Part 7

Armed with this additional authority, the Surgeons’ Guild again sought to interfere with and scrutinize the Barber-Surgeons of the Barbers’ Company. These latter, however, must have had good friends at Court, and were not slow in asserting and obtaining confirmation of their rights and privileges, as will be seen by reference to the following record in _Letter-Book K._ 27{B.}:--

1424. MEMORANDUM. That on Friday the 10th day of November in the third year of the reign of Henry the Sixth from the Conquest before John Michell, Mayor, Thomas Knolles and other Aldermen, and Simon Seman and John Bithewater, Sheriffs of the City of London, It was granted and ordained that the Masters of the faculty of Surgery within the craft of Barbers of the same city, do exercise the same faculty even as fully and entirely as in the times of Thomas Fauconer late Mayor, and other Mayors, it was granted unto them, notwithstanding the false accusation (_calumpnia_) which the Rector and Supervisors of Physic and the Masters of Surgery pretend concerning a certain ordinance made in the time of William Walderne late Mayor (_1423_) and entered in the letter book K, folio 6, the which, they now endeavour to enjoin upon the said Barbers.

1451. With the exception of a few references (which are noticed elsewhere) the City records are silent concerning the Barbers’ Company until this year, when the Master and Wardens, styled here “Gardiani,” with certain honest men of the Mystery of Barbers, brought a Bill before the Mayor and Aldermen, praying them to establish certain Ordinances, and to enter them of record, which was granted and done.

These Ordinances provided for the enforcement of stated penalties in cases of disobedience and related to attendance upon summons, settlements of disputes, refusal of office, admission of members, evil speaking, assemblies and payments, instruction of “foreyns,” employment of aliens. They are to be found in _Letter-Book K._ 250, and are the first written in English, all previous ones being either in Latin or Norman French in the originals.

MEMORANDUM q{d.} xxv{to.} die ffebruarii Anno regni Regis Henrici Sexti post conquestˀ vicesimo nono veniunt hic in Curˀ Dñi Regis in Camˀa Guyhald Civitatis london coram Nich̃o Wyfold Maiore & Aldermannis ejusdem Civitatꝭ magistˀ & Gardianˀ necnon cẽti probi homines misterˀ barbitonsoꝜ Civitatꝭ p’dcẽ & porrexerunt dcisˀ Maiore & Aldermannis quandam billam sive supplicacioñe vˀboꝜ sequentˀ seviem continentem Unto the ryght Worshipfull and Worshipfull lord and souvˀaignes Mair and Aldremen of the Citee of London,

BESECHEN most mekely all pˀsones enfˀunchised in the craft and mistier of Barbours wythin the said Citee That it please unto your lordshippˀ and Right wise discrecions for to consider howe that for as moche as certein ordin{a}nces been establisshed made and entred of Record in the ch{a}umber of the yeldhall of the said Citee all pˀsonnes of the said Craft have fully in opinion for to obeye observe and kepe theim and noon other in eny Wise, So been y{r.} many and divˀse defaultes often tymes amonges your said besechers not duely corrected for default of such other ordin{a}nces to be made and auctorised sufficiently of record in the said ch{a}umber, like it therefore unto your said lordshippe and grete Wisdoms of your blessed disposicons for the pˀpetuell Wele and good Rule of the said Craft for to establissh and make these ordinaunces here folowyng pˀpetuelly to endure and for to be observed and putte in due execucion in the same craft And to be auctorised of record in the said ch{a}umber for evˀ And your said besechers shall pray god for you.

FFIRST that evˀy barbour enfˀ{a}uncheised householder and other occupier of the same craft holdyng eny shopp of barberye wythin the Citee of london shall be redy att all manˀ som̃ons of the Maisters and Wardeins of the same craft for the tyme being that is to sey for the Kyng the Mair or for eny Worshipp of the said Citee And yef eny man occupying the said craft in manˀe and fourme aforesaid absent him from eny such som̃ons wythoute cause reasonable and thereof duely convict than he to pay at the ch{a}umber of the yeldhall xiij{s.} iiij{d.} that is to say vj{s.} viij{d.} to the same ch{a}umber and other vj{s.} viij{d.} to the almes of the said craft. Also that evˀy man enfˀ{a}uncheised under the fourme abovesaid that disobeyeth and kepeth not his houre of his som̃ons at eny tyme w{t}oute cause reasonable and yˀof[44] duely convict shall paye to the almesse of the said craft at evˀy tyme y{t.} he maketh such defaute ij{d.} And yef eny of theim what so evˀ he be of the same craft that disobeye this ordin{a}nce he shall paye to the ch{a}umber of the yeldhall iij{s.} iiij{d.} at evˀy tyme that he maketh such default.

[44] thereof.

ALSO that yef eny matˀe of debate or difference be betwene eny pˀsoones of the said craft Which god defend, that none of theim shall make eny pursuyt at the comˀon lawe unto the tyme y{t.} he that findeth him aggreved in that pˀtie hath made his compleint unto the maister and Wardeins of the same craft for the tyme being and they to ffynyssh the matˀe and the cause of the said compleint Wythin vj dayes after such compleint made and yef they conclude not and ffynyssh the same matˀe Wythin the said vj dayes that yanne it be lefull to either pˀtie to take the benefice of the comˀon lawe Wythin this Citee So alwayes that the pˀtye ageinst whom the compleint is made be not fugityf And what pˀsone of the said craft that doth contrarie this ordin{a}nce shall paye at evˀy tyme at the chaumber of the yeldhall xiij{s.} iiij{d.} that is to sey vj{s.} viij{d.} to y{e} said ch{a}umber and oy{r.} vj{s.} viij{d.} to y{e} almesse of y{e} said craft.

ALSO that noon able pˀsone of the said craft enfˀ{a}uncheised shall refuse eny manˀ office or clothing pˀtinent to the said craft Whan and What tyme that he be by his bretheren be abled and elect y{r}to upon pein to paye at the ch{a}umber of the yeldhall xl{s.} that is to wete xx{s.} to the same ch{a}umber and other xx{s.} to the said almesse Also what man of the said craft that absenteth him fro the said eleccion Wythoute cause reasonable or absent him fro the dyner to be made the same day and will not paye therto his pˀt thanne he shall paye at the said ch{a}umber iij{s.} iiij{d.} that is to sey xx{d.} to the same ch{a}umber and other xx{d.} to the almes of the said craft.

ALSO that the maisters and Wardeins of the same craft that nowe be or in tyme to come shall be, shall not take admitte or resceive eny pˀsone in to the bretherhede or clothing of the same craft Wythoute the com̃on assent of the bretheren of the said craft or the more pˀt of theim upon pein of eviˀch such maister or Wardein that doth cont{a}rie this ordin{a}nce xx{s.} that is to say x{s.} to the ch{a}umber and x{s} to the almesse of the said craft.

FFURTHERMORE it is ordeigned that from hens forward yef eny man occupying the said craft be imfouled and of evell Will and malice so be unavised to revile or reprof eny man of the same craft that is to seye for to lye him or wyth other dishonest Wordes misgovˀne him in presence of the said maisters and Wardeins or in eny oy{r.} places and pˀof[45] by the report of the said maisters and Wardeins be duely convict what so evˀ he be of the same craft that is so misgovnˀed at eny tyme shall paye at the said ch{a}umber for evˀy such default vj{s.} viij{d.} that is to say to the same chumber iij{s.} iiij{d.} and to the Almes of the said craft iij{s.} iiij{d.}

[45] Query “y{r} of” == thereof.

ALSO it is ordeigned that evˀy man enfˀ{a}uncheised of the said craft under fourme aforesaid shall assemble with his ffelashipˀ of the same craft by thassignement of the said maisters and Wardeins being for the yeer in a certein place limited by theim at iiij tymes of the yeer And at evˀy such quarter day in the yeer evˀy brother enfˀ{a}uncheised and being of the clothing therof shall paye to the almes abovesaid iij{d.} And evˀy man that is so enfˀ{a}uncheised of the same craft and is not of the clothing of the same shall paye to the same almes j{d.} Which iiij dayes be these that is to saye the tewesday next after all hallown day the tewesday next after candelmasday the tewesday next after Trinite sonday and the tewesday next after lammas day to thentent that the said maisters and Wardeins shall enquere amongꝭ the said compaignye so assembled that yef eny default ranker or discord be hadd or moved amongꝭ theim that thanne the said maisters and Wardeins shall sett theim at rest accord and in unite to that they canne or may, after the fourme and custume as have been before used And what parsonne of the said craft be absent eny of the said dayes wythoute cause reasonable he shall paye for evˀy such day iiij{d.} to the expenses of the said maisters.

ALSO it is ordeigned and establisshed that no barbour nor other able pˀsonne using barbourye shall enfourme eny foreyn nor him teche in no wise in eny manˀ point that belongeth to the craft of barbourye or surgˀye wherby the same foreyn shall pˀceyve and take by his own capacite and exˀcise unto the tyme that the same foreyn be bounden appˀntice to a pˀsone barbour or other pˀsonne able enfˀ{a}uncheised using the same craft Wythin the Citee of london upon peyne to paye at the ch{a}umber of the yeldhall for evˀy such defaute iiij marc, that is to say to the same ch{a}umber xxvj{s.} viij{d.} and to the Almes of the said craft other xxvj{s.} viij{d.}

AND also that no barbour nor other able pˀsoone occupying the same craft shall take eny Alien nor stˀ{a}unger in to his sˀvice unto the tyme that the same alien or stˀ{a}unger be examined by the maistˀ and Wardeins of the same craft of his abilite and Connyng And thereupon the maistˀ and Wardeins With other vj or viij of the moost able and Kunnyng pˀsonnes of the craft shuld taxe him after his abilite after that hem semeth that he be worthy to take yeerly for his salarie And also that no Barbour shall take eny alien or stˀ{a}unger that hath been or w{t}in sˀvice wyth an other barbour enfˀ{a}uncheised before that he knowe well that the same sˀvnt hath complete his coven{a}ntes wyth his former maister upon pein to paye for evˀy such defaute at evˀy tyme that he be founde defectif ayenst eny of these ordin{a}nces at the said ch{a}umber xiij{s.} iiij{d.} that is to wete to the same ch{a}umber vj{s.} viij{d.} and to the said almesse vj{s.} viij{d.} and also make restitucion of the damage unto the pˀtie that findeth him greved.

AND also that no man occupying the said craft shall pˀcure eny other mannes sˀvnt oute of sˀvise upon the peyn aforesaid and damage unto the pˀtie pleintif And also it is ordeigned that from hensforward that no harbour enfˀ{a}uncheised nor eny other able pˀsoons occupying the said craft shall not take into his sˀvice eny stˀ{a}unger or forein for lasse time thanne a yeer And what pˀsone enfˀ{a}uncheised or occupying the said craft disobeys this ordin{a}nce shall renne in the pein of xiij{s.} iiij{d.} that to be devided in manˀ and fourme above said.

AND also that no pˀsons of the said craft of barbours nor other able pˀsone occupying the same craft huyre no ffˀ{a}unchised man of the same craft oute of his shopp ne dwellyng place upon pein of xl{s.} that is to wete to the said ch{a}umber xx{s.} And to the Almesse of the said Craft other xx{s.}

Qua quidem billa coram dˀcĩs maiore & Aldermannis lectˀ & per eosdem plenius intellectꝭ Qua videtur eisdem qˀd omnes articuli in dˀca billa contentꝭ sunt boni & honesti ac racioni consomˀ, &c., &c. (The articles were ratified confirmed and ordered to be entered of Record in the books of the Chamber of London.)

Nothing is now heard of the Surgeons’ Guild for some years, although they were still in existence. It is quite probable, that finding the Barbers had invariably obtained the protection and countenance of the City authorities, whenever their privileges had been assailed or called in question, they had given over their attempts at interference with them as hopeless, and allowed our worthy predecessors to continue to “exercise the faculty of surgery,” in peace; and being unmolested they doubtless grew in numbers, in importance, and in the knowledge of their art, until it was admitted that their position as one of the Guilds, warranted them in applying for a Charter of Incorporation, which was granted to them by Edward IV in 1462.

1413. Before proceeding to refer to this important epoch in the history of our Company, it will be well to introduce a very remarkable letter, which was written by Thomas Arundell, Archbishop of Canterbury (formerly of York), to the Mayor, etc., of London, in which he complained that the Barbers, being, alas! “without zeal for the law of God,” kept their shops open on the Sabbath days, and he besought the Mayor and Aldermen (his “sons in Christ, and dearest friends”) to put a stop to this practice. No trade, perhaps, has from the earliest days, down to our own times, owned such persistent breakers of the Fourth Commandment as have the Barbers. Our records abound with by-laws, enacted and renewed over and over again on this subject, and details of the delinquencies of numerous Barbers in this respect, and of their punishments by fine and imprisonment crop up everywhere.

The Archbishop’s letter reveals to us the fact, that nearly 500 years ago, men were constituted much as they are now; in that “that which touches the body or the purse, is held more in dread than that which kills the soul,” and he shrewdly suggests that the clerical punishment of “the greater excommunication,” should be augmented by a fine to be levied by the Civil authority. This letter is so deeply interesting that no apology is needed for reproducing it here. The original is to be found in _Letter-Book I._ 125.

1413. On the 24th day of July, in the first year, etc. (Henry V) the Reverend Father in Christ, and Lord, Thomas, by Divine permission, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Legate of the Apostolic See, sent here, to the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, certain Letters Close of his, containing words as follow:--

“Sons in Christ and dearest friends.--We know that you do seek for the things which are of above, and that you will the more readily incline to our desires, the more surely that the things as to which we write are known to tend to the observance of the Divine law, the maintenance of public propriety, and the rule of the Christian profession. We do therefore write unto you on this occasion, to intimate that when we were presiding of late in our Provincial Council, holden at London, with our venerable brethren, the Suffragan Bishops, and our clergy of the Province of Canterbury, it was publicly made known unto us with universal reprobation, that the Barbers of the City of London, over the governance of which city you preside, being without zeal for the law of God, and not perceiving how that the Lord hath blessed the seventh day and made it holy, and hath commanded that it shall be observed by no abusive pursuit of any servile occupations, but rather by a disuse thereof, in their blindness do keep their houses and shops patent and open on the seventh day, the Lord’s Day, namely, and do follow their craft on the same, just as busily, and just in the same way, as on any day in the week, customary for such work. Wherefore we, with the consent and assent of our said Suffragans and clergy, in restraint of such temerity as this, have determined that there must be made solemn prohibition thereof in the City aforesaid, and that, of our own authority, and that of our said Provincial Council; and not there only, but also throughout the Diocese of London, and each of the cities both of our own Diocese and of our Province of Canterbury; to the effect, that such barbers must not keep their houses and shops patent or open, or follow their craft, on such Lord’s Days for the future, on pain of the greater excommunication; in the same manner as it has been enacted and observed of late in our time, as to the City and Diocese of York, as we do well recollect. But, dearest children, seeing that so greatly has the malice of men increased in these days, a thing to be deplored--that temporal punishment is held more in dread than clerical, and that which touches the body or the purse more than that which kills the soul, we do heartily intreat you, and, for the love of God and of His law, do require and exhort you, that, taking counsel thereon, you will enact and ordain a competent penalty in money, to be levied for the Chamber of your City, or such other purpose as you shall think best, upon the Barbers within the liberty of your City aforesaid, who shall be transgressors in this respect; that so at least, those whom fear of the anger of God does not avail to withold from breach of His law, may be restrained by a scourge inflicted upon their purse, in the way of pecuniary loss; knowing that we in the meantime, after taking counsel hereon, will devise measures for the prevention of this, and for the due publication of our Provincial enactment aforesaid. Fare you well always in Christ.

Written at Ikham[46] on the 13th day of the month of July.

[46] Near Wingham, Kent.

THOMAS, Archbishop of Canterbury.”

An Ordinance was forthwith made thereupon, to the effect, that no barber, his wife, son, daughter, apprentice, or servant, should work at such craft on Sundays within the liberty of the city, either in hair cutting or shaving, on pain of paying 6_s._ 8_d._ for each offence; 5_s._ thereof to go to the new work at the Guildhall, and the remainder to the Wardens or Masters of the Barbers within the city.[47]

[47] Riley p. 594.

1422. In August of this year Henry V died, and thirty-two of the City Companies assisted at his obsequies, going in procession and carrying torches. From an entry in _Letter-Book K._ 1{B.}, it appears that the Barbers bore four torches on this occasion.

1447. This year the Company seem to have contributed 40_s._ towards the cost of the Roof of the Chapel at Guildhall, as appears by the following entry in _Journal IV_, 198 (25th October, 26 Henry VI)--

Itmˀ gardiani misterˀ barbitonsoꝜ & importaverunt in Cur xl{s.} sterlingoꝜ pˀse & misterˀ sua ad coopturam Guyhaɫd Sc̃. Capelle.

THE BARBERS INCORPORATE.

Hitherto we have considered two distinct and somewhat hostile fraternities, the Surgeons on the one hand, and on the other the Barbers (consisting of Barbers and Barber-Surgeons), both of them City Guilds, existing by prescription, having independent rules and Ordinances for their government and the scrutiny and correction of abuses in their respective Crafts, the former Company few in number, the latter far more numerous and popular; the Surgeons without, and the Barbers with, a Livery.

Of these two fraternities, the Barbers by the regular and every day nature of their calling, as shavers and hair cutters, together with the practice of Surgery combined by so many of them, were the most likely to become the more popular Company; their fees would surely be on a lower scale than those of the more aristocratic Surgeons, and their numbers and constant intercourse with the citizens, in their capacity as Barbers, enabled them easily to extend their connection as Surgeons.

In all their contentions with the Surgeons’ Guild, as far as we know, they held their own well, and thus it was that their place in the City, as a Livery Guild of at that time an ancient standing, their position as the professors of useful and scientific arts, their numbers and presumable affluence, all rendered it desirable that they should be placed upon the same footing as the better class of Guilds, by their acquisition of a Charter of Incorporation, which they accordingly obtained from the young King Edward IV in the first year of his reign (1462).

Thomas Knot (Master, 1555) has recorded in one of our books, a Translation of this Charter, which Mr. J. Flint South (who does not appear to have seen the original Latin one) has transcribed, and this has been adopted by Mr. D’Arcy Power (page 326). Thomas Knot wrote a good hand, and was a zealous champion of the Barber-Surgeons in his time, but he made egregious blunders in some of the writings recorded over his signature, and although there is not great fault to be found with him in this instance, it is suggested that the Translation given below, is perhaps a more literal one than that which Knot has handed down.

The Charter is still preserved at our Hall, and is contained on a small skin of parchment; the initial letters of the title, which were at the time left to be illuminated have never been filled in, and the document is therefore not the work of art which one is accustomed to see in Charters of this period; it bears signs of having been frequently used, the ink in some places being worn, and the words only legible with the aid of a magnifying glass. The great seal pendant is not quite perfect, but is a beautiful specimen and highly artistic. The following is the text of the Charter:--