A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



known by the name of ' walker ' as well, 

 as in the record of an appraisement of goods 

 seized for execution, I August 1403, John Ing- 

 ham, walker, being complained of by John de 

 Aldsworth for a plea of debt, and claiming 

 amongst other articles a strike of fuller's earth 

 (unum itryk de waiter berth)* 3 The Nottingham 

 fullers were presented by the Mickletorn jury 

 8 October 1395, for taking too much for 

 exercising their craft. 44 The art was strictly 

 overseen by the wardens of the Fullers' Com- 

 pany. In 1517, a piece of white kersey was 

 entrusted by Robert Metiers, the bell-founder of 

 Nottingham, to one William Nicholson to be 

 fulled, sheared, scoured, and redelivered to 

 Mellers in three weeks. Mellers, however, hav- 

 ing complained of a ' fault' in the fulling, John 

 Sainton and Robert Strelley, the then wardens, 

 proceeded to ' survey ' the same, and reported 

 thereafter that Nicholson should lose his whole 

 work, and receive nothing, a decision which 

 Nicholson declared in protest to be ' crafty and 

 malicious.' 45 



Robert Bullocke, fuller, paid 40*. on being 

 enrolled as burgess in I585-6. 46 



The fulling mill in mediaeval times was fre- 

 quently the scene of quarrels and accidents, 

 occasionally with fatal results. In 1339, for 

 example, Thomas Corelle, walker, and Robert 

 de Tyleseph, engaged in the same occupation, 

 quarrelled at twilight in a fulling mill at Newark. 

 In 1332, Richard le Lord and Robert Jolivet 

 were in a fulling mill in the same town at bed- 

 time, and Richard placing his foot on a trunk, 

 which overturned, was thrown into the water 

 and drowned. 47 



Topographical allusions to the tenters on 

 which the fullers stretched their cloth are num- 

 erous in the Borough Records of Nottingham. 

 In 1404, John London occupied a croft with 

 tenters near the Postern. 48 In 1494, John 

 Marshall, shearman, sued Nicholas Cok, for 

 detinue of two tenters, one broad and the other 

 narrow (duarum tenturarum unius strayte et 

 alius brode) price ids. In 1496, John Saynton 

 sued John Marshall, shearman for 9*. 6d., rent 

 of a tenter (tentura) for half a quarter iod., for 

 the seventh year of Henry VII, 2s. for the 

 eighth, and 31. ifd. for the ninth year. 49 



In a rental of the Chamber Estate of Notting- 

 ham 29 September 1531, the following entries 

 occur : ' Item the taynteryerd (taynter yard, a 

 yard for a tenter) on the south side of the Chapel 



43 Rec. Boro. Note, ii, 41. The site of a fulling mill 

 on the Greet at Southwell was known as Walkmill 

 Furlong. Shilton, Hist. Southv:ll, 220. There was 

 a 'walking mill' in Worksop in 1544, L, and P. 

 Hen. nil, xix, 527-43. 



44 Rec. Boro. Nott. i, 272. 4i Ibid, iii, 139. 

 46 Rec. Boro. Nott. iv, 213, (1625, p. 61). 



" Brown, Hist. Newark, 1 89. 



48 Rec. Boro. Nott. ii, 61. 49 Ibid, iii, 367. 



Bar, 21.,'* and again, 'For the taynters at 

 Dykebuttes, 8^.' " Elsewhere we find allusion to 

 ' the taynter yard on Low Pavement.' M Ed- 

 ward Bradshawe paid 41. rent for a garden and 

 tenters at the Bridgend in 1548." 



The alnager, whose fee was fixed by statute 54 

 at %d. on every half cloth, and \d. for his office, 

 was indispensable to the cloth trade, all cloths 

 put to sale before his seal had been affixed to 

 them being forfeited. In 1384, William Huns- 

 ton was appointed collector of the subsidy 

 on cloth in the counties of Nottingham and 

 Derby, to retain a moiety of the forfeited cloth." 

 In 1401, Walter Stacy being alnager, William 

 Seme of Newark paid izd. tax on his cloth, and 

 a further i\d. for measuring and marking the 

 same. Thomas Ferrour paid on four dozen 

 cloths, John Hosyer on one, William de Bekyng- 

 ham on fifteen, Roger del More on six, and 

 Roger Bracebrig on six.* 6 Thomas Shire of New- 

 ark was approver of the subsidy and alnage of 

 cloth in Nottinghamshire in 1481." 



The office of sealer of cloths was fre- 

 quently let, or leased. In 1511, for example, 

 Thomas Langford let to John Plumptre the office 

 of sealer of linen cloths made for sale in Notting- 

 ham at 2 6s. 8d. a year. 88 



The account of Walter Stacy, collector of 

 issues and profits from alnage in the counties 

 of Nottingham and Derby, contains the follow- 

 ing items relative to the cloth trade in the former 

 county for one whole year from 1 6 September 

 1393 : From Walther de Notyngham for 

 eleven dozens, 4^. From John de Plumptre for 

 the same, 22^. 69 The account of John Connell, 

 holding the same office 7 November 1374, 

 accounts for I2d. received from John Sauce, pro 

 tribus pannis izd., and from John Colyn pro 

 quatuor pannis, 1 6d. w 



The accounts of Hugh de Annesleye, Sheriff 

 of Nottinghamshire and Derby, record in 1398 

 the following : Received of John Samon, sen., 

 for sixteen whole cloths, 5*. 4^., of William 

 Botiller, four of the same, 1 6d. t of John Plumptre 

 of Nottingham, eighteen of the same at 6j. 61 

 In 1401, Walter Stacy being alnager, the subsidy 

 of cloth received from Henry de Plumptre on 

 four dozen of cloth was 8d. M Numerous similar 

 entries in this account prove the extent of the 

 cloth-making industry in the county at this date. 



The tailors constituted a company at Not- 



60 Ibid, ii, 371. "Ibid. 367. 



" Ibid, iii, 477. M Ibid, iv, 94. 



"25 Edw. Ill, cap. I and cap. 4. 



55 Cat. Pat. 1381-5, p. 459. 



56 Brown, Hist. Newark, 190. 



67 Cal. Pat. 1476-85, p. 234. 



68 Rec. Boro. Nott. ii, 113. 



69 Exch. K.R. Accts. bdle. 346, no. 9. 



60 Ibid. 6I Ibid. bdle. 343, no. 21. 



M Ibid. I am indebted to Miss Wallis Chapman 

 for these references. 



346 



