INDUSTRIES 



be brought into the 'Kings Chepying Os" and 

 there exhibited for sale. So also no butchers or 

 other persons of the town may take fresh hides 

 away for sale elsewhere, except it be to a fair, 

 under penalty of 2s. fine. 



' Tanners. The assize of a tanner is that he tan no 

 sheep leather, goat leather, deer's leather, horse leather, 

 nor hound's leather, nor that he tan no leather to sell, 

 but that it be thorough tanned. 



And he do contrary to any of these his fine is, at 

 every time six shillings and eight pence ; and to 

 forfeit that is forfeitable. And if he will not beware 

 by two warnings the third time he to be amerced 

 and judged according to the form of statute. 



Curriers. The assize of a currier is that he curry 

 no manner of leather but that it be thorough tanned. 

 And that it be curried with sufficient stuff. And it 

 to be searched and seen by an officer of the town to 

 see that it be good and able. And that his leather 

 be good and able and truly curried, and if he do 

 contrary to any of this to be amerced and judged 

 according to the form of statute. 



VVhittawer. The assize of a Whittawer is that 

 he make nor Tawe no manner of leather but sheep's 

 leather, goat's leather, deer's leather. Horse leather, 

 and hound's leather. And that it be made of sufficient 

 stuff. And if he do contrary he to be amerced and 

 judged according to the form of the statute." 



The oath of the searchers of leather the 

 eighth year of the reign of Elizabeth (1565) : 



' You shall swear that you shall well and faithfully 

 assist the searcher appointed for the search of leather, 

 and wares made of leather, according to the Act of 

 Parliament made in the fifth year of the Queen's 

 Majesty's reign : touching tanners, curriers, shoe- 

 makers and other artificers occupying the cutting of 

 leather, to your best knowledge and cunning, so 

 help you God, and by the holy contents of this 

 book.' ' 



A tanner in the fifteenth century was expected 

 to keep his leather in the ' pits ' a year and 

 a day, otherwise it was considered not well 

 tanned, but ' raw.' ' And if he do the conttzry 

 he shall lose six shillings and eight pence.' 



In 1566 a constitution for the company of 

 the whitawers and tanners was enrolled in the 

 town's records ■• by which it was ordained that 

 every year upon the Sunday after the feast of 

 St. Luke the Evangelist with the licence of the 

 mayor the members of the craft should meet 

 together and nominate two wardens to rule and 

 govern the said crafts for the year following, 

 and to redress and remedy all manner of deceit 

 and default that may be found. Any man chosen 

 as warden and refusing to serve is to pay loj., 

 half to the town and half to the craft, whilst the 

 wardens are to collect any fines incurred by 

 infraction of the rules of the craft, and account for 



' Market House (chepe = a market). 



' Liber Custumarum, fol. 95 ciorso. 



' Ibid. fol. 96. The spelling has been modernized. 



* Northampton Boro. Rcc. ii, 295 et seq. 



the same at the year's end under a penalty of 20s., 

 half to the town and half to the craft. They 

 are also to make an assessment of 20s. on the 

 craft for the benefit of the town chest. Any 

 member of the craft refusing to attend the 

 summons of the wardens, to be fined twelve pence 

 for each offence. 



' And further it is enacted and agreed that their 

 shall noe stranger nor furrj-ner come into this market 

 within the towne of Northampton to buy anie hide 

 or hides, bullocke skynne or caulfe skynne but that he 

 or they shall bring in quantitie as muche lether readie 

 tanned into this Markett to selle the same daye as he 

 or they shall buye roughe hydes or skynnes the same 

 daye in the same markett by the same the saide 

 stranger or forryner.' 



The 'foreigners' also are forbidden to pur- 

 chase any hides or skins before twelve o'clock 

 under penalty of bs. 8d. or to bespeak any 

 from the butchers. Further they are only 

 to make their purchases at the special stand in 

 the market-place appointed for that purpose, and 

 anyone doing contrary to this order shall be 

 fined. 



Regrating or buying to sell again at a profit is 

 penalized. No ' manner of person ' is to buy 

 rough hides or skins except to tan or dress them 

 into leather. If he resells them in the same 

 condition as bought he must pay a fine of lOi., 

 half to the chamber of the town and half to the 

 occupation.* Any member of the craft with- 

 standing the wardens or refusing to obey any of 

 the above ordinances shall pay for every time of 

 offending lOi., and every warden neglecting 

 proper oversight of matters pertaining to the 

 craft shall pay 20s. as aforesaid. 



' And furthermore it is agreed and enacted that there 

 shalbe noe forreyner or stranger of this occupation 

 called the occupation of Tanners and Whittawers 

 come to the town to sell anie manner of cloute leather 

 cut into small bendes or peeces, but onelie at the two 

 fairs as be assigned by the charter of the towne.' 



The two fairs would be those mentioned 

 in the charter of 1 1 Henry VII, when per- 

 mission was granted to hold one fair every year 

 for ever on the feast of St. George the Martyr 

 (23 April) and on the day next preceding it and 

 the six days following ; and the other on the 

 feast of St. Hugh the Bishop (17 November), the 

 day preceding, and the six subsequent days. 



In 1582 the town authorities enacted '' further 

 rules for the governance of the whitawers. 



Two masters chosen yearly to oversee that the 

 hides and other ware exposed for sale were 

 properly and sufficiently dressed ; with power to 

 confiscate any that were deficient. None of the 

 craft to withstand the warden under penalty of 



^ Many of these ordinances are in conformity with 

 the provisions of statutes of Edward \'I and Elizabeth, 

 which attempted to reimposc minute regulations of 

 trade after the earlier patterns. 



•^ Ibid. 297. 



31: 



