Four courts are held annually, each member in attendance receiving a fee of 11. About 50l. a year is thus expended. Members on election are usually of 15 years standing, Members, There are about 1,400 freemen, 438 liverymen. The fees payable are: for the freedom, by patrimony or apprenticeship, 11. 7s. 4d.; by redemption, 31. 7s. 6d. ; livery fine, 127.; steward's fine, 67., payable by liverymen when of two years standing. The number of members who have joined within the last 10 years is not stated; 94 apprentices have been bound during this period. About 150l. a year out of the corporate income is distributed to poor members, their widows and orphans. There are at present 25 recipients. The court consists of a master, two wardens, and seven assistants. (The charter, however, provides for 24 assistants). The elections are by co-optation from the livery. A fine of 5l. 7s. 6d. is payable on election; one of 4l. 7s. 6d. on promotion to office. A fee of two guineas is paid for attendance at courts. The amount thus distributed is, on an average, about 1157. annually. Members are usually of 8 or 10 years standing when they reach the court. Members. There are 41 liverymen; no freemen who are not livery men. The number of admissions during the last 10 years has been 13-1 by patrimony, 12 by redemption. There have been no bindings during this time. The fees are for the freedom, by patrimony or servitude, five guineas; by redemption, seven guineas; livery fine, 151. About 1251. annually is paid to nine pensioners, poor members and their widows and orphans. There are nine such pensioners. The company possesses, in its corporate right, house property at Stoke Newington and in Masons' Court, Bishopsgate Street, let on long leases, and producing a rental of about 2001. a year. They have also a share in the Irish estates, managed by the Mercers' Company, which in 1874 produced 2007. a year, and which now produces 1447. a year. The company hold 2001. stock and a mortgage of 4,7007. producing together upwards of 2001. a year. The latter represents the proceeds of certain lands sold. Trust property. The company are trustees of one charity for the relief of their poor, the income of which is 107. a year. Court. Constitution and Privileges. The court consists of a master, 2 wardens, and 24 assistants. The master and wardens are elected annually by the livery, the assistants by the court. A fee of 10 guineas is payable on coming on the court. No fees are paid for attendance. Members are usually liverymen of 10 years standing. Members. There are 187 freemen, 144 liverymen. 29 members have been admitted by patrimony, 44 by servitude, and 114 by redemption during the last 10 years. The fees are: for the freedom, by patrimony or apprenticeship, 21.; by redemption, 37.; livery fine, 16 guineas. A dinner is given to the livery on St. Luke's Day, the court and livery contributing to the expense. About 1607. trust money is applicable to the relief of poor members. The company do not grant pensions out of their corporate income. Income and Expenditure. The following are the company's statements of their income and expenditure for 1878, 1879: : PEWTERERS' COMPANY. Foundation and Object. The returns, after alluding to the historical antiquity of the English trade in tin, state that the records of the City show that in 1348, a petition was presented to the mayor and aldermen by the good folk of the trade of pewterers to appoint overseers. The Guild was incorporated in 1473 by charter of Edward IV. (For terms of Charter, see Returns, Part I., B.) This charter was confirmed by charters granted by Henry VIII., Philip and Mary, Elizabeth, James I., and Anne. Acts confirming the Company's power to search for bad wares were passed in the reigns of Henry VII. and Henry VIII. At this time this power was vigorously exercised at the London and provincial markets and fairs. At the commencement of the 17th century, the Company licensed the casters of tin in London, and had from the Council of the Revenue of the Prince of Wales, an allotment of some proportion of the tin produced in Cornwall, which they sold at a small profit to the pewter trade of London, applying the fund thus created to the benefit of their poor members. The Company have subscribed a considerable sum to the City and Guilds Technical Institute. Court. Constitution and Privileges. The court consists of a master, 2 wardens, and 29 assistants. Elections are by co-optation from the livery. To be elected it is necessary to have served or fined for the office of steward. A fine of 201. is payable on election. Twelve courts are held during the year. Fees are paid for attendance. The sum thus paid amounts on an average to 1,7007. a year. Members. There are 5 freemen, and 5 freewomen. The livery consists of 70 persons. The fees payable for admission by patrimony or servitude are nominal. The livery fine is 1057. The number of apprentices bound during this last 10 years was 28. Above 6007. partly arising from the trust income, partly from the corporate income of the company, is distributed annually to poor members. The number at present receiving relief is 39. Officers and Servants, The sum paid in salaries to the officers and servants of the company (clerk, resident beadle, and assistant beadle) is about 3301. Corporate property. Property. Real estate. The company possess in their corporate right, house property in London, with a rental of about 3,000l. a year. There are about 17 sets of premises, houses, shops, warehouses in Fenchurch Street, Cannon Street, Lime Street, and elsewhere. The company give no account of their title to these lands. They derive a small sum from a rentcharge on a house in Laurence Pountney Lane. They have a share in the Ulster lands administered by the Ironmongers' Company, and derive from this source about 150l. a year. Constitution and Privileges. Governing Body. The court consists of a master, 2 wardens, and 27 assistants. An election takes place annually by the court of a renter warden, who after his year of office becomes an assistant. A fee of 251. is payable on election to the office of renter warden. A fee of 21. is paid for attendance at courts. About 2201. a year is thus expended. Members when they reach their court are generally of about 10 years standing. Members. There are about 25 freemen and 60 liverymen, including the court. There were 39 admissions to the freedom (viz., 10 by patrimony, 29 by redemption) and 28 calls to the livery during the last 10 years. During such time one apprentice was bound. The fees are for the freedom, by patrimony or servitude, 11. 3s. 6d.; by redemption, 5 guineas; livery fine, 34 guineas. There is one livery dinner annually. About 1301. a year, 1001. of which comes out of corporate income, is distributed among 10 poor members and widows of poor members. PLAISTERERS' COMPANY. Foundation and Object. The company originally existed as a guild" of pargettors," commonly called "plaisterers," and as such was incorporated in 1501, in the 16 Henry VII. The company received subsequent charters in the reigns of Elizabeth, James I., and Charles II. (For Charters, see Part. I., Return B., and Report of Municipal Commissioners.) Connexion with Trade. The company preserved their connexion with the trade so far as the appointment of "search days" was concerned till 1832. About 12 plaisterers are now members. For the last 16 years the company have through the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, offered prizes, amounting to 251. per annum, to workmen in connexion with their trade. Since 1873 they have spent 157. a year in photographs and casts of models for distribution among several schools of Art. Since 1877 they have subscribed 50 guineas a year to the City and Guilds of London Institute for the advancement of technical education. PLAYING CARD MAKERS' COMPANY. Foundation and Object. The company's charter was granted in 1628, in the reign of Charles II. (For abstract, see Returns B. and H., Part I., and Report of Municipal Commissioners.) Constitution and Privileges. Governing Body. The court consists of a master, wardens, and 16 assistants. The elections are by the court from the livery. A fine of 3 guineas is payable on admission to the court. No fees are paid for attendance at courts. The master on taking office pays for his inauguration dinner. Members. There are 23 liverymen and 1 freeman. Eighteen calls to the livery have taken place within the last 10 years. The fees are for the freedom, by patrimony or servitude, 21. 12s.; by redemption, 51. 8s.; livery fine, 1 guineas. There are about 50 freemen and 50 liverymen; 25 persons have been admitted to the freedom during the last 10 years-7 by patrimony, 1 by apprenticeship, 17 by redemption-and there have been 4 bindings during such period, but no calls to the livery. The fees payable are for the freedom, by patrimony or servitude, 31.; by redemption, 137., "if bound and served apprenticeship to the trade seven years," or otherwise, 231.; livery fine, 10. About 901. a year is spent in pensions to impoverished members, their widows and families. Court fees Salaries Pensions, &c. Casual payments Balance £ 316 316 96 96 65 81 391 391 478 492 (See Mr. Hare's Report as to the North Charity.) POULTERERS' COMPANY. Foundation and Object. The company existed, by prescription, as early as 1345. It was incorporated by royal charter in 1504, and received subsequent charters in the 30 Eliz., the 6 Charles II., and in the reign of William and Mary, 1692. Connexion with Trade. The company's power of inspecting poultry exposed for sale has long since been suspended by Acts of Parliament. Court. Constitution and Privileges. The court consists of a master, wardens, and 18 assistants. Elections are by the court from the livery. Fees are paid on election, from which the company appear to derive about 271. a year. Members. |