48 Antiquity and Early 



"And further that the serving-men aforesaid, accord- 

 ing to an ordinance made among themselves, would 

 oftentimes cause the journeymen of the said masters to 

 be summoned by a bedel, thereunto appointed, to attend 

 at Vigils of the dead, who were members of the said 

 Fraternity, and at making offerings for them on the 

 morrow, under a certain penalty to be levied, whereby 

 the said masters were very greatly aggrieved, and were 

 injured through such absenting of themselves by the 

 journeymen so leaving their labours and duties, against 

 their wish. 



" For amending and allaying the which grievances and 

 dissensions the Mayor and Aldermen commanded that 

 six of the said serving-men should attend in the name 

 of the whole of the alleged Fraternity, and communicate 

 with six or eight of the master Saddlers aforesaid, etc. ; 

 both parties to be here, before the said Mayor and 

 Aldermen, on the 19th day of July then next ensuing, 

 to make report to the Court as to such agreement 

 between them as aforesaid. And further, th'e Mayor 

 and Aldermen strictly forbade the said serving-men in 

 any manner to hold any meeting thereafter at Stratford 

 aforesaid, or elsewhere, without the liberty of the said 

 City, on pain of forfeiture of all that unto our Lord 

 the King, and to the said City, they might forfeit. 



"On which 19th day of July, came here as well the 

 masters aforesaid as the governors of the serving-men ; 

 and presented to the Mayor and Aldermen a certain 

 petition, in these words : — 



" ' Gilbert Dustone, William G5dowe, John Clay, John 

 Hiltone, William Berigge, and Nicholas Mason, do 

 speak on behalf of all their Fraternity, and do beg of 

 the Wardens of the Saddlers that they may have and 

 use all the points which heretofore they have used.' 



" Which petition having been read and heard, and divers 

 reasons by the said masters unto the Mayor and Alder- 



