THE DERBY COMPANY OF MERCERS. 143 



they now exercis, & report their answer to the Company at the 

 next meeting." Having made their report on August the nth, 

 1726, it was ordered, that the same deputation "do attend on 

 Thomas Soar, & Demand of him Tenn pounds for the use of the 

 s'' Comp>'' as not haveing any right to the trade of a Grocer he 

 now exercises, to receive his answer in tenn days." 



On April 8th, 1729, it was "ordered that Mr. Steward & the 

 Wardens shall treat with Mr. Wharton, on Termes for vindicateing 

 the write of the s'' Company;" and at the next meeting on April 

 15th, it was "agreed, that y^ preasent Steward & y- Wardens 

 shall have power to proceed against & prosecute Joseph ^^'harton 

 as haveing no right to follow or exercise any Branch off trade' 

 that shall be any way detrimental! to y' said Company, in y^ 

 Burrough of Derby.- The four next pages, 118 to 121, have been 

 torn out of the book, and in the next entry, on page 122, we find 

 that on March 31st, 1730, Mr. Joseph Wharton was elected one 

 of the Wardens of the Company. Evidently he must have come 

 to terms with the Company, and paid his composition, during 

 the year of which we have no record. There is a certificate of 

 membership extant, shewing that he was admitted a member on 

 November 20th, 1729, on the same day as Mr. Grayson, against 

 whom indictments were ordered to be made on June i8th, 1724 

 In the case of Mr. William Balme, no quarter was shewn, and 

 It was decided after several previous orders to prosecute him and 

 that " the s^ William Balme shall not be admitted, on any 

 Termes From the said Company, to exercise any trade in this 

 Corporation." 



Although the powers of the Company were restricted to Derby 

 Its officers seem to have exercised jurisdiction beyond the limits 

 of the Borough. On December 6th, 1683, it was ordered, that 

 the Wardens "doe cause goods to be bought of these severall 

 psons, v,z; W" Browne, of Etwall ; John Roberts, of Derby 

 Barbara Heathcoate ; Elias Grice; W- Cocker; Geo. Hardy' 

 of Belper; in order y' legal 1 informacons be given against them' 

 for exercising trades for w^" the have noe Right." 



The last record of any decision to prosecute is on October 



