46 Antiquity and Early 



for the souls of all the faithful dead, for ever, according 

 to the order of the aforesaid Guardians and Commonalty 

 thereof to be made. In witness whereof we have made 

 these our letters to be made patent. Witness, Edmund, 

 Duke of York, Keeper of England, at Westminster, in 

 the twentieth day of March, in the eighteenth year of 



our reign." 



Two years later (20 Rich. II.) we obtain from 



A.D. 1397. ^^^ ^^^y Letter Books an interesting 

 Dispute between account of a disputc between the 



1\'T n^l^PT*^ inri 



Yeomen Sad- masters and the yeomen or serving- 

 diers. j^^jj of the Saddlers' trade, which gives 

 us an excellent insight into the customs of the 

 guild at that early period. The record, which 

 is partly in Latin and partly in Norman French, 

 narrates that : — 



" Whereas there had arisen no small dissension and 

 strife between the masters of the trade of Saddlers of 

 London, and the serving-men, called yeomen, in that 

 trade ; because that the serving-men aforesaid, against 

 the consent, and without leave of their masters, were 

 wont to array themselves all in a new and like suit once 

 in the year, and oftentimes held divers meetings, at 

 Stratford and elsewhere without the liberty of the said 

 City, as well as in divers places within the City ; 

 whereby many inconveniences and perils ensured to 

 the trade aforesaid ; and also, very many losses might 

 happen thereto in future times, unless some quick and 

 speedy remedy should by the rulers of the said City be 

 found for the same ; therefore the masters of the said 

 trade, on the loth day of the month of July, in the 

 20th year, &c., made grievous complaint thereon to the 



