Too PEWTER AND THE REVIVAL OF ITS USE. 



putes between nieiiiliers of the ^iiild, it was often decided that the one 

 of the litii>ants hehl to be in the wronir shonld invite the other 

 with his wife to snpi^er, " and then to be niei-ry together and so 

 to be lovers and friends henceforth." 



A very high standard of commercial morality Avas enforced. For 

 instance, no pewterer Avas allowed, nnder a penalty of a fine of 20s. 

 (probably equal to £10 of our money) to say to a prospective cus- 

 tomer that his goods were superior in quality to those of others. 



The following is a specimen of the amenities obtaining at the time 

 between the English and those of the sister kingdom: '"Thomas 

 Wolshire shall pay for his op])robrious Avords toward Kichard Scot, 

 saying ' He played the Scot's part and had the Scot's heart," KUl." 

 Members had to attend the funerals of their confreres on pain of 

 fine, unless they had a reasonable excuse. 



Not only apprentices, but unmarried journeymen liA^ed in their 

 master's house and accompanied him to church on Sundays. They 

 were not to absent themseh^es until after the afternoon service, when 

 they were permitted to amuse themselves with shooting at the butts 

 and dancing. On the other hand, the company Avas resolute to 

 defend the rights of members, and once, for example, forbade any 

 of the craft from serving any persons belonging to the Saddlers' 

 Company until a claim against it by a pewterer had been satisfied. 

 Adulteration of metal, as before mentioned, Avas severely punished, 

 sometimes by expulsion, the culprit being described as acting con- 

 trary to his oath and " like no treAve joewterer and to the great 

 slaundre of all the peAvterers in London." Sometimes on giving 

 an undertaking and a surety not to repeat the offense he was received 

 back, but was made to pa}'^ a substantial fine. In cases Avhen the 

 offense Avas not A'ery flagrant the punishment Avas to make the culprit 

 change his mark, this being equivalent to a fine, in consequence of 

 the loss of time and the expense of re-marking his stock and oblit- 

 erating his old mark. 



The statute of apprentices having been j^assed in 15G3, the com- 

 pany, in 15G-f, issued an ordinance that each member of the livery 

 should be alloAved to take one apprentice, the master and Avardens 

 might have three, but only on condition that they employed two 

 journeymen. Misbehaving apprentices Avere sometimes sentenced 

 to be Avhipped in the hall. No member Avas alloAved to sell old j)eAv- 

 ter bought secondhand, and no pewterer Avas to act as scullion even 

 for the lord maA'or himself, nor to repair or clean peAvter except at 

 his own Avorkshop — a suggestive rule for maintaining the dignity 

 of the craft. Gilding pcAvter Avas strictly forbidden, except AAhen 

 giA^en as a present to friends. To insure proper registration, the 

 members of the livery Avere accustomed to set up their marks in the 

 hall. 



