Chapter XXV: Appendix: B. (See page 78.)

SIR THOMAS MORE’S ORDINANCES, 1530.

TO ALL TREW CRISTEN PEOPLE TO WHOME THIS PRESENT WRYTYNG SHALL COME
SIR THOMAS MORE KNYGHT and Chauncellor to owre most drad Souˀaigne
lorde Kyng Henry the viij{th} Kyng of Englond and of ffraunce
defensor of the ffaythe and lorde of Irelond: Thomas Duke of
Northffolke and Tresourer of Englond, John ffitzjames Knyght Cheyff
Justice of owre said Souˀaigne lord is Benche and Roᵬt Norwiche
Knyght Cheyff Justice of the Com̃en Benche Sende gretynge in owre
lorde God evˀlasting. Where in A certen Acte in the pˀliament holden
at Westmynster the xxv{ti} daye of January in the xx{th} yere of
the most Noble Kynge of ffamous memorie Kyng Henry the vij{th}
made and Ordeyned ffor the Weale and pˀffite of his Subgeittꝭ it
Was Amongꝭ other thingꝭ Ordeyned Establisshed and enacted that no
Maister Wardens or ffelaiship of Craftꝭ or misteries or any of
them or any Rulers of Gyldes or ffratˀnites sholde take upon them
to make any Actes or Ordinaunces ne to execute or use any Actes or
Ordin{a}nces by them heretofore made in disenheryting or dymynic͠on
of the Kyngꝭ pˀrogative or any other or Ayenst the Comen Weale and
pˀffite of the Kyngꝭ Subgeittꝭ and liege people but yff the same
Actes or Ordin{a}nces be examyned appoynted and admytted by the
Chauncelor and Tresorer of Englond and the Cheyff Justices of eyther
Benche or three of theym or els before bothe Justices of Assise
in their Circute or progresse in that Shire where soche Actes or
Ordin{a}nces be made upon payne of fforfature of xl{li} for evˀy
tyme that they doo therunto contrarie as in the said Acte itt doeth
more playnly appere: The Maisters and Wardens of the misterie or
Crafte of Barbor Surgions of the Citie of London Willing and desiring
the said Acte in evˀry behalff to be observed and kept the xx{ti}
day of Octobre in the xxij{ti}[357] yere of the Raigne of owre
Souˀaigne lorde Kyng Henry the viij{th} have exhibite and pˀsented
their petic͠on thereupon made w{t} a Boke conteyning dyvers Statutes
Actes and Ordin{a}nces hertofore devised ordeyned and made for
the ffelauship of Barbors Surgions and their Successors and for the
Comon Weale and conservac͠on of the good estate of the said Crafte
and misterie of Barbor Surgions aforesaid and for the Better Rules
and Ordin{a}nces of the same ffelauship establysshed ordeyned and
used. And therupon Instantly have desired us that We all and evˀy
the said Statutes Ordin{a}nces and Othes by the same Maister and
Wardens and their pˀdecessors to the fforsaid Entent made ordeyned
and establisshed Wolde oversee and exameyn and the same and evˀy of
theym correcte Refourme and amend after the maner and due ffourme
convenyent and as the fforsaid Acte in the said pˀliament made
requyreth. WEE WELL pˀceyving the said Supplicac͠on to be good and
acceptable according to their petic͠on and desires and by auctoritie
of the said Acte of pˀliament to us comytted ALL and evˀy their Othes
Actes and Ordin{a}nces in the said Boke specyfied have pˀfightly
seen and the same well and ripely understond and theym all and evˀy
of theym examyned corrected and reformed the tenure as hereaftˀ
foloweth THE OTHE OF EVˀY FFREMAN FFURSTE YE SHALL swere that ye
shalbe good and trewe unto owre leige lorde the Kyng and to his
heires Kyngꝭ of Englond and obedient to the Maior and his Brethern
the Aldermen of the Citie of London. And also ye shalbe obedient to
the Maisters or Governors that now be or that hereafter shalbe of the
Crafte of Barbor Surgions wherof ye be nowe made ffree, ye shall also
obeye kepe and observe all the good Orders Rules and Ordin{a}nces
of the said Crafte hertofore made and not Repelled and herafter to
be made so helpe you God and all Sayntꝭ and by this Boke THE OTHE
OF THE MAISTERS OR GOVERNORS ye shall swere that ye shall observe
kepe and mayntene the Wourship proffite and Comen Wele of the Crafte
of Barbor Surgions in all poyntꝭ laufull and leafull as good and
pˀffitable Maisters or Governors and Rulers ought to do after youre
good connyng good diligence and power. Also ye shall kepe and maynten
and do to be kept and mayntened during yo{r} tyme as farforthe as you
laufully maye aswell all soche good usages custumes liberties and
Ordin{a}nces of the same Crafte and at this daye used approved and
contynued and all and singuler poyntꝭ conteyned in the pˀmysses duely
and trewly ye shall put in execuc͠on When and as often as the Casse
shall requyre during yo{r} tyme. And also ye shall duely and trewely
make yo{r} Serches thorough all the Company of the same Crafte Within
the Citie of London and Suburbes of the same. And thereupon as the
Casse shall requyre all the defaultes and necligences concilementꝭ
and inconvenyencꝭ that may hapne or fall to be ffounde in the Crafte
of Barbory or Surgery in yo{r} tyme ye diligently shall reforme and
sett in good Rule and trewely correcte and ponyshe according to the
power and Rules for the reformac͠on had and made for the same in
the said Crafte And for and during yo{r} tyme correcte and lawfully
ponyshe after the qualites and gravites of and upon the demerites
and defaultꝭ ffounden in the same after yo{r} connyng and power.
Also ye shall not admytt eny fforen to be of this misterie whiche
herafter shall sue to be ffreman of this Citie by Redempc͠on and to
be enfraunchised in this misterie w{t}out thassent of the xxiiij{ti}
assistentꝭ of the same Crafte or the more pˀte of them. And over that
ye shall not charge the hole bodye of this ffelishipp by puttyng
the Comen Seale of the same misterie to eny manˀ writyng cause or
matter wherby the same company in any wise may be charged hurted
or hyndered. Also in all the pˀmysses and other thyngꝭ necessarie
concernyng the Weale and proffite of the said Crafte ye shall trewly
lawfully diligently and indyfferently behave yo{r} selffe after yo{r}
connyng and power and neyther for mede love ffavor affecc͠on nor
for drede malice hatred or envie otherwise pˀcede Rule or conclude
to or with any pˀson or pˀsones w{t} whiche ye shalhave to doo by
reason of yo{r} said office than the good usages Rules liberties and
Ordin{a}nces for the good ordre of the same Crafte hertofore made
and not repelled and herafter to be made. ALSO at thende of yo{r}
Office ye shall geve unto the Maisters or Govˀnors that shall succede
you next in the same occupac͠on this pˀsent othe So that they shall
duely and trewely in all thingꝭ during the tyme that they shalbe in
like Office pˀforme and ffulfill the same othe so god you helpe and
all Sayntꝭ and by this Boke ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that evˀry pˀson
enfraunchised in the same Crafte shalbe redye at almanˀ of somons of
the maisters or Govˀnors of the said Crafte for the tyme beyng And
yff eny soche pˀsone absent hym from eny soche somõns w{t}out cause
resonable to be tried by his othe byfore the maisters or Govˀnors
yff they thynke it necessarie Than he to paye for evˀy so doyng
iij{s} iiij{d} the oon half to the chambre of London the other to
y{e} almes of the crafte ALSO Y{T} EVERY man enfraunchesed in the
said Crafte beyng duely warned or somõned that kepeth not his houre
accordyng to the Somõns w{t}out cause resonable to be tried in manˀr
aforesaid for evˀy tyme so doyng shall paye to the almes of the said
Crafte ij{d} And he or they that disobeyeth this ordinaunce shall
paye for his or theire disobedience in that behalff for evˀy tyme so
offending iij{s} iiij{d} to be devided in ffourme aforsaid ALSO IT
IS ENACTED AND ordeyned that evˀy man in the Clothyng or lyvere of
the said misterie shall paye quarterly to the maynten{a}nce of the
Comen Charges of the same vj{d} And evˀry man owt of the Clothing
and evˀy Wydowe kepyng an open Shoppe iij{d} And this to be paide
quarterly upon payne and forfeyture at evˀy tyme offendyng or doying
the contrairie iij{s} iiij{d} the one halff thereof to be applied to
the use of the Chaumbre of London and the other halff to the almes of
the said ffeliship so alwayes that the said quarterage be lawfully
demaunded. ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no pˀson enfraunchesed in the
said Crafte shall take any apprentice unto this tyme that he ffurst
pˀsente this same pˀsone byfore the maisters or Govˀnors for the tyme
beyng that they may see he be clene w{t}out contynewell diseases or
grevous infirmytes wherby the kyngꝭ leige people myght take hurt upon
payne for evˀy tyme so doyng of xl{s} to be applied in manˀ aforsaid.
ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that evˀy pˀson of the said ffeliship shall
paye towardꝭ there charges for evˀy apprentice that he taketh ij{s}
vj{d} To be payde at the pˀsentac͠on & allowyng of every apprentice.
ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no pˀsons of the said ffeliaship beyng in
the Clothyng or lyverye shalhave any moo Servauntes apprentices or
Coven{a}ntꝭ[358] usynge the faculte or misterie of Barborye or
Surgery to gidder at oons above the nombre of iiij pˀsons pˀvided
alwaye that w{t}in halffe a yere of the goyngowt or endyng of the
terme of oone of the said iiij pˀsons it shalbe leaffull to evˀy
soche pˀsone to take and have another apprentice or Serv{a}nte
the said act notw{t}stondyng and he that offendyth in brekyng this
Acte shall forfeyte and paye xl{d} to be devided and applied in
ffourme aforsaid ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no manˀ of pˀsone of the
same ffeliship beyng owt of the Clothing shall have to giddere at
oons above the nombre of iij apprentices or Serv{a}ntes to occupye
the said misterie and ffaculte pˀvided as is pˀvided in the latter
article and uppon lyke payne ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no pˀsone of
the said ffeliship shall take to his sˀvice as sˀv{a}nt alowes[359]
eny englishman fforen or Aliaunt Straunger to occupie the ffaculte
of Barbery or Surgery but the said pˀsone shall pˀsent the same
Sˀv{a}nte w{t}in iij dayes next after his Comyng to the said pˀsone
to and before the said maisters and Govˀnors of the said ffeliaship
for the tyme beyng to thentent that he before theym may be sessed
what wages he shall take. And yff he be an Aliaunt Straungear borne
he to paye yerely of his wages to the almes of the said ffeliship
iij{s} iiij{d} and that mony to be taken quarterly of the Master of
the same Straungear and of his wages and who that doethe contrarye to
this Rule shall fforfeyte at evˀy tyme so doyng xl{d} to be devided
and payde as is aforsaid ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no pˀsone of the
said Crafte shall entyse or desire eny Sv{a}nt from his Maister nor
shall take any fforren into his sˀvice ffor lesse terme than for oon
yere and he to be sessed or rated for his wages by the Maisters or
Govˀnors of the same misterie and this to be done yerely evˀy yere
upon payne for evˀy tyme doyng the contrarie of xiij{s} iiij{d} the
oon halff to be applied to the use of the Chaumber of London and
the other halffe to the use of the almes of the said feliship. ALSO
IT IS ORDEYNED that no pˀsone of the same ffeliaship after that he
be admytted and sworne ffreman of this Citie afore the Chaumberleyn
pˀsume to open hys Shoppe Wyndowes before he hathe pˀsented hym
selff to and before the Maisters or Govˀnors of the said misterie
for the tyme beyng and w{t} them have aggreed in payng his dutie
accustumed that is to saye to the use of the Company iij{s} iiij{d}
and to the Clerke iiij{d} to the maynten{a}nce of theire comen
Charges and in takyng his othe afore theym accordyng to the lawdable
custume and ordre in the same misterie of olde tyme used upon payne
to lose fforfeyte and paye xl{s} to be devided and applied in ffourme
aforsaid ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no pˀsone enfraunchesed in the said
misterie shall enforme or teche eny fforen other than his Apprentice
eny poynte of his Crafte belongyng to Barbery or Surgery upon payne
for evˀy tyme so doyng xl{s} to be applied in ffourme aforsaid ALSO
YFF ANY MATTER of stryffe or debate herafter be betwene eny pˀson
of the said Crafte as God fforfende that noon of them shall make
eny pˀsuts[360] in the Comen lawe but that he whiche ffyndeth hym
aggreved shall ffurst make his complaynt to the Maisters or Govˀnors
of the said Crafte for the tyme beyng to thentent that they shall
ordre the said matter or cause of complaynt so made yff they can:
and yff it fortune that they can not nor doo not ordre and appesse
the same matter w{t}in xiiij dayes next ensuyng That then it shalbe
leafull to the pˀtie aggreved to take his advauntage at the comen
lawe So alwayes that the pˀtie ayenst whom the complaynt is made be
not ffugityffe and who so doeth the contrarie herof shall paye for
evˀry tyme so doyng xiij{s} iiij{d} to be devided and applied in
ffourme aforsaid. ALSO THAT NO PˀSONE of the said ffeliship shall
revile Rebuke nor Reprove an other of the same ffeliaship by eny
unfitting opprobrios condic͠ons or dishonest Wordes in the pˀsens of
the Maisters or Govˀnors or eny of theym nor before eny other pˀsons
in eny other places and he that offendeth in this behalff and due
prouff therof had shall paye for evˀry soche defalte vj{s} viij{d}
to be devyded and applied in ffourme aforsaid. ALSO THAT NO PˀSONE
of the said Crafte shall refuse to be of the Clothing of the said
misterie or to bere Office in the same at eny tyme whan he by the
said Maisters or Govˀnors and assistentꝭ of the same misterie or the
more pˀte of them shalbe abled therto upon payne to paye xl{s} to be
applied in ffourme aforsaid. And that the Maisters or Govˀnors of
the said misterie for the tyme byng shall not take nor admytte eny
pˀsone into the Clothyng or lyverye of the same misterie without the
Comen assent of the xxiiij{ti} assistentꝭ of the same or the more
pˀte of theym upon like payne as is aforsaid for evˀy tyme so doyng
to be devided and applied in ffourme aforsaid. AND WHERE BY DYVERS
highe auctorities for the honor and Revˀence of the Sondaye it is
ordeyned of olde antiquyte that no Barbor dwellyng w{t}in the Cite
or Suburbis of the same nor elles where shall occupie Shaving on the
Sondayes neyther w{t}in their house nor w{t}out pryvely nor appertly.
It is now therfor ordeyned and enacted that no pˀsone ffree of the
said Company from hensforthe occupye eny manˀ Shavyng on the Sondays
w{t}in this Citie nor liberties of the same upon payne and forfature
for evˀy tyme so doyng of xl{s} the one halff thereof to the chaumber
of London and the other halffe therof to the almes of the said
Crafte. ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED THAT no maner pˀsone beyng ffree of the
said ffeliship shall take any seike or hurte pˀsone or pˀsones to
his Cure whiche is in pˀell[361] of Deithe or mayme but yff[362] he
shewe the same seike or hurte pˀsone by hym Resseved to the Maisters
or Govˀnors of the said misterie or twoo of theym for the tyme beyng
for the Savegarde of the Kyngꝭ leige people and that w{t}in iiij{re}
dayes next after the Receyving of the said seike or hurte pˀsons upon
payne for evˀy tyme doyng the Contr{a}ie of xx{s} to be devided and
applied in manˀ and ffourme aforsaid ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that every
man enfraunchesed in the said ffeliship occupying Surgery shall come
to their hale to the Redyng of the lecture concernyng Surgery evˀy
daye of assemble therof and evˀy man after his course shall rede the
lecture hym selffe or ellꝭ ffynde an able man of the said ffeliship
to Rede for hym and not to absent hym selffe at his daye of the same
Redyng w{t}out cause Resonable and w{t}out he give lawfull warnyng
therof before the daye upon the payne to fforfate and lose for evˀy
tyme doyng the contrarie xx{s} to be devyded and applied in ffourme
aforsaid ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no man of the said ffeliaship shall
take any cure from A nother of the same ffeliaship nor Supplant oon
A nother nor geve or Speke eny Slaunderous Wordes in disablyng hym
of his Science or conyng but be Rather in a Redynesse to geve good
Counceill to helpe the Kyngꝭ people And evˀy man offendyng in this
behalffe to paye at evˀy tyme so offendyng xiij{s} iiij{d} the oon
halffe therof to the Chaumber of London and the other halffe to
th’almes of the said ffeliship. Provyded that yff the pacyent ffynde
hym selffe aggreved w{t} his Surgion that then the same pacyent
paying to his ffurst Surgion Resonably for his labour shall and
may take and have eny other Surgion at his libertie and pleasure
AND WHERE OF OLDE Custume yerely upon the Sondaye next ensuyng the
ffeaste of Seynt Bartholomew the appostell a dyner is kept and
provyded for theym of the lyverey of the said Company in their Comen
halle called Barbors hale AND ON the daye of saynt Cosme & Damian yf
it be not on the Saterday a dynˀ for them of the same compani owt of
the lyverey It is ordeyned and enacted that evˀy man that hathe been
upper maister or upper Govˀnor of the said Company shall paye at and
for the same dyner xij{d} for hym selff and viij{d} for his wyffe yff
she come And evˀy other man beyng of the lyverey of the same Company
shall paye in likewyse for hym selffe viij{d} and for his wyffe yff
she come iiij{d} Provided alwaye that the maisters or Govˀnors of the
said Company for the tyme beyng shall paye nothing for theire wyffꝭ
comyng to the dyner for that yere fforasmoche as their Wyffꝭ must
of necessite be theire to helpe that evˀy thyng theire be sett in
ordre. And that evˀy man of the said Company beyng owt of the lyverey
shall paye at and for his dyner on the said morowe viij{d} and for
his Wyffe yff she come iiij{d.} ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that at evˀy
assemble holden in the Comen halle of the said misterie no man beyng
their pˀsent shall multiplie langauge in the assembly tyme that is to
saye yff any man theire Speke moo Wordes or multiplye more langauge
in the assemble than the maisters or Govˀnors for the tyme beyng
their pˀsent thynke to be good and necessarie that then yff they or
oon of theym comaunde hym to kepe Silence that then he shall so doo
in kepyng his Obedience. And also no man comyng to eny of the said
assembles shall depˀte ffrom thens duryng the assemble tyme w{t}out
lycence of the maisters or Govˀnors their pˀsent or oon of theym and
the offender in eny of the said ij poyntꝭ or cases to fforffeyte
and paye at evˀy tyme soo offendyng xx{d} to be devided and applied
in ffourme aforsaid ALSO IT IS ORDEYNED that no man of the Clothing
or lyverey of the said Company pˀsume to goo oone afore another of
theym in processions buryallꝭ or Annyversaries nor in Syttyng in
their Assembles or in their halle at dyner or other Repastes their
or in any other honest place to be had other wyse than he is in
Aunsiente[363] in the same Company and accordyng to the trew Entrance
therof in the Bedyllꝭ Rolle. NOR that eny of them of eny scrypulosite
ffrowardnesse or pusyllamyte Reffuse to take his owne Rowme or place
accordyng to the ordre aforesaid but that evˀy man in theyse ij cases
kepe and occupye his oldene Rowme and place in ffourme aforsaid Wyll
he nyll he in good obedient manner and he of theym that offendyth
in Brekyng the ordre in any of the said ij cases shall fforffeyte
and paye at evˀy tyme so offendyng xij{d} to be applied and devided
in ffourme above rehersed. ALL WHICHE ORDIN{A}NCES AND othes in
manˀ and ffourme afore specyfyed at the Request of the said Maister
Wardens and ffelauship by Auctorite of the same Acte of pˀliament
Wee the said Chaunceler Tresourer and Cheyff Justices of eyther
benche aforsaid for good lawdable and laufull Ordinncꝭ Estatutes and
othes doo accept and admytte by theis pˀsentꝭ asmoche as in us is
Ratifie laude and approve PROVIDED alwayes and forseen that theis
ordin{a}ncꝭ w{t}in this boke expressed or any of theym in noo
wyse extende nor be pˀjudicyall or hurtfull to the Kyngꝭ pˀrogatyve
nother to the hurte of eny graunte or grauntꝭ by the kyng or his
noble pˀgenytors before tyme made to the Citie of London or any other
or any laudable Custumes now used in the same Citie and in case any
article or articles in this boke expressed be pˀjudiciall or hurtfull
to the kyngꝭ pˀrogatyve or to eny gr{a}unt by the Kyng and his
noble progenytors made to the said Citie of London or any other or
to any other laudable Custumes above expressed then the same article
or articles and evˀy of theym so beyng pˀjudiciall or hurtfull as is
abovesaid to be voyde cassate and of non effecte Anything by us the
said Chaunceler Tresourer and ij Cheyffe Justices in this behalffe
done or made to the contrarie not w{t}standyng PROVIDED always that
for divers consideracions aswell for the welth of the Kyngꝭ lyege
people as for the honesty of the sayd Crafte yt is now condescended
and aggreed that from hensforth no pˀsounes of ffelaishyp after he
or they be made ffree of the said Company shall pˀsume to sett open
any Shopp of Barbory unto soch tyme as he or they be abled by the
sayd Master or Govˀnours withoute he be of the cleer value of ten
markꝭ sterlyng uppon payn of fforfaiture of xl{s} the oon half to the
chambre of London and the other half to the almes of the said Crafte.

[357] A clerical mistake for 21st year of Henry VIII (1529).
[358] _i.e._ Covenant Servants, servants or assistants engaged under
covenants to serve for a period (generally two years), and
whose engagements were recorded by the Clerk at the Hall.
[359] _i.e._, hired.
[360] Pursuits.
[361] Peril.
[362] But if = except.
[363] Ancienty, _i.e._, his precedence according to seniority.

IN WYTNES wherof to this pˀsent Booke wee have sett owre signe
manuellꝭ the xiiij{th} day of Maye In the xxij{ti} yere of the Reign
of oure sovˀaygne lord his Reigne Kyng Henry the viij{th.}

THO MORE JOHN FFITZJAMES
Ch{a}uncellour RÕBT NORWYCH.