12 Antiquity and Early 



reconcile the two crafts ; nor did it. On the con- 

 trary, their mutual hostility increased to such a 

 degree of intensity that seven years later, in 1327, 

 Affrays between ^c read of sauguiuary affrays taking 

 the Saddlers place in the streets of Cheap and 



and the Lormers, ^ . -^ 



Joiners, and CHpplegate between the Saddlers on 

 the one side, and the combined forces 

 of the Loriners, Joiners, and Painters on the 

 other — affrays which set the whole City by the 

 ears.^ The account given in the City Letter 

 Books is quaint and interesting ; it is partly in 

 Latin and partly in Norman French. The record 

 purports to be "An agreement made between the 

 men of the trade of the Saddlers of London of the 

 one part, and the men of the trades of the Joiners, 

 Painters, and Loriners in copper and iron of the 

 same City, of the other part."^ 



" Be it remembered, that whereas a certain affray 

 lately took place between the men of the trade of the 

 Saddlers of the City of London, of the one part, and the 

 men of the trades of the Joiners, Painters, and Lorimers, 



^ Such affrays as that between the Saddlers and the Joiners 

 were not uncommon between the serving-men of the crafts, who 

 were not slow to identify themselves as a fraternity with the 

 quarrels of individual members. Northouck relates a sanguinary 

 battle in 1226 between the Goldsmiths and the Tailors, in which 

 many combatants were slain, thirteen of the ringleaders being 

 executed. Maitland records an affray in 1339 between the 

 Skinners and Fishmongers, and the old Chronicle of London 

 mentions one among the men of the different crafts on Black- 

 heath in 1375. 



^ Letter Book E., fol. 176. I have adopted Mr. Riley's 

 careful translation (" Memorials of London," pp. 156-162). 



