46 



kind, when he had wheat at all, it was most likely in this form. 

 Bread with oatmeal and salt formed his staple food. 



From the earliest times there has always been some law regu- 

 lating the assize or quality and price of bread. Amongst the 

 Romans the trade was kept as a close mystery, and any man who 

 married the daughter of a baker was obliged to join the craft. 



Judging from the following incident, which is a very early 

 notice of its visitors and customs, it may be supposed that the 

 business was of some importance in Bath. By a letter, dated the 

 12th April, 1602, from Thomas Power, Mayor, Edward Horton, 

 John Chapman, Willia. Heath and William Sherston to Dr. 

 Csesar, master of the Court of Eequests, it appears that John 

 Sachfield, a baker by his trade, and one of the Aldermen of the 

 city, had been served mth a " process of Privie Scale," to appear 

 in the Court, in quindena Pascoe, within a fortnight after Easter, 

 at the suit of one Richard Bye, but, " for matter as yet unknown 

 to him or them." Alderman Sachfield clearly disliked this 

 " process," and consequently his friends petitioned, that, as 

 besides being a Commissioner for the subsidies, he was well-known 

 as the " most sufficient mann to make provision of breade in the 

 said cittie, not onlie for noblemen, but also for mauie others then 

 present soiourninge and abydinge for dyvers respective causes, he 

 could hardly be spared, without great prejudice to Her Majesty's 

 Service, and the greate hindrance of the Cittie and Inhabitants 

 there lykewyse." The subscribers therefore thought "fytt" thus 

 to become suitors, that his answer might be taken at Bath.* 



At this time there were several trading, self-constituted, Guilds 

 in Bath, of them the bakers being one. They walked in pro- 

 cession annually, and endeavoured to prevent non-members from 

 trading within the city. This claim being opposed, was set aside 

 by a Court of Law in 1765, and the Guilds then ceased. 



Forty -seven years later the trade was still a prominent one, as 



* State Papers, 1602, Vol. cclxxxiii., fol. 76. 



