A. D. 1283. 439 



Mayor and bailifs oi Brijlol, 

 Mayor and citizens of Exeter, 

 Mayor and citizens of Lincoln^ 

 Mayor and citizens of Canterbury, 

 Mayor and citizens of Carlile, 

 Bailifs of Norwich, 

 Mayor and good men of Nort/jamton, 

 Bailifs of Nottingha??i, 

 Bailifs of Scarburgh, 



Mayor and bailifs of Grimjby, 

 Mayor and bailifs of Lynne, 

 Bailifs of Colcbejier, 

 Bailifs and good men of Tarmouth, 

 JMayor and good men of Hereford, 

 Mayor and good men of Chejler, 

 Bailifs and good men ofShrewJbury, 

 Mayor and good men of Worce/ier, 

 [Foedera, V. u, pp. 247-249.] 



Thus were the reprefentatives of the trading part of the people, refiding 

 in cities and burghs, eftablilhed as a conftituent part of the legiflative 

 aflembly of the nation. But the conftitution of the parliament was fo 

 unfettled, that frequently the cities and burghs were not called upon to 

 eled their reprefentatives. I have already obferved, that the reprefent- 

 atives of the commons had little or no influence in parliament till long 

 after the time now under our confideration. 



Odober 10'" — ^The parliament, met at Adon-Burnell, confidering, that 

 there was no law whereby merchants might recover their debts from 

 thofe to whom they entrufled their property, and that, for want of fuch 

 a law, niany merchants were impoveriflied, and many foreign merchants 

 defilled from trading to England, paffed an ad called the Statute of merch- 

 ants, which direded that the buyer fhould appear before the mayor of 

 London, York, or Briftol, to acknowlege the debt and day of payment, 

 which Ihould be regillered ; and that the debtor fliould put his feal to 

 a bill drawn by the mayor's clerk, who Ihould alfo affix the king's feal, 

 lod.'j;ed with him for that purpofe *. If the debtor negleded to make 

 payment when due, the mayor, upon the creditor producing his bill, 

 was direded to order a fale of the debtor's chattels, or burgages devife- 

 able, to the extent of the debt, if they were within his jurildidion, and 

 to deliver the money without delay to the creditor. If the property of 

 the debtor was not within the mayor's jurifdidion, he was to fend the 

 recognifance to the chancellor, who was to iillie a writ, dciiring the fliir- 

 ref, in whofe jurifdidion the property was, to do what the mayor fliould 

 otherways have done. If the debtor poflclled no property, he was to be 

 imprifoned, and fed with bread and water, till he or his friends fhould 

 fatisfy the creditor f. {A6i 1 1 Edw. /.] 



In the years 1283 and 1284 Robert Durham the mayor, together 

 with Simon Martel and other good men, of Berwick upon Tweed, en- 

 aded the Statutes of the gild. 



By c. 20 None but gild-brethren were permitted to buy hides, wool, or 

 wool-fells, in order to fell them again, or to cut cloth, except foreign 

 merchants. 



* Thefe regulations fuppofe tlie debtor incapable of writing. 



f I remember reading a plan, fomewhat fimilar to this law, projefted by fome modern author. 



