6 



and lie explained that the fossil remains were At the close a vei-y hearty vote of thanks was 



plentiful enough in all the limestone rocks to accorded to Mr. Cozens for his very interesting 



prove to them the shape and size and habits of lecture, and Mr. Cozens then explained tlie numer- 



these fcai-f 111 animals who had their day before ous specimens that lie had brought to illustrate 



this earth was fitted for the habitation of man. the subject of his lecture. 

 The lantei'n was efficiently worked by Mr. Lander. 



"MEDIEVAL CRAFTSMEN."— By Mb. W. J. JENNINGS, J.P. 



A paper of especial interest on " Media.'val 

 Craftsmen " was read by Mr. W. J. Jennings, of 

 Canterbury, the Diocesan Architect, at a meeting 

 of the Society held on December 9th. liJOil, in the 

 Beaney Institute. Mr. Sidney Harvey, F.C.S., 

 F.I.C., presided, Knd there was a numerous attend- 

 ance of members. The following was the text of 

 the lectxii-e : 



It is with a feeling of diffidence that I venture 

 to appear here to-night, as I cannot dis^iise from 

 myself the fact that any topic with which I have 

 such an acquaintance as entitles me to speak upon 

 is somewhat remote from the declared objects of 

 this Society. All the same, I hope the subject I 

 have chosen, "The Craftsmen of the Middle 

 Ages," will prove not uninteresting ; especially 

 seeing the ipxportant position which workmen ot 

 to-day occupy in our political and social system. 



It is my intention to say something of their 

 ti-aining, trade organization, and status in the 

 community ; also to endeavour to account 

 for ■ the admitted excellence of mediasval 

 workmanship, and finally to give some idea of the 

 wages the ci-aftsman of old received. We, in this 

 City, with some of the finest examples of mediaeval 

 buildings in our midst, need no other reminder of 

 the patience, the enthusiasm, and the skill which 

 the workmen of old put forth in theii- efforts to 

 realize their innate desire for excellence. No 

 point appeai-ed to them too trivial, no trouble too 

 great, to achieve the most satisfactory result. 

 It was an age of great activity and 

 perfection iu all arts appertaining to 

 buildings and their adornment . It is not too 

 much to say that the buildings of the period I 

 have chosen exercise upon tlie minds of those who 

 now behold them a stimulating, an elevating and 

 inspiring influence, the value of which, directly 

 and indirectly, as a national asset capnot be 

 over-estimated. 



It is no doubt true tliat a certain glamour is 

 imparted to meiliieval work which only age can 

 give, and that it is only the best examples that 

 have withstood the ravages of time and come 

 down to ns ; but, making due allowances for this, 

 it is undeniable that not only were ci'aftsmen of 

 the period splendidly trained and the possessors of 

 great skill, but that they had in addition that with- 

 out which mere skill could not have produced the 

 splendid results we have everywhere around us, 

 viz., a deep and abiding love of their craft, a pride 

 in it, which, coupled with long and careful 

 training, produced the happiest residts. 



I must not be understood as implying any 

 censure upon, or doubt in, the ability of the best 

 workmen of to-day ; this is not my intention, 



indeed it is conti-ary to my opinion, for I believe 

 that the best trained workmen to-day are as 

 skilful, as enthusiastic, and as persevering as 

 were the craftsmen of old ; but the well trained, 

 enthusiastic, skilful, modern workman is the 

 exception among his fellows, whereas in mediEeval 

 times he was the rule ; there was, in fact, no place 

 in society for the half trained craftsman. 



It is desirable in the first place to define the 

 period I intend by the expression " luediEeval.'* I 

 commence with the accession of John in 1199 and 

 end with the death of Elizabeth iu 1H08, this 

 embi-aces roughly 4CK) years, a very considerable 

 span in the history of a country, and comprises 

 some of the notable reigns of our history, covering 

 stirring and strenuous times dm-ing which this 

 country rose from comparative obscurity to the 

 position of a great power exercising an enormous 

 influence in Europe, and at home establishing 

 upon a firm basis Pai'lia incut ary institutions and 

 the constitution of the country as we know it to- 

 day. It was a period which' witnessed not only 

 the birth of Gothic architecture, but its advance- 

 ment to perfection and subsequent debasement. 



The population was inconsiderable,so far as it is 

 possible to tell it did not exceed half the popu- 

 lation of London as we know it to-day. 

 The people were divided strictly into classes ; 

 most of them were very illiterate, crime 

 was rife and the physical aspect of the countiy 

 was chiefly forest land. Truly a condition of things 

 most uncongenial, one would suppose, for the 

 fostering of art. 



Throughout the whole period I have chosen the 

 main facts in regard to craftsmen are roughly 

 these : Carpenters, masons, smiths, glaziers — in 

 fact, all tx-ades — existed in separate or general 

 crafts. Till the end of the 12th century carpenters 

 were I'egarded as the leading craftsmen and were 

 commonly .spoken of before masons, but at. the end 

 of the 13th century (which witnessed the birth of 

 Gothic architecture .and the consequent enormous 

 impulse to chiu-ch building) this order was reversed 

 and masons were regarded as of somewhat more 

 importance than carpenters ; but their rules and 

 regulations and the period and training of 

 apprentices were pnictically the same. All were 

 members of their trade Guilds. Each trade 

 Guild organised the education of the body as a 

 whole, especially seeing to the apprenticeship of 

 youths destined for the craft. A youth after 

 serving his apprenticeship was admitted to the 

 freedom of the craft, and usually to the freedom 

 of citizenship in the town in which he worked. 

 Thus a mason or carpenter's apprentice passing 

 through liis seven years' course satisfactorily was 



