governors. Attached is the seal of the Barber Surgeons, unfortunately not perfect, though a good specimen.

8th February, 1638. It is ordered that the Seaven liberall Sciences shalbe provided for the Theater by the M{r} and Wardens at the house charge soe it exceede not x{li.} x{s.} the carveing of them.

29th March, 1638. The whole of the Assistants and Livery were called together to know what they would give to the building fund, when the following sums were promised.

M{r} Serj Clowes x{li.} Morrice Griffith v{li.} M{r} Rich Wateson x{li.} W{m} Bennett iij{li.} M{r} Michaell Andrews x{li.} Robert Terrill ij{li.} M{r} Hen Blackley x{li.} Edward Arris v{li.} M{r} Warden Burgen v{li.} Humfrey Painter iij{li.} M{r} Warden Cotton v{li.} Thomas Allen ij{li.} x{s.} M{r} Warden Lingham v{li.} Lawrence Loe v{li.} M{r} John Heydon v{li.} Robert Bulluck iij{li.} M{r} Nicholas Heath v{li.} Thomas Bowden iij{li.} M{r} William Huckle iij{li.} John Dorrell iiij{li.} M{r} Martine Browne x{li.} James Clarke iiij{li.} M{r} W{m} Kinge v{li.} Hugh Warde ij{li.} M{r} John Pinder v{li.} William Watson iij{li.} Edward Charley v{li.} Nicholas Brothers iij{li.} Edward ffleete v{li.} John Meredith iij{li.} Henry Eaton v{li.} Thomas Biggs iiij{li.} Henry Boone v{li.} Phillip Gill v{li.} Samuell Sambrooke iij{li.} Charles Stamford iij{li.} Hugh Napkin ij{li.} James Walsall iij{li.}

3rd July, 1638. This daye was made knowne to this Court y{t} Jo{n} Pemberton formerly chosen an Assistant hath given his answeare that he will not hold that place nor come to the Hall unlesse he were drawne with wild horses thither, whereupon this Court doth fine him at x{li.} & that he shalbe prosecuted for the same at Lawe.

16th August, 1638. A stormy election of Master and Wardens was holden this day, and a very precise minute of the proceedings is entered, from which it appears that the Court and Livery being assembled, the Master declared--

The occasion of this solempne meeteing & the necessarye succession of the Governors & governem{t} of this Corporac͠on. And thereupon a ballatting box being sett on the table and the names of the auncient M{rs} & Assistants and livery being severally put into the twoe Sells of y{t} box, o{r} M{r} according to order did first drawe forth the names of theis twelve pˀsons following for Electors viz{t} for the Six Surgians M{r} Rich Wateson M{r} Martine Browne M{r} Jo{n} Pinder Tho. Tomlinson Edward Arris & Henry Eaton. And for the other six M{r} Richard Powell M{r} William Huckle M{r} Jo{n} Davyes M{r} Samuell Die Hen. Hodgkinson & Evan Owen. And thereupon the said Electors haveing w{th}drawne themselves from the publique Assemblye & taken their oathes upon the holye evangelists for the election of fower Masters or Governo{rs} for the yeare ensueing, The M{rs} and the rest of the Assembly made their repaire to the Church and after Sermon upon their returne to the Hall the Masters being called to those 12 Electors they were informed that the Election could not proceede and be made,

by reason that certain of the Electors being of divers trades were unable to agree upon two persons expert in Barbery, and these Electors refusing to choose two Masters Barbers, a Court was at once held and the six Barber Electors were discharged, six more Electors being chosen and called; two of these, however, being contaminated by those already dismissed, refused to serve, and eventually a fresh set of Electors was chosen, who retired, and elected Mr. William Clowes, Serjeant-Surgeon to the King, as Master, and three others Wardens, “and after dinner ended and the Seremonye pˀformed by the Masters or Governo{rs} of chooseing the new M{rs} or Governo{rs} with silver Garlands in the publique Hall,” the new Master and Wardens were sworn in.

8th November, 1638. A great feud having arisen between the Court and Richard Morrice, an Assistant, a suit was prosecuted against Morrice in the Earl Marshal’s Court, when the sentence pronounced against him was that he should attend the Court at the Hall, and there bareheaded rehearse in an audible voice an abject apology, the exact words of which are set out. This Morrice did, and the Master and Wardens having testified the same, he was again called into Court, when it would seem that his apology had been made under fear of the Earl Marshal and not of his free will, for the Court calling upon him to make answer “for his contentious carriage & foule & bitter languages & invective speeches by him given from Court to Court ag{t} divers Assistantꝭ to the generall disturbance of their Courtꝭ he refused to cleare himselfe or to give answeare,” whereupon the Court dismissed him from his place as an Assistant.

13th September, 1640. This Court is willing that there shalbe a distribuc͠on of M{r} Mapes Legacy on Cosmas and Damianus day being the 27{th} of this Instant September to 12 poore people 12 Angells according to the directions of M{ris} Joy they haveing red crosses on theire brests.

MEMORAND. on the 27{th} September being Cosmus and Damianus day 6{li} 13{s} 4{d} was distributed according to M{r} Richard Mapes Will. viz{t} These 12 poore persons free of our Company came into our Hall with red Crosses each of them on theire right Brests and the Governours gave to each of them 10{s} which amounted to 6{li} and the 13{s} 4{d} was to themselves for a repast for their paynes.

{ Widdow Wright. { Widdow Chapman. { Widdow James. { Widdow Tyler. The poores { Widdow Colley. { Widdow Pebworth. names were { Old Holmewood. { Old Kelham. { Widdow Bullock. { John Mulis. { Blind Reynolds. { Widdow Wadlowe.

20th November, 1640. A dispute between Edward Molins and one Coppinger was heard by the Court, when the decision was against Molins, and he was fined for using bad language.

12th January, 1641. Edward Molins came into the Court and stood in the face of the Court with his Hatt on his head and his Armes on his side and told the Court he would doe noe obedience to the co{te} and swore Gods wounds he would submitt to noe man liveing.

15th January, 1641. Molins was fined 40{s} for this contempt.

18th January, 1641. Richard Tompkins & Symon Crouch Surgeons by profession yet useing Barbery, This Court doth give them Order by our Lady day next to leave barbeing it being against y{e} Statute to practise both.

29th July, 1641. Mr. George Dunn hath given 5{li} to buy Bookes for the Library which is by this Court ordered to be performed accordingly.

There having been many quarrels in the Court, and various members expelled, a general shaking of hands appears to have taken place, for we read:--

30th July, 1644. This Court doth thinke fitt and soe order That a Sermon be made on the next Election day of thankes giveing to Almighty God for peace and amity which is now begun to be restored among the members of the Company And that M{r} Sharpe be desired to performe the same.

9th March, 1645. This day M{r} Callice Barber being complayned of for teaching to trimm to other then his Apprentices contrary to the Ordinance of this House did absolutely deny the same upon the Oathe that he tooke upon his admission into the ffreedome.

17th March, 1645. Mr. William Kings this day freely gave for the Ornament of this House a great Tortershell Whereon at his owne charge he hath given order for the Companyes Armes to be painted.

This shell is preserved at the Hall.

7th January, 1646. M{r} Michaell Markeland appeareing to this Court at the request of our M{r} he was here complayned of to have embalmed severall humane Bodyes within this City against the Ordinance of this Company in that behalf being an Apothecary and not a Surgeon approved according to Law Nor a ffreeman of this Company which M{r} Markeland acknowledged But alleadged It was through his ignorance Not knowing that the right thereof was in approved Surgeons and ffreemen of this Company only and none other And being now well satisfyed thereof haveing heard the said Ordinance read unto him promised not to doe the like againe.

2nd June, 1646. This daye Mr. Lawrence Loe Chirurgeon a Member of this Company through his good affection thereunto Did for the worship thereof freely offer to give for the beautifying of the Hall soe many stones of black and white Marble as shalbe sufficient for the Pavement thereof.

These marbles were laid to form the floor at the upper end of the Hall, and when the Hall was pulled down they were preserved and now form the pavement in the Entrance to the Hall from Monkwell Street.

There is a Memorandum that Mr. John Bancks by his will left--

To the Company of Barber Chirurgions London so long as they shall performe the uses hereafter limitted (or els not) To be paid them betwixt the first and seaventh day of May next after the decease of the said John Banckes and so yearely for ever the sum̃e of Twenty shillings w{ch} Twenty shillings shalbe by the said Company distributed in forme following viz{t} To Twelve poore householders or widowes of the same Company To each of them ffower poundꝭ weight of good beefe Two penny loaves of good sweet bread Two pence a peece in mony and each of them one Woodden platter.

14th December, 1646. This Court doth at the humble suite of the Ordinary of the Goale of Newgate freely give unto him 10{s} for his releife in his present want.

7th July, 1647. This Court doth give to John ffranck Chirurgeon who hath bin for a long time in Captivity in Turkey iiij{li} towards the setting him forth to sea and doth order that he be admitted into the ffreedome gratis when he shall desire it.

See the Minute 5th February, 1629. John Franck (the son of a Liveryman) was doubtless a “foreign brother,” and entitled to his freedom by patrimony upon payment of the fine, which the Court now ordered to be dispensed with if he wished to take up his freedom. Being a Sea Surgeon only, it was not necessary that he should be free of the Company. He had probably been in slavery 18 years!

Several entries similar to the following are to be found in the books.

9th August, 1647. Upon the humble suite of Thomas Tomlinson an ancient Member of this Company and of the Livery now fallen into greate Poverty and Want for some charitable releife from this Company. This Court being moved in Compassion to his deplorable Condic͠on and calling to mind his former good service to this Company Doth freely give him 10{li.} out of the Stock of this House.

14th September, 1648. Samuell Needler an examined Chirurgeon complayned to this Court that he was required to beare Armes notwithstanding his exempc͠on therefrom and therefore craved this Courts Assistance in his defence therein which was granted.

27th October, 1648. M{r} Warden Madocks and certaine others of the Assistants here present desireing to peruse our Charter for theire informac͠on the better to enable them for the Governement of this Company had a sight thereof and were well satisfyed in every particuler.

13th August, 1655. Mr. John Gale of Bushey (son of William Gale, M. 1595) a Surgeon of this Company, by his Will of this date left to the Barber-Surgeons £16 per annum, payable out of certain houses on Snow hill, in the parish of Saint Sepulchre, for the founding of an Anatomy lecture in the name of Gale’s Anatomy. This trust was transferred to the Surgeons’ Company in 1745.

Our Minute Books from the year _1651 to 1689_ are unhappily lost; they are known to have been at the Hall as recently as 1832. Should any reader ever light upon them, he is particularly entreated to communicate with the Clerk of the Company or with the author.

1689. The practice was now adopted of entering all admissions to the freedom, etc., in the Court Minute Books (as well as in the Register) the forms being as follows:--

3rd September, 1689. For an apprentice:

Johẽs Rawson app̃r Caroli Peters admĩs est ex Rẽl Magr̃i & Jur̃.

for a freeman by patrimony:

Ptrũs Hartley Stac͠oner filˀ Thome Hartley Civis & Barbitonsorˀ & Chirurgˀ London admĩs est pˀ patrimõn ex Rẽl Isaacii Boddington Weaver & Wil̃l̃i Bletsoe Grocer, Wil̃l̃i Bateman Barbitonsorˀ & Chirurgorˀ London & Jur̃.

for a freeman by redemption:

Henr̃ Chamberlane admĩs est pˀ redemc͠on vˀtute orᵭem Curˀ Majorˀ & Alᵭrn Dat xviij{o} die Augusti 1689 & Jur̃.

17th January, 1690. This day an order was sealed to presse 40 Surgeons mates for the Kings service in Ireland.

At this period all freemen on their admission “took the oathes menc͠oned in a late Act of Parliament & subscribed the Declarac͠on therein named”: these were the oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy as required by the “Bill of Rights” (passed December, 1689).

2nd July, 1690. Ordered that the Clarke keep an accompt of all pˀsons faleing at a Court of Assistants and that every one faileing for every such time soe doeing shall forfeit v{s} & shall not be admitted to binde or make ffree untill he or they have made payment of the same of which they are to have notice except S{r} John Letheullier S{r} Humfry Edwin & M{r} Thomas Canham.

29th April, 1693. Ordered that the 2 Chirurgeons Governo{rs} & whome they shall thincke fitting to call to them Attend the Archbishopp of Canterbury conserning his Barber practiceing Chirurgery.

20th July, 1693. Ord{d} that a lease bee taken of the Archbishopp for one & twenty yeare from the 19{th} day of July 1693 for the Barge house[166] & that as the Governo{rs} have agreed a ffine of the same they pay to his Grace the sume of one hundred pounds besides ffees.

[166] At Lambeth.

3rd October, 1693. Ordered that the Bargeman have a new coate & britches &c.

19th July, 1694. Ordered that M{r} George Minikin bee warned before the Lord Major to shew cause why he doe not attend the Court of Assistants as he hath been chosen one of them.

18th June, 1696. A new sun dial was ordered to be put up.

About this period there seems to have been a general disinclination to serve as an Assistant, many of the Livery being fined £10 for refusing to serve the office, while some who had sat as Assistants were dismissed the Court for non-attendance.

25th October, 1697. Ordered that the Barge house bee mended & M{r} Warden Pinke take care to see it done.

18th August, 1698. Ordered that the Govern{rs} dispose of the Barge & let the Barge house from yeare to yeare.

12th October, 1698. Ordered That there may be papers made for a subscriptõn for a Barge.

21st October, 1700. Ordered that the ill manadgement of the late Master M{r} Tho: Lichfeild as to his office of Master and his other offices of Warden bee pˀsented to the next Court of Assistants in order to bee expelˀd the sˀd Court it being the opinion of this Comittee that he deserves soe to bee as alsoe for being any longer an examin{r} he haveing acted contrary to the establish{mt} of the Corporac͠on in the s{d} offices.

8th November, 1700. A Committee of the Court having waited upon the Commissioners of the Navy and reported that Mr. Lichfeild had committed irregularities in certifying men as qualified Surgeons for sea service, such men not being duly qualified, the Court adjudged him to be dismissed from his office of an Examiner in Surgery, and out of the Court of Assistants.

10th March, 1707. The new Clerk, Mr. Chas. Bernard, seems to have been industrious in searching out practising Barbers not free of the Company, as also others who had committed abuses; several were fined and compelled to take up their freedom and this day the following entries occur:--

Clyett being sum̃oned for Shaveing on Sunday last appeared before the Comittee and the fact being plainly proved against him the Comittee fined him ten shillings for his said offence.

Newland being sum̃oned for the like offence appeared also before the Comittee but there being no possitive proofe against him he was dismissed.

John Gould a Dutchman being sum̃oned for keeping a Shopp and exercising the trade of a Barber not being free of this Company And the matter being plainly proved against him the Comittee ordered him to be prosecuted on the statutes of the 32nd of Hen 8{th} and the 5{th} of Queen Elizabeth.