By Mr. Edward Kite. 161 



Armes, I, Clarenccux, King of Armes, haue Ratified and Confirmed 

 to all those of the said Corporacon before mentioned, and to their 

 successors for euer. And at this psent Yisitacon, Edward Hajmcs, 

 Mayor, was cheife head and gouernour, Willm. Battye and Richard 

 Denny, Wardens of the Clothiers and "Weauers, Willm. Preston 

 and John Smith, Wardens of the Drapers and Taylors, John Chap- 

 pell and Thomas Fizall,' Wardens of the Mercers, &c. In witness 

 whereof I haue hereunto subscribed my name, &c." 



From this it appears that the Gruild then consisted of three 

 several Fraternities, including the following trades — 1st, Clothiers 

 and Weavers ; 2nd, Drapers and Tailors ; and 3rd, Mercers. Each 

 Fraternity was governed by two senior officers, or wardens, and 

 the whole presided over by the Mayor of the Borough. 



About half a century later, a.d. 1614 [12 James I.], the Guild 

 was wholly remodelled — the Fraternities before comprising it were 

 altered to 1. Drapers ; 2. Mercers ; 3. Leathersellers ; and the 

 various trades included under each of these divisions, re- arranged ; 

 each Company was to have, from that date, its separate master, two 

 wardens, and two yeomen elected annually on the 5th November. 



As the regular history of the Guild, so far as it is at present 

 known, commences at this period, it is proposed to give an 

 abstract of the various laws prescribed for its government by the 

 Mayor and Burgesses of the Borough, and contained in two MS. 

 volumes, formerly belonging to the Drapers and Mercers Com- 

 panies ;^ as an illustration of the manner in which the trade of 

 Devizes, a town described by Fuller as "the best and biggest for 

 trading in the Shire," was protected and regulated in the 17th 

 century. 



The following extract from the Wilts Visitation of a.i>. 1623 [21 



James I.], may first be added as showing the state of the Guild 



nine years after its re-arrangement. 



' William .Stratton of London, eldest son of . . . Stratton of Bicnil)lc [Rrcm- 

 hill], in Wilts, married Christian, daughter of Thomas Fitzsall of tlic Devizes. 

 See Pedigree of Stratton in the Wilts Visitation of 1G23. 



' These two volumes arc now in the possession of the Wiltshire Archreological 

 «fnd Natural IIistoi7 Soeiety, the former was presented by A. Mook, V.m\., Town 

 Icrk of Devizes, and the latter by the liev. E. J. I'hipps, K'eelor of Stanslield 

 ^ulfoik, lat« llector of Devizes. 



M 



