1 86 The Company and the Trade. 



dinner upon the occasion of taking up the free- 

 dom is nowhere else alluded to throughout the 

 Company's books. The improbability, not to say 

 impossibility, of an ordinary apprentice being able 

 to contribute such a sum as would be involved in 

 a dinner to about 20 persons inclines us to believe 

 that this custom could only apply to persons 

 taking up the freedom by redemption and not by 

 servitude. This explanation, however, is purely 

 speculative. If it be correct, a minute in 1626 

 acquaints us with the fact that by that time the 

 gift of a silver spoon had become general on all 

 occasions of the bestowal of the freedom, whether 

 by patrimony, servitude, or redemption. 



1626. December Jth. 



"At this Court Thomas Addisonne, the sonne of 

 Thomas Addisonne, being made free by patrimony, 

 Will"' Cam, late appren. to John Greenwaie, Thomas 

 Bassett, late apprentice to William Pease, and John 

 Lidget, made free by redempcon, foure silver spoones. 

 the said Lidget's spoone being afterwards delivered him 

 backe vpon the bringing in of a litle silver bowle." 



In one instance a spoon is recorded as weighing 

 6\ ounces ; occasionally the spoon is described as 

 being engraved with the donor's name, and on 

 numerous occasions the spoons were ''guilt." 



As many as twelve spoons are recorded as 

 c beinof presented at a sinMe Court, 



bpoons ... 



exchanged for sio^uifyinpf as many freemen enrolled. 



other plate. ^ •' P . ■' . 



rrom time to tmie, as these spoons 

 accumulated, they were taken out of the Com- 



