328 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
learn that Plymouth’s first Exchange was 28 feet long from east to 
west, and 24 feet 3 inches broad from north to soutb. 
I have no record of any strike; but among the miscellaneous 
papers preserved by Mr. Henry Woollcombe from the general 
wreck, is what looks very much like a lock-out—a declaration 
before Francis Pavey, Notary Public, of fifteen ‘‘ Master Shoe- 
makers and inhabitants of the borough of Plymouth,” in general 
meeting assembled, that they “would only pay their journeymen 
the old rates of pay; and would not employ any journeyman 
who needlessly left his master, but with the said master’s con- 
sent.” 
There is little to interest us in the markets of this period, beyond 
the fact that in 1652 a yarn market, which had been intermitted 
several years, was revived, and ordered to be kept in the churchyard 
weekly on Thursdays between 10 and 12. 
The trade continued to be carried on in the old-fashioned pro- 
tected way. I find in 1671-2 one Thomas Westcott presented for 
refusing to take an apprentice. Persons who were unfree were 
made to pay fines for leave to open their shop windows. Nor was 
this apparently considered enough in all cases; for in 1660 one 
John Norman, who had dared to set up the trade of an armourer 
in the town, not being an apprentice either of London or Plymouth, 
was protested against to the Corporation by James Roope, John 
Leland, Jn. Anderton, Nicholas Bickford, Thomas Bickford, Thos. 
Bickford, jun., A. Yoale, Rh. Fletcher, Wm. Jessopp, Jn. Burges, 
and Jn. Woodman. I have not the slightest doubt they got what 
they wanted; for they told the Corporation that Plymouth was 
‘as ancient and as well governed in all particulars as most 
[boroughs] in England.” 
The shops of Plymouth town, in the year of grace 1678, might 
have been well stored; but we should not think them much to 
look at, could we be suddenly transported two centuries back. 
There was no George Street then, Bedford Street had not risen 
above its humble dignity of a Pig Market, and Old Town was 
almost wholly given over to Shambles. Whimple Street was. the 
chief centre of business, whither the belles of Plymouth resorted 
to get the latest fashions, with an occasional excursus into High 
Street, or perhaps a turn round Southside Street and the Barbican, 
which could boast of their mercers and grocers, their goldsmiths 
and apothecaries, running Whimple Street rather hard, and being 
