The Agreement with the Haberdashers

Be it had in perpetuall memory that the viiijth day of September in the yere of our lord God mlvcxi and in the thirde yere of the reigne of Kyng Henry the VIIIth is condescended, accorded and fully aggreed bitwene Robert Aldernes maister of the crafte or mystery of haberdasshers of the citye of London, John Ever, Henry Hille, Edward Bellowe, and John Hasilfote, wardyens of the said craft and the hole clothyng of the same, and Gerard Rowst, Antony de Wyne, Antony Levyson, and James Lees, wardyens and gouernoures of the crafte & facultie of hatmakers of the said citye and suburbes of the same and other, the most honeste persones of hatmakers aforsaid, that thise articles ensuyng for the comon weale as well of the said crafte of haberdasshers as of hatmakerys be ratifyed and establisshed in maner and fourme folowyng, that is to wite:

Fyrst, that the said hatmakers from hensfurth shall haue liberte euery yere at the day of Seynt James the appostill, their patrone, to elect and chose amonges their feliship ij honest persones hatmakers to be maisters & wardyens of their feliship, for good order & rule to be kepte and had amonges theym herafter. And that euery brother and suster of the same shall pay their dueties at their dayes of recreacon whether they be present or absent.

Also that euery persone of the said crafte of hatmakers from hensfurth that begynneth to kepe houshold and occupyeing the crafte and feates of the same at his first entre into the same shall pay and content to the maisters and wardeyns of the crafte of haberdasshers aforsaid xiii s. iiij d. sterlinges, the oon half therof to the comon box of the said haberdasshers and the other half to the box of hatmakers, and that euery person from henssfurth commyng from beyonde the see or owte of any other contre, entendyng to vse the occupacion of hatmakers or kepyng any habitacion within the citye of London or the suburbes of the same, shall pay at euery of their fyrst entre into the same xxvi s. viiij d. to be devided in maner and fourme as is aforsaid. Also all such persones as haue lerned the occupacion of hatmakers within the said citie and suburbes of the same shal be sett to werk before any other person straungere commyng owt of any other countrey so that he an able werkman, trew and feithfull.

Also that euery persone from hensfurth occupyeng the facultie of hatmakers shall haue to werk with hym or theym the nombre of iiij persones werkmen and lerners werkyng at his or their boorde and not above, vpon peyn of forfaiture vi s. viii d. sterlinges [f. 16r], as often as he or they shal be therwith fownd doyng the contrary, to be devided in maner and forme aforerehersid.

And that also euery suche persone, hatmaker, seruyngman commyng and repaireng from the parties of beyond the see or owt of any other countrey from hensfurth att their furst entre into their seruice shall pay iij s. and iiij d. to be devidede in maner and fourme aforsaid.

Also if any iurneyman of the same facultie of hatmakers happen herafter to be in seruice with any broder of the fraternite of Seynt James within London or within iij myles nere aboute the citie of London, & woll not pay his duties as other of his broderne of the same company and felishippe of Seynt James doo, shall at euery tyme he doth the contrary pay iij s. iiij d. sterlynges to be levied, deuyded, and paide in maner and fourme forsaid and to the same vse of the said crafte & facultie.

Also, if any yong persone herafter entende and bynde hymselff seruaunt allowes, and be covenant with any such persone that is or shal be wilfull or obstinat, and [f. 16v] pay not his duties accordyng as other of his saide brotherne done, that than the saide persone so beyng couenaunt seruaunt, at suche tyme and whan as his yeris be expired and ended, to pay to the said vse of the haberdasshers and hatmakers vi s. viiij d. sterlynges if he worke and be a broder of the said facultie of hatmakers, or els not to be sett on worke among the craft of hatmakes aforsaid in no wise.

mystery: guild