County: Northamptonshire
Code: D4227#5
Reference: Northampton, Northamptonshire Archives Service: Northampton Borough Records, section IV/1/1, fols 39v-41r
Function: Rule
[fol. 39v]To all true Crıstín Men thıs present
wrytyng Jndented Are to be holde seen Redde or
heru Thomas deraunt Maıre o the tou o Norhampto
And xxıııȷtı o hıs Comburgeıs to hym swor · Sende
gretyng ın god eulastyng · Sıtħ ın the genaỻ counseỻ
of the seıde tou ther holde the Monday next aftır the
Feste of seínt Andrewe thapposteỻ ın the xxııȷ yere of the
reıgne of kyng henry the Syxte Apetycío by byỻ to them
put and shewed for the Comy profet and honeste o the
seıde tow ın hıt conteyned · Sıthe the Taıllours Crafte
ın the seıde Tou vsed · Full many gentılme and other
people of oure lorde the kyngꝭ for the shapyng of theıre
clothyng and of theı uᷓntes · And of theıre lyvereys dayly
comen to the same tow · / / Nevertheles noo Rule ne
order put ne ıs ín the saıd Crafte betwene thartıfıcers
and mynystres o the seıde Crafte · So that euyche
of them holdytħ hym selfe as great and hable A maıster
ooas another · wherefore the seıde gentılme and dıuse
lıege people of ou lorde kyngıs oft tynes for vnhable
shapyng ın the meayne tyme are hurte or made worse
and dısseıved to her pıudıce · And also sclaunder and
detríment to the saıde tou · / / And therfore the saıde
Maıre and hıs comburgeıs by the comy Assent o
the seıde tou · wyllen ın the saıde Crafte ordynaunce
and good Rule be putt and ordent for the weale and
honoure of the seıd crafte Tou · And to the laude and
honoure of god ꝑpetually to endure / / And ın that that
the ordeínanaunce [sic] and good Rule of the seıde crafte there
[fol. 40r]more ꝑfıtly and faıthfully may be vsed / / Thıs constytıco
and ordınaunce suyng stonde for lawe ın the saıde tou
for euer to endure · So that by the lyƀtees pveleges
therof by oure lorde the kyng and hıs ꝓgenytores
graunted and confermed · By the whıche they may
Amonge other lawes Amonge or bytwene them selfe
make for the good Rule of the same tou to be kepte · / Jn
the Fyrste they chosen and putten Joħn Clayhunger and
Joħn lylly of the saıde Crafte Maısters and ouseers for
defaltes ın the same crafte correctoures for the yere
next suyng · And that the and theı successoures haue
an halle ın the whıche theı may when they wyỻ caỻ
to gedyr aỻ thoo that vsen the seıd crafte · And thoo
called that absent them selfe to ponysshe · And there o
them selfe ın lıke wıse · ıȷ Maısters for the yere of
theıre owne to be for to chose The whıche shall make
othe by fore the Maıre of the tou for the tyme beyng
ın the genaỻ counsell faıthfully to occupıe and the
saıde Maısters to haue power all trespasoures and
defauters o hem pleynly to correcte · / / Alwey
excepte that ı ıt happe any contrausıe Amonges
hem parcıally for to sprynge or hadde · hıt be put
to the maıre of the saıde tou beyng for the tyme · / /
To amende leest they putt soo great ponyshment to
the trespasoures / / · or money of hem wylfully take
by extorcıo and putte or turne the money to theıre
[fol· 40v]owne ꝓpur Vse . But suche Amendes for defautes
and other sūmes of money levyed o men of that
Crafte Rıghtfully take ınto the honoure of god and
for the welfare of the saıde crafte medefully and
charytably as ıt sues Theı putte and dıspose ~~~
And good Rule and ordınaunce amonge hem holde
as ıt sues That ıs to sey that no Taıllo᷑ ın the tou
forseıde nor ın the subbarbys ther holde shoppe · But
he or that by the Maısters o the seıde Crafte be conyng
and Able ın the same and ın hıs mans for the avayle
to the seıd Craft soo conably provıd · And then ín
the bygynnyng of settyng vppe of hıs shoppe that
he pay to the seıd Maısters · That ıs to sey euy straunger
ııȷ ıııȷ · And of euy other man as ın maner of A
prentıȝ wıtħın the seıde tou ın the seıde crafte taugħt
xx · of the whıche the Maısters the halfe shall delyue
to the Meıre and Comy uᷓnt of the seıde tou to the vse
and profıte of the Maıre and Comynalte · And the other
halfe the Maısters to kepe for the comyn necessaryes
nedıs of the seıde crafte · And the sustentaco of the
Fratníte of seínt Joħn Baptıste and the lıgħt abowte
the Sacrament ın the Chırche of Alhalowes of
Norhampto to be spendıd / / And that no Taıllo᷑
holde any Chaumbır ın the seıd Tou ne ın the
subbarbıs therof but allonly for hym selfe hıs wıffe
and hıs Chyldre ꝓpur clothes to be sewed / / And
yf any Taıllo᷑ be founde ın that trespasyng by A
[fol. 41r]moderate mercyment by the forseıde Maısters or the
Maıre as ıt ıs seıde for to be take ın the vsıs necessa
rıȷs forseıde evenly or equally to be deuyded vnto the
tyme he leve suche Chaumbyr and he be so chastysed
And that hereaftırwarde Taıllours of the seıde craft
ın Norhampto than to be Brether of the seıd Fratnıte o
seınt Joħn Baptıste by the Maısters of the crafte Aboveseıde
to be receyvıd and to gydyr sworne for to take vppom [sic] hem
the ordınaunce and constıtıcıons o the seıde Fratníte · And
to paye theı quartages to supporte and mayntene aỻ
other charges o Rıgħt to the seıde Fratnıte longyng
Jn wıttnes hereo to oon partye of thıs psent wrıtyng
endented Ayenste or wıtħ the Maısters o the seıde
Crafte to Abıde · Asweỻ the cōmy seaỻ of the seıde tou
o Norhampto · As the seaỻ of thoffıce of the Meıryalte
of the same tou Aren Appendaunt or putto · And the
other partıe o the same wrytıng ındented Ayenste the
seıde Meıre and xxıııȷ comburgeıs ın the Comy Cheste
of the same tou Amonge certeyne Evydence for eue
to be kepte vnder the seaỻ of the saıde Joħn Clayhunger
and Joħn lylly rest sealed yeven at Norhampto the
xxtı day of Auguste the yere of the Reıg o the seıde
kyng henry the syxte Aftyr the conquest xxııȷtı