Chapter LI: Section II

_Names and Number of our ancient Gilds_; _with some additional observations_.

Of the Lynn Gilds our printed books give but a very imperfect and wretched account. Their list of names is extremely defective, and the idea which they give of those institutions is equally so. For a more correct and ample information on this subject we are chiefly indebted to Mr. King’s MS. volume, before mentioned, which was compiled about a hundred years ago, by some unknown hand, or hands, from certain ancient and authentic documents, which seem no longer to exist. Both Mackerell and Parkin appear to have seen this volume, but they have not availed themselves of it to the extent they might have done. Even its most curious and interesting parts they have left unnoticed. In the latter part of this volume is inserted the following “Catalogue of the Gildes in the Towne of Lynn”—amounting in all to thirty one. They stand in the following order: 1. The Gild of _St. George_. 2. The Gild of _St. Erasmus_. 3. The Gild of _St. John Baptist_. 4. The Gild of _St. Gyles and St. Julian_. 5. The Gild of _St. Ethelerede_. 6. The Gild of _St. Margarett_. 7. The Gild of _St. Anne_. The Gild of the 12 _Apostles_. 9. The Gild of _St. Christopher_. 10. The Gild of _our Lady_. 11. The Gild of _St. Micheal the Archangel_. 12. The Gild of _St. Nicholas_. 13. The Gild of _St. Awdreys_. 14. The Gild of _St. Michael and King Henry_. 15. The Gild of _St. Cyprian_. 16. The Gild of _St. Fabian and St. Sabestian_. 17. The Gild of _St. Lawrence_. 18. The Gild of _St. Agnes_. 19. The Gild of _Corpus Christi_. 20. The Gild of the _Trinity_. 21. The gild of _St. Andrew_. 22. The Gild of _Holy Rood_. 23. The Gild of _St. Lovis_. 24. The Gild of _St. Austin_. 25. The Gild of _St. Barbara_. 26. The Gild of _St. Antony_. 27. The Gild of _St. Stephen_. 28. The Gild of _St. Francis_. 29. The Gild of the _Shoemakers_. 30. The _Red Gild_. 31. The Gild of _St. William_, trading to North Bern.

Such a large number of these fraternities, in such a place as Lynn, and at such a period, must appear not a little extraordinary, and what seems very difficult, if not impossible, to account for, but on the supposition, that there existed here, in the mean time, a very respectable degree of public and social virtue, or in other words a prevailing disposition among the inhabitants to promote each other’s interest and happiness. Upon that idea they must be thought very highly as nothing could well be more creditable or honourable to their memory. A tribute of respect, which seems to be so fairly and justly their due, ought not to be here withheld from them.—Nor should it here pass unnoticed, that Lynn is still distinguished for a respectable number of similar institutions; that is to say, for its purse-clubs, or benefit societies, the gilds of the 18th and 19th centuries. Their number is about _twenty_; and their members, altogether, may amount to 700, or more; but, as most of them have families, the benefit or advantage of these useful associations may be supposed to extend, perhaps, to more than three times that number. Of the real and important utility of these social institutions no doubt can be entertained. The fact is universally admitted. They are certainly beneficial, not only to the individuals more immediately concerned, but even to the community at large, by keeping a great many honest and industrious people from becoming burdensome to the parishes to which they belong.—It ought also to be remarked that the benefits resulting from these estimable institutions are to be attributed neither to the wisdom of government, nor yet to the fostering care of the corporation, but merely to the very commendable thoughtfulness and virtue of the individuals that compose them. But here is not the place to enlarge upon this topic: we shall therefore drop it for this time, and resume the former subject.

Of these thirty one Gilds, above named, several seem to have been of the higher order of those associations, or of the mercantile sort, consisting of trading or commercial adventurers, who enjoyed certain privileges by grants from the crown. This appears to have been the case with the 1st the 4th, the 19th the 20th, and 31st in the above catalogue; that is, the Gild of _St. George_, that of _St. Gyles_ and _St. Julian_, that of _Corpus Christi_, that of the _Trinity_, and that of _St. William_, trading to north Bern. There might probably be some few more of the same description. All the rest, it is supposed, were friendly associations, formed for the benefit of the lower orders of freemen, that is, of those who were not in a state of villanage, for none of the latter appear to have been admitted into those fraternities. Poor creatures! they were debarred from all such advantages and comforts! In further considering the Lynn gilds, we shall take them in the order in which they stand in the catalogue, though it does not seem to be the most regular and natural order, that of seniority.