XXXIX. THE ORDINANCES OF 1661. (fn. 1)
Pecuniary necessity, as stated in the preface, obliged the
Company to make these Ordinances, of which the substance is
here given.
[After a preface similar to that which is found in those of
1613, these Ordinances proceed]
The Master Wardens and Assistants of the Company of
Merchant Taylors in the City of London willing & desirous the
said Act in every behalf to be observed & kept the Three and
Twentieth day of December Anno Dom[m]. 1661 and in the 13th
year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lord King
Charles ye Second have exhibited & presented their humble
petition unto us with this present writing containing the good
& charitable Orders Rules & Ordinances by them ordained devised & made for the said fraternitie & their Successors & for
the com[m]on weale & conservation of the good estate of the
Mistery of the said Merchant Taylors And thereupon have instantly desired us that we would peruse & examine the said
Orders Rules and Ordinances as the aforesaid Act made in the
said parliament requireth & approve the same.
Whereupon in pursuance of the sd Act of Parliament We
have perused the said Ordinances the tenor whereof hereafter
ensue & follow viz. Whereas by reason of the late unhappy
troubles in this kingdom the poor people which are maintained
by the Company of Merchant Taylors are much increased &
become very numerous by the relieving of whose necessities
the said Company is of late become indebted in great sum[m]s
of money which Debts are likely to increase unless some future
provision be made for preventing the same for the discharging
of wch sum[m]es of money due by the sd Company & avoiding
the inconveniencies of their incurring further debts & for the
future & better reliefe of the poor of the said Company It is
ordained & established by the said Master, Wardens & Assistants
of the said Company of Merchant Taylors
That every person free of the said Company of Merchant
Taylors who shall from henceforth have any Apprentice bound
unto him and every Apprentice that from henceforth shall be
bound an Apprentice to any of the said Company when he
shall be admitted a freeman of the said Company or fraternity
of Merchant Taylors & all such others as in respect of his or
their fathers being or having been a freeman of the said Company of Merchant Taylors shall be admitted into the freedom (fn. 2)
of the said fraternity shall for & at the respective times of such
his and their having his or their sd apprentice bound unto him
or them And the Apprentice or other person at the time of his
being made free or admitted into the freedom of the said Company of Merchant Taylors respectively pay the severall & respective sum[m]s for binding & making free and admittance into
the said freedom respectively as are hereinafter imposed upon
them respectively—viz., that every person free of the fraternity
of Merchant Taylors & using the Trade of a Merchant Adventurer of England a Turkey Merchant Spanish Merchant a
French Merchant or any other kind of Merchant whatsoever
trading beyond the seas that shall have any apprentice become
bound unto him—shall at or upon the binding of every apprentice
unto him & for presenting & three times Entring & Recording
of his said apprentice & Trade in the hall book or books of the
said Company pay unto the Clerk of the said fraternity for the
time being for the use of the said fraternity the sum Thirty
Shillings.
[Then, in the same terms, trades are classified and fees of
20s., 13s. 4d., 10s., and 6s. 8d. imposed on the apprentice,
according to his class. The Ordinances then proceed.]
And that if any person or persons hereafter shall by reason
of their fathers being or having been a freeeman of the said
Company be admitted into the freedom of the said fraternity
that the party that shall be so admitted shall upon his admittance thereunto & for Entring & Recording of his name &
Trade as aforesd pay unto the said Clerk for the use of the said
fraternity such Sum of money as an apprentice of the said
fraternity according to the rates aforesd in relation to the Art,
Trade or Imployment of the said father ought to have paid
upon his admittance into the freedom of the said fraternity.
And it is also further Ordained by the said Master, Wardens
& Assistants that as often as the Master, Wardens & Assistants
of the said fraternity shall think fitt to fill up or augment the
Livery (fn. 3) or clothing of the said fraternity if any of those persons free of the said Company that shall hereafter be named
& elected by the said Master Wardens & Assistants to be admitted into the Livery or Clothing of the said fraternity shall
renounce refuse or deny to accept of the same, that then every
such person so elected & renouncing refuseing or denying to
be admitted into the Livery or Clothing of the said fraternity
shall forfeit and pay to the said Clerk for the use of the said
Society the Sum of ffifty pounds.
And that every person of the said fraternity that is or shall
be admitted into the Livery & Clothing of the said fraternity &
that shall not keep his Stewards Dinner or that shall refuse to
supply or bear such usual rates of contributõn as are usually
born by such as are elected and admitted into the said Livery
shall for every such refusal forfeit and pay to the said Clerk for
the use of the said fraternity the sum of Thirty pounds.
Which Ordinances in maner and form afore specifyed at the
request of the said Master, Wardens & Assistants of the aforesaid Mistery of Merchant Taylors By the authority of the same
Act of Parliament we the said Lord High Chancellor, Lord
High Treasurer & Chief Justices of either Bench aforesaid have
examined and the same Ordinance or Ordinances do by these
presents (as much as in us is and as far as we lawfully may)
Ratify, allow & approve. In Witness whereof we hereunto
subscribed our names and put our Seals this ffour & Twentieth
day of January Anno Dom. 1661 and in the Thirteenth year of
the Reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lord Charles the
Second of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King,
Defender of the Faith, &c.
Clarendon, C.
R. Foster.
Orl. Bridgeman.