SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



From the Quo Warranto Pleas of 1293 we learn that Lichfield, 

 Rugeley, Cannock, and Brewood possessed no market till the reign of 

 Henry III, and the profits went, even then, to the bishop of Lichfield and 

 Coventry. 42 The market at Wolverhampton also dates from this reign, as also 

 does that of Stone. 43 



In a charter granted by King John to the burgesses of Stafford, that town 

 gained the privileges of a free borough 'with freedom from toll, suits of shires 

 and hundreds, and all other free customs of the free boroughs of England.' 44 



Tamworth also gained a charter of privileges in the reign of Edward III, 

 though these were restricted to ' the men and tenants of that half the town 

 of Tamworth which had been ancient demesne.' 45 In the same reign Walsall 

 also gained a charter, giving the burgesses freedom from toll. 46 



The first city to obtain a charter of incorporation was Lichfield, in 1547. 

 Stafford was incorporated two years later, 47 whilst Tamworth had to wait till 

 I56o. 48 Newcastle gained its charter of incorporation in the reign of 

 Henry VIII. 49 The other corporate boroughs of Staffordshire are of modern 

 origin. 



After the dissolution of the religious gild of St. Mary, which had 

 hitherto managed the affairs of the town, the only town possessing a merchant- 

 gild in the fourteenth century seems to have been Newcastle-under-Lyme, and 

 the attempts of that city to carry out a policy of trade protection were un- 

 successful. In an interesting case which came before the judges in 127980 

 the gild tested its powers of exclusive trading. It seems that a burgess of 

 Stafford named William de Pykestoke had taken out a summons against 

 certain burgesses of Newcastle-under-Lyme for carrying off and illegally 

 detaining his chattels, viz. four ells of cloth. The Newcastle men admitted 

 the fact, but in defence charged the said William with keeping a shop, cutting 

 cloth, and selling wool and fleeces by the ell without having been received 

 into the gild and contrary to the regulations of the gild granted to Newcastle 

 by a charter of Henry III. 60 



Pykestoke on his part admitted that he was not a gild member, but 

 pleaded that by virtue of the charter of King John making Stafford a free 

 borough he ought to enjoy the liberty of free trade in Newcastle. He further 

 asserted that he and other burgesses had enjoyed these privileges till a year 

 ago, when their chattels had been seized as aforesaid. 



After many adjournments a jury decided in favour of the Stafford bur- 

 gesses, despite the regulations of the gild, and awarded them 40^. damages 

 and the restoration of their chattels. 61 



We see therefore that the general civic protection of the middle ages was 

 not so firmly established in Staffordshire as in many other counties, where it 

 had the disastrous result of driving trade and industry to the country villages 

 to the impoverishment and depopulation of the towns. 52 



41 The Will. Salt Arch. Soc. Coll. vi (i), 244. " Ibid. 249. 



44 Merewether, Boroughs and Corporations, i, 408, who gives reference Rot. Cart. 2 John, m. 7, but this is. 

 not printed by the Rec. Com. " Pat. 4 Edw. Ill, m. 32. 46 Ibid. 47 Edw. Ill, pt. 2, m. 35. 



" Merewether, Boroughs and Corporations, iii, 2281. " Ibid. 



49 Staff. Constitutional Mag. Feb. 1890, p. 303. 



M The Will. Salt Arch. Soc. Coll. vi (i), 1 1 1. " Ibid. 1 1 2. 



sf See Trans. Roy. Hist. Soc. vii (New Ser.), 1893, for acct. of the Mercers' Company, Lichfield, instituted 

 1624 by the town authorities, who were empowered by royal charter to regulate the trade of mercers, grocers, 

 linen drapers, woollen drapers, silkmen, hosiers, salters, apothecaries, and haberdashers. 



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