Early guild.

Legis

DRAPERS' COMPANY.

Foundation and Object.

The Drapers' Company derives its origin from an ancient guild of dealers in cloth formed for social and religious as well as for commercial purposes. The site of the foundation of this brotherhood is unknown, but as a guild of weavers existed in London as early as 40 years after the Conquest, the probability is that the dealers in cloth there had also formed a guild by that time. Fifty years later, in the reign of Henry II., there were many such dealers in the provincial towns, trading in cloths of both British and foreign manufacture under licences received from the King.

The reign of Edward III., as is well known, witnessed a Edward III. great development of the English cloth manufacture. In

lation of

1338 the King, by statute (1) prohibited the exportation of English wool and the importation of cloth from abroad; (2) abrogated some useless provisions of Magna Charta with regard to the widths in which English cloth was to be manufactured. He, at the same time, invited a number of skilful weavers* from the Low Countries to settle in London under his protection.

The earliest ordinances of which the company have any record, and which are dated 1418, purport to be a revision of an earlier set made in 1322, five years before Edward III. came to the throne.

The matters regulated by these ordinances are, in the words of the return, "The finding of two priests to sing "for the whole fraternity, maintenance of an altar light,

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giving of livery, annual meetings at Divine Service, elec"tion of wardens, contributions for the annual feast, pay"ment of quarterage, choosing new livery, relief of poor "members, funeral services, and the remembrance of the souls of deceased brethren and sisters by the company's priests, attendance at meetings of the fellowship, correc"tion of members, and settlement of bargains between them, meetings for processions, time of attendance at "Westminster, Bartholomew, and Southwark fairs, keeping secret the counsel of the fellowship, dealings with foreigners (i.e., persons not free of the city), employment "of apprentices and journeymen, and settlement of disputes between them and their masters, enrolment of apprentices, yearly rendering of accounts by the wardens, salary of the beadle, reading of the ordinances, and also regulations as to the persons who shall attend at feasts, "and the order of sitting in the hall."

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The company's first charter, granted by Edward III., in 1365, recites in the preamble that the dyers, weavers, and fullers have become makers of cloth, and refused to work the cloth of others, except at excessive prices, and that there was 66 hardly a shop in the City of any trade in which drapery was not more or less exposed for sale," the cloth thus indiscriminately sold being often high in price and defective in quality. The charter ordains that none shall use the mystery of drapery in the City of London unless "he has been apprenticed thereto, or in other due manner

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admitted by common consent of the said mystery, and that "each of the said mysteries of the dyers, weavers, and "fullers shall keep to their proper craft, and not meddle "with the making, purchase, or sale of drapery, upon pain of imprisonment and forfeiture of the cloth or its value, and that none shall sell cloth within the city or "suburbs except drapers free of the said mystery." The company receives the usual powers of trade control.

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The trade in woollen cloth was from the earliest time† regulated by statutes, none of which, however, seem to have in any way affected the position of the company.

In 1405 the company received from the municipality the charge of Blackwell Hall, the only authorised market for the sale of woollen cloth in the City of London.

fined to

members

of craft.

Evidence of accounts of

1415 as to

objects of company.

Trade control and its discontinuance. The earliest accounts in the possession of the company Company are those of the wardens for the year 1415. In that year never conthe number of members is shown to exceed 100, and amongst the members were included persons not of the craft, the parson of St. Martin Ongar being entered as owing quarterage. The income for the year is 371. 15s. 6d., derived from the rent of houses, assessments for processions, fees on apprenticeship and freedoms, and for fines and quarterage. The expenditure for the same year is 231. 12s. 6d. and includes payments to chaplains for Divine Services, repairs of houses, salary of the beadle, expenses to Bartholomew and Westminster fairs on the company's making their trade search, payments to minstrels, and for hoods or garlands and meat and drink for them, hire of horses for persons to ride with the mayor and sheriffs and to meet the King and Queen Dowager on the King's return to London after the battle of Agincourt, payments for table cloths and garlands, and for the Lord Mayor's mess; the Lord Mayor for that year being of the company.

The company's records contain no statement as to when Cessation the company ceased to have the charge of Blackwell Hall, of trade but early in the 17th century their control over the trade control. had considerably diminished. The wardens last attended Hall Fairs. to search at Southwark and Bartholomew fairs in 1737.

There are at present 17 members of the drapery and upholstery trade on the livery, and some of the new apprentices bound at the company's hall are apprenticed to drapers and members of other allied trades.

Constitution and Privileges.

Backwell'

Court. The court consists of the master, four wardens, Courts. and 25 assistants. The election takes place pursuant to the charter. Two of the livery are annually elected wardens, and after a year of office take their places as assistants.

No fine or fee is paid on admission to the governing body. The business of the company is transacted at courts. Committees. Routine business is dealt with by committees, and committees are also occasionally appointed to consider and report upon special matters.

A fee of three guineas is paid in respect of every attend- Fecs. ance at a court. The sums thus paid have been on an average 3,2251. a year during the last 10 years.

The opinion of the court is taken, sometimes by show of hands, sometimes by ballot, and occasionally by division, the master having a casting vote in case of equality.

Persons are removable from the court in case of bankruptcy or for other good cause.

Members are generally of 36 years standing when they reach the court, and they remain on it generally for about 12 years.

Members-During the last 60 years 1,583 persons have Number of been admitted freemen, 500 by service, 1,047 by patrimony, freemen. five by gift, and 31 by redemption. There are no means of ascertaining how many of these persous are still living. During the last 10 years 273 persons have been admitted, 28 by service, 240 by patrimony, and five by redemption. The fees on admission by service or patrimony are Fees. nominal, that on admission by redemption is 1147.

A large number of apprentices are bound at the com- Apprentices. pany's hall or placed out by the company, the expense of apprenticing being, in many cases, defrayed out of trust funds devoted to this purpose. 654 bindings have taken place within the last 10 years, and 17,000. has been thus expended.

The livery is unlimited in number. The number of the Livery. livery, including the court, is 302. The number of calls to the livery during the past 10 years has been 83. The fine on Fine. admission to the livery is 257. Most of the members of the company are free of the City.

Privileges.-The members of the court are entitled to some small bequests in addition to the above fees. Those of the livery who are otherwise qualified have the parliamentary and municipal franchise. In order to be come eligible for pecuniary assistance they have to retire from the livery, in which case they receive back the amount of their fines.*

Schools: (4.) Bancroft's Hospital, consisting of a free middleclass school and almhouses at Mile End, with an income of upwards of 5,000l. a year, about 3,0007. of which arises partly from house property in the City and partly from farms in Essex and Sussex. The number of pupils is apparently about 100. The company have recently offered the Charity Commissioners to devote 50,000l. towards the extension of this school.

(5.) Howell's Girls' Orphanages at Llandaff and Denbigh, with an income of upwards of 6,000l. a year, more than 5,0001. of which is derived from house property in the City, a very valuable estate in Austin Friars, Throgmorton Street, &c., and a farm in Kent. The number of girls educated is about 100.

(6.) A small school at Bow, with an inadequate endowment, which is considerably supplemented by the company.

(7.) The Greencoat Hospital, at Greenwich, a middleclass school for the sons of inhabitants at Greenwich, with an income of about 1,000l. a year, arising chiefly from the rents of houses in East Greenwich.

(8.) A female orphan school at Tottenham, with an income from dividends of upwards of 1,0007. a year. The company have largely assisted this charity out of their corporate funds.

Apprenticeship, loan and prison charities, &c. : (9.) A large number of benefactions for the purposes of apprenticing youths (see above), with an income of upwards of 2,000l. a year. The charities are administered under a scheme in Chancery.

(10.) "Loan" charities administered under a scheme
in Chancery and "prison charities," the income
of the latter being applied by the consent of the
Charity Commissioners to the foundation of
scholarships at elementary schools in London.
(11.) Doles and payments to the poor of several
parishes in the City, and of several provincial
towns and villages, and sums for the endowment
of sermons and lectures by clergymen, and other
miscellaneous objects, including the Arabic pro-
fessorship at Cambridge.

The company have themselves founded and maintain out of their corporate funds, at an expense of 3,000l. a year, the Drapers' College at Tottenham, a middle-class school for the education of the children and grand-children of freemen.

Exhibitions.

The company is trustee of two small scholarships tenable at Oxford and Cambridge, the amounts of which they have agreed to considerably augment.

Church Patronage.

The company are patrons of St. Michael's, Cornhill, the value of which is stated in the Clergy List to be 7931.; it is believed to be considerably more.

They have also the appointment of a clerical lecturer at Bristol, and of the master of Lucas's Hospital at Wokingham, who is a clergyman.

General and Technical Education.

The Company have voted 10,000l. to Finsbury Technical College, and 4,000l. a year to the City and Guilds of London Technical Institute.

:

FISHMONGERS' COMPANY.

Foundation and Object.

The guild of Fishmongers out of which the Fishmongers' Guild of Company sprang, unquestionably existed prior to the reign Fishof Henry II., 1154. It was an association or brotherhood mongers. of persons having for its object the mutual protection of the members, especially in their trade of fishmongers, the promotion of social intercourse, and the making provision for indigent members, their widows and children. The guild appears to have early received from the municipality of London a monopoly of certain branches of the trade in fish, with power to prescribe rules for the government of the mystery.

Act of

The first charter which incorporated the guild was Charter and granted by Edward I. on his accession in 1272. It appears Edw. I.. to have perished. In the same year a statute was passed 1272. prohibiting partnership in fish with foreigners who bring it in their ships, thereby to enhance the price, and ordaining that none shall store up fish in cellars, to retail afterwards at exorbitant rates, or buy before the King's purveyors have made their choice, and that no fish except sait fish shall be kept in London beyond the second day, on pain of forfeiture of the fish and being fined at the king's pleasure.

"Assize of a

*Mr. Herbert states that the City" Assize of a Fyscher" maad in consequence of this Act limits the profit of a Fyscher.” London fishmonger to a penny in the shilling. It also forbids forestalling and regrating the market, to prevent which, none were to sell their fish "secretly within doors," but to "sel it in playne market place." Also no fishmonger was to water fish twice or sell what was bad. If Continuance he broke either of these regulations he was to be amerced of trade legislation. for the first offence 12 pence, for the second 20 and pence, for the third to be “jugyd to a pair of stockys openly in the marketplace." For the next 200 years the English trade in fish was regulated by numerous statutes. Of these the best known appears to be the statute of Westminster, 13 Edward II. c. 17, for the preservation of salmon; the latest an Act of Edward IV. passed in 1483, which prescribes various regulations for the package of small fish.

* Vol. II., p. 10.

The fishmongers' quarter and markets lay between Billingsgate and Upper Thames Street, as the names Old Fish Street, Fish Street Hill, Fishmonger's Lane, and also that of Friday Street, where fish was sold for use on fast days, testify.*

Of the trade in fish not comprised in the early guild, the mystery of Stock fishmongers was one of the most important. There was a fish market called Stocks Market, now on the site of the Mansion House, and also one in Stockfishmonger Row, near London Bridge, the names of which places and of the trade are attributed by Stow to the circumstances of the stocks used at the " fyschers' assize being stowed on the spot. The Stock fishmongers received a separate charter. They and other guilds carrying on the trade in fish were by the undermentioned charter of Henry VIII., 1537, consolidated with the Fishmongers' Company defined and incorporated by the charter received from Edward I.

as

In addition to their early byelaws, an abstract of which Recent byeforms part of the return, the Company procured in 1843 laws, and 1860 byelaws regulating the time for which the wardens are to hold office.

Vacancies are filled by elections from the livery. In the Elections. case of equality, a new election is held, the chairman, the master or his deputy, not having a casting vote. Not more than one member can be elected at a single court. The mode of voting is by ballot.

A fine of 337. 13s. 6d. is payable on admission to the Fine. court.

courts."

tation.

Courts are held monthly for general business. In Courts. addition seven courts are held during the year called "relief courts," specially for the purpose of considering "Relief cases of claims to charitable assistance preferred by poor members, and also for that of considering motions for grants of money to purposes external to the Company, whether charitable or public. It is the duty of the renter warden, and his successor designate, once a year to visit all the Annual visipensioners residing in London or within six or seven miles of it, and from the number of the pensioners and the distance to be traversed this visitation occupies several days. Special branches of the Company's business are deputed Committer. to committees, of which there are seven, consisting of from three to twelve members respectively. The committees are (1) the committee of wardens, (2) the committee for general purposes, (3) the account committee, (4) the audit committee, (5) the Irish estate committee, (6) the subIrish estate committee, (7) the wine committee.

Fees of one guinea are payable for attendance at courts and committees. The sum thus paid amounts to about 2,000l. a year.

Members of the court are liable to removal in case of bankruptcy or misconduct.

They are on an average of nine or ten years standing when they reach the court.

(18.) William and Mary, 1690.

(19.) George III., 1815. Inspeximus of Charter of James I.

Control of Trade.

The Company has always exercised the jurisdiction conferred upon it by its several charters by the appointment of "fish meters," whose main duty is to be in constant attendance at Billingsgate Market for the purpose of examining the wholesomeness of the fish offered for sale, with power to condemn any fish which may be proved to be unsound.

At the present time the Company have in their employ three such fish meters, whose salaries, as well as the charges under a contract for deodorising and removing in barges the condemned fish are paid out of the general funds of the Company.

The fish meters make a daily return to the Company of the quantity of fish brought to market, and a monthly return of the quantity of unwholesome fish which has been seized and condemned by them. The monthly returns are published. A number are sent to the Cominissioners as an exhibit to the Company's return.

The Company also discharge the duty of prosecuting offenders against the provisions of the Fisheries (Oyster, Crab, and Lobster) Act, 40 and 41 Vict. c. 42, which is chiefly directed against the offence of exposing for sale undersized fish or fish in "close time."

There are at present 39 liverymen connected with the trade.

Constitution and Privileges.

Governing Body.-The court consists, as directed by the governing charter, of a master, six wardens, and 28 assistants.

* Mr. Herbert states:-" From early inquisitions it appears that the "Old Fishmarket occupied a plot of land extending lengthwise, or east " and west along Old Fish Street from Bread Street to the church of "St. Mary Magdalene at Old Change, and breadthwise, north and south, "from the ends of those two streets to the opposite south side of Old "Fish Street. A jury of 1413 returned it to have been partly a void space,' as it was when only the centre was filled with fish stalls." He adds, "In this state there would have been an open communication "with Queenhithe, from which the fish could be brought up the hill to "the middle of the market, next St. Nicholas Cold Abbey, where is now "the narrow way of Old Fish Street Hill; whilst the north side of the "market connecting itself with the Bakers of Bread Street, the fishmongers of Friday Street, and the kingminters of Sheremoniers Lane, or the Old Change; and these three again reaching to the goldsmiths, mercers, and other tradesmen of West Cheap, must have been the same, "nearly one large open market. When tall houses began to supersede "the original stalls on all these spots, the district became narrowed into streets, like other open parts of the city, and these inquisitions were found necessary to ascertain the exact boundaries of the old "quarters." The church mentioned, St. Nicholas Cold Abbey, and the adjacent church of St. Nicholas Olave, contain many monuments of fishmongers.

Members.

The number of freemen and freewomen cannot be stated. The livery consists of 432 members including the court.

Freemen.

Nominal fees are charged in respect of taking out the freedom by patronage or servitude; the fee in respect of the freedom by purchase is 1137. 10s. 6d. Candidates for freedom by purchase are elected by the court and required to be proposed by a member to whom they are personally known.

A freeman by purchase is required to become free of the city.

Others are not compelled to do so, but no freeman of the Company can take an apprentice except on production of a copy of his freedom of the city.

Forty apprentices have been bound at the Company's hall during the last 10 years, eight of them to fish

mongers.

The livery fine is 317. 15s. Candidates are elected by vote of the court on the nomination of one of its members. The candidate must obtain a majority of the votes of those present.

Liverymen are removable for just cause.

During the last 10 years there have been 364 admissions to the freedom, 257 by patrimony, 33 by servitude, 69 by redemption, and five by gift.

The number of admissions (not "calls") to the livery which have taken place during the same period has been 153.

Privileges.

Members of the court are entitled to the fees abovementioned, and they and the members of the livery, when otherwise qualified, have the right of voting for the members for the City and at the election of the Lord Mayor and other City officials, as well as that of being present, in the case of the court, at all, in the case of the livery, at some, of the Company's entertainments.

Members of the court and liverymen are not eligible for pensions without resigning their positions respectively.

The Company has several presentations to Christ's Hospital in their gift, and have recently founded a large number of educational endowments, of the annual value of about 1,500l., for all of which the children of liverymen and freemen are eligible. Loans are also under special circumstances made to poor members in necessitous circumstances, particularly to assist them in educating their children.

Fees. Freedom of

the city.

Corporate property.

Property.

Real Estate.--The Company derive a rental of about 38,000l. a year from land in England. Of this sum, about 35,000l. a year is corporate, about 3,000l. a year is trust income.

This rental arises (1) as regards about 32,6001. a year from house property in the City, 26,000l. from property let upon long leases, the gross estimated rental of the premises being upwards of 50,000l. a year, 6,000l. from property let at rackrent. There are about 70 sets of premises, banks, offices, warehouses, shops, wharves, in Queenhithe, Old Change, Knight Rider Street, Fish Street Hill, Friday Street, the site of the old fish market as mentioned above, Upper Thames Street, Leadenhall, Lombard Street, Billiter Street, &c.

(2.) As regards about 4,000l. a year from a large estate consisting of house property, at Walworth, in Surrey, let on building leases. There are upwards of 200 houses, the gross rental of which would perhaps amount to 20,000l. a year. Most of the premises are small houses, but the estate includes a considerable number of shops, which would command high rents.

(3.) As regards 2,000l. a year from farms in Derbyshire, Kent, and Norfolk. This is all trust property. Some of the land is copyhold.

(4.) The Company derives a small income, partly corporate, partly trust, in respect of ancient lights, rights of way, and other easements, in connexion with the above estates.

With respect to these properties (1) the City of London estate consists in great part of lands confiscated as having been left to superstitious uses, and subsequently purchased by the Company from the Crown in the reign of Edward VI. These estates have formed the subject of several proceedings in Chancery, in all of which the Company successfully maintained its title to the improved value. (2.) With respect to a considerable portion, the Company state that, having lost all their earlier records in the fire of London, it is impossible for them definitely to state how they became possessed of the property. In these instances the Company refer to an old plan book of 1686 as evidence of their title.

(2.) The Walworth estate was purchased by the Company in 1808 out of the proceeds of a quay in Lower Thames Street, the property of the Company, which had been taken for the purposes respectively of the site of the Custom House, and of additions to the London and West India Docks.

Ireland.

The Company has a large estate in the baronies of Tickeeran and Kernaught, in the county of Londonderry. Most of the premises consist of house property, including a few mills and offices, &c., in the townlands of Ballaghavedin, Ballyholly, Ballykeen, Ballykelly, Ballynadenaghan, Ballyspallen, Barnakelly, Broighter, Broglasgow, Carnamuff, Drumhock, Glack, Glasvea, Gortgar, Letterlogher, Mulderg, Oghill, Sistrokeel, Tirglesson, Tullyhoe, Wal

worth, &c. There are about 400 holdings, including some mountain lands and woods, the rents ranging from 21. to 1007. Nearly all the holdings are on lease. The rental has fluctuated during the last 10 years between 8,000l. and 9,5001. The outgoings, including the expenses of management, have during the same time ranged between 5,0001. and 7,000l.* The tenant-right has sold variously at from 20 to 70 years' purchase.

The rateable value of the Company's hall is about 3,0001. a year. That of their almshouses, which are at Wandsworth, is not stated.

Personal Property.

The Company has at present investments in stocks to the extent of about 6,000l., producing a dividend of nearly 2007. The fund arises chiefly from the proceeds of the sale of lands, which are for the most part corporate property, though held to charitable uses. They also appear to derive about the same amount from "interest" on their corporate moneys.

The plate, pictures, and other property of the Company are stated to be worth 17,0001. It is not stated whether this sum includes the value of the Company's wine.

At the end of 1879 there was a debit balance against the Company of about 15,500l. During the 10 years a sum of 42,000l. was spent on the London estates of the Company and on the building of industrial buildings at Walworth, against which must be set a legacy of upwards of 8,000l., which was carried into income.

Trust Property.

The Company are trustees of about 70 charities, from which the income is stated to be on an average about 3,6007. a year. Of this sum about 3,000l. according to the Company's accounts arises from rents, the remainder from dividends, or from sums payable in respect of money legacies which have been charged by the Company on their general corporate revenue.

The charities supported out of this income are as follows:

Internal:--

Support of the Company's almshouses and relief of poor members.

1. St. Peter's Hospital, Wandsworth, in which 42 almspeople free of the Company are provided for. The trust income is stated to be under 400l. a year, and the Company spend upwards of 2,000l. a year out of their corporate income on the maintenance of the institution. These almshouses were removed and rebuilt by the Company in 1851 at an expense of 25,000.

of

2. A considerable number of small legacies for the relief poor members external, but also partly internal. 3. Six presentations to Christ's Hospital purchased by the Company.

Partly Internal, partly External :—

1. Jesus Hospital at Bray, Berkshire, in which 40 parishioners of Bray and six poor freemen are received. The endowments consist of about 1,1007. a year, arising chiefly from lands at Bray and in the City of London. The Company add upwards of 1001. a year from their corporate income. A legacy of 2,000l. has recently been received by the Company for this charity.

2. Almshouses at Harrietsham, Kent, in which six parishioners and six poor freemen are received. The endowment is about 1007. a year. The Company add about 3001. a year out of their corporate funds.

3. Sir Thomas Gresham's Free Grammar School at Holt, Holt school. Norfolk, for the education of 50 boys. The endowment appears to be about 9001. a year, of which about 6001. arises from the rent of lands in the City of London and at Holt. The Company appear to spend about 2001. a year out of their corporate income on this charity, which has during the last 10 years been very much in their debt owing to their having rebuilt the school about 50 years ago. The debt is still upwards of 4,000l.

4. Doles to the poor of London, and provincial parishes, exhibitions (see below), external payments, such as for clergymen, and a large number of loan trusts which the Company is compelled to administer as such under an order of the Court of Chancery.

Position in relation to Universities.

The Company has 22 exhibitions of 201. a year each tenable at Oxford, Cambridge, University College, London,

The Company have redeemed the tithe rent-charge. They expend on an average about 1,500l. a year in improvements, and subscribe about 2,000l. a year in grants to farming societies, schools, and the support of the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian clergy.