A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



trade under the fostering influences of the two trading companies, the increased ^^-^"dfo^ English 

 cloth which was largely produced in the West Riding, merchanted m York, and shipped oft from 

 fiJl! to the Baltic and Low Countries, brought home to the people the feet that the st,n of pro^ 

 duction, by curtailing the number of apprentices, by refiismg to allow able workmen to wo k un ess 

 they were enrolled in one of the gilds, was a serious hindrance to commerce. Thus early in the 

 17th century the York Council constantly interfered to force the hands of the city g.lds to admit 

 strangers. In 1608 Richard Foster, stationer, was made a freeman at a reduced rate, and only 

 required to pay %y. or 20s. a year because there was not any freeman of his occupation in York. 

 The following year William Esbrigge (Eskirk in the Freemen's list), millonerwa^ forgiven 

 /S IV. \d. of the fee because there were but few of the same company in the city. Mark 15ell, 

 a coverlet weaver, a trade of which at one time York had the monopoly, ' was admitted for xx 

 markes in regard that there is but few of the same companie in this cittie that xx ' nobles shalbe 

 rebated and forgyven hym.'*^ 



Stephen Brittayn, organ-maker, was admitted on the same terms, ' because there was not anie 

 in this citie of the same occupation.' ^ r-> r 1, 



In a case that occurred in 161 2 the council showed admirable sense. ' Diverse of the poorest 

 sorte ' of the company of haberdashers complained that a certain John Baites, who was free 

 neither of the city nor the company, had begun to work at the trade. In defence, those who 

 encouraged him said that John Baites could do work that none of the complainants could do. T he 

 mayor and aldermen then ordered both John Baites and the petitioners to send in apiece of work 

 'such as is saide none of the saide company can work,' so that the court could themselves arrive at 

 a right decision.^' Nothing more was heard of the matter until more than a year later," when it 

 was decided that as 



the Companie of Haberdashers and Feltmakers are at present a great Companie and that 

 manie of them are poorc men greatlie charged and have no means whereby to mainteyn themselves 

 and ther families but onely ther said occupaton and that the doeings of the said John Baites is 

 hurtful] to the free citizens of the said Companye and contrarye to the orders of the said Companye 

 and that it is thought not fitting that the said John Baites should live from his wife have enjoyned the 

 said John Baites within 14. daies nowe next coming to depart from this cittie and not after the same 

 tyme to work at the said occupaton within the said cittie or the suburbs or liberties thereof 



It is impossible to help suspecting that the unfortunate John Baites had been deluded into 

 staying in the city until his particular trade, the making of hatbands, had been learnt by some of 

 the haberdashers, and that he was turned adrift by the people who had first employed him as soon 

 as he had served their purpose. 



In another matter the court seem to have had reasonable grounds for interfering with the 

 selfish policy of the gilds. 



And whereas this court undentanding that diverse occupatons and companies within this cittie 

 doe refuse to accept or receive anie yonge man to be free Brethren of ther occupatons or companies 

 which are admitted to the freedome of this cittie upon good causes except they doe paie unto the 

 companie whereof they are to be free a great some of money or make a breakfast dynner or supper to 

 the whole companie which hath bene to the utter [undoing] of diverse yonge men who have had 

 little store of money to sett up ther occupaton withall. It is therefore thought good that no occupa- 

 ton or companie within this cittie shaD from henceforth take receive or exact of anie brother for hii 

 admittance unto ther fellowshipp or companie in meate money or otherwise above xxj without the 

 consent of the Lord Maior of this cittie for the tyme being upon payne of X4J.°' 



As the civic authority had gradually superseded the gild authority during the 17th century, 

 newly organized gilds or gilds seeking reorganization sought to have their privileges confirmed by 

 the central, not the provincial authorities. Thus for the gild the company was substituted. The 

 most interesting example of this is the well-known society of the cutlers of Sheffield,"' who 

 received their charter in 1624. But the history of that organization, beginning as it does with a 

 few rules issued by the lord o*^ the manor, and later incorporated by Act of Parliament, cannot be 

 included with that of the gilds. Still, this tendency to substitute parliamentary for provincial 

 control was stoutly resisted by the ruling civic party in York. The gild of bakers, who on 

 account of the assize of bread always stood on the border line between a state-managed and a city- 



'^ York Mun. Rec. xxxiii, fol. \l\a, 30 Jan. 1608. 



^ Ibid. fol. 158^, 14 Mar. 1609. " Ibid. fol. i66a, 5 July 1609. 



" Ibid. fol. i68(2, 14 July 1609. Cf Freemen of York (Surt. Soc), ii, 57. 



™ Ibid. fol. 305a, 3 July 1612. " Ibid, xxxiv, fol. 45a, 18 Nov. 1614. 



^ Ibid, xxxiii, fol. 79^, 8 July 1607. Cf a similar enactment passed 30 Mar. 1604, xxxii, fol. 320a. 

 ^' Mr. R. E. Leader has, in his invaluable Tht Sheffield Company of Cutlers, coUected all the documents 

 concerning the Sheffield Company. 



452 



