150 THE DERBY COMPANY OF MERCERS. 



they had been there. The other Warden, Francis Marsliall, 

 another Brother, R. Piggin, and John Stone who signed the 

 first obligation (p. 134) and Richard Ward and Edward Waste, 

 Tobacconist, who signed the second obligation, were fined ten 

 shillings, in accordance with the by-law for not being present 

 on this occasion. Henry Holmes and John Dunnidge, the two 

 remaining Brethren, probably had leave of the Steward to be 

 absent. After taking the above sixteen members into accounti 

 there remain twenty-four who signed either one or the other of 

 the obligations and who were not fined. Since all members were 

 to attend in their Gowns and Cloaks, we must either suppose the 

 remaining ones were present, or had leave to be absent. There is 

 no list recorded in the minutes of all the members present at any 

 meeting, and the minutes were signed only by the officers who 

 were at that meeting. It seems that those unable to come to 

 the Annual Meeting were not fined, provided they sent the 

 moneys due from them to the Company. On April 17th, 1677, 

 were fined ten shillings " for those that attend not personally (or 

 send not their moneys) " R. Piggin, the only officer who was 

 absent, John Stone, Joseph Sadler, Ed. Waste, Wm. Henworth, 

 John Bourne, Thomas Brookes, and Anne Bloodworth. The 

 above are the only fines recorded for non-attendance. 



The minute book, roll of officers, and certificates of 

 membership were examined by inspectors, who may have been 

 in some way connected with the Inland Revenue. They were 

 not members of the Society, and their names are not those of 

 Derbyshire people ; they were probably not appointed by the 

 Society, as there is no mention of them in either by-laws or 

 minutes ; they did not inspect the books until nearly forty years 

 after the founding of the Company, and they made certain 

 notes about the duty on stamps in connection with the admission 

 of members. The following note has been made by one of 

 them after the minutes of July 28th, 17 14. "The duty on 

 stamps comenced from the 28"' of June 1694, which charged the 

 admission of any person into any Corporaton or Company, with 

 the surae of one shilling. By another Act all such admissions 



