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Thus Mr. Thos. Smith Master 1692 paid £1 4s. for the use 
of £20 when he delivered it over at the end of his term of office. 
The constitution provided that Two Masters should be elected 
on the Monday sen’night before the Feast of St. John the Baptist 
by the householders of the Company, but the custom observed was 
that the Junior Master having in his first year of office learned 
the duties was chosen to fill the higher post at the next election. 
To refuse to serve entailed the payment of a fine of 20s., a cheap 
method in troublous times of escaping an onerous office, and one 
often taken by unambitious men. As soon as elected the new 
Masters were obliged to take a Corporal Oath before the Company 
of Tailors. 
“J, D. Davis, shall and will exercise the office and duty of 
Master of the company or fellowship of Merchant Taylors of this 
City for this the current year, and shall and will well and truly 
behave myself in the said office and observe and keep to the 
powers ordinances and statutes comprised in the compositions 
belonging to the said company or fellowship or that shall here- 
after be made for the good of the said company or fellowship, 
so help, &c.” 
In default of doing this the master was liable to another fine 
of 20s. for the use of the poor of the craft, to whom nearly all 
the fines were given. 
In most of the other cities in the country the oath was taken 
before the Mayor by which means a yearly recognition was. 
obtained of the authority of the Municipal Corporation over 
the trading body ; nor can we wonder at such an arrangement 
as an apprehension would be naturally excited by the existence 
of an alien society in its midst, governed by special laws and 
possessing privileges which were often antagonistic to the 
interest of the general public. At Exeter the Guild surrendered 
their powers to the Corporation every year and paid a fine upon 
_ the renewal of them. 
_ This peculiarity of the Master Tailors in Bath taking the oath 
