1604 Charter

[MS 4321: According to the MSS catalogue, this volume was compiled between 1670 and 1690 and then continued to c.1800. It a copy of the 1571 ordinances, compared against the original in 1704, formulae of oaths, and a copy of the Inspeximus Charter of 1604]

James, by the grace of god, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith etc. To all to whom theis presente letters shall come, Greeting. We have seen the letters Patents of the Ladie Elizabeth, late Queene of England, our most deare sister made in theis wordes, Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Queene of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith etc. To all to whom theis presents shall come, Greeting. Knowe yee that wee of our especiall grace and certaine knowledge ans mere mocion, have granted and given licence for us, our heires and successors (as much as in us lieth) to our beloved liege people, Thomas Spenser, John Cawver, Thomas Bradley, Walter Cowper, Williams Swainson the elder, Henry Mallory, James Lisby, John Tutt, Roger Catherine, Henrie Davison, and to all the test of Freemen of the mistery or arte of the Tilers and Bricklaiers of our Cittie of London and in the suburbs thereof, That they from henceforth are and shall bee in substance, Deede and name one Bdie and one perpetuall Societie of the Freemen of the said misterie or Arte of the Tilers or Bricklaiers of London, And we doe by this presents ordaine and appoint Thomas Spenser the first and moderne Master, and John Cawver and Thomas Bradley the first and moderne Wardens of the same misterie or Art, And that the said Master, Wardens and Societie, and their successors, maie have perpetuall succession, And that they and their Successors for ever shall be named and called by the name of Master and Keepers or Wardens of the Societie of Freemen of the misterie or Art of Tilers and Bricklaiers of London. And by the same name may impleade and be impleaded and annsweare and to be annsweared unto before whatsoever Justices or Judges spirituall or temporall in what Courtes and places soever far and in all and singular matters, suites, Complaintes and accions, pleas and demanndes of what Kind, condicion, nature or forme soever they shall bee, And that they may have a common seale forever to searve for sealing of te matters and businesses of the said Misterie or Art, And that such said Master, Keepers or Wardens and the Societie of the Freemen of the said Misterie or Art, and their Successors, shall and maie everie Yeare, on the daie of St. Lawrence the Martir, choose and make out of themselves One Master and Twoe Keepers or Wardens to viewe, rule and governe the Misterie or Art and Societie aforesaid, And that such Master and twoe Keepers or Wardens soe chosen after like eleccion bee Master, Keepers or Wardens of the said Misterie or Art, and maie have power and authority to view, rule and governe the Misterie or Art and Societie aforesaid from the said daie of St. Lawrence untill a new eleccion shall bee made of one Master and Twoe keepers or Wardens, by the Master and Keepers or Wardens and Societie of the Misterie or Art aforesaid, or the greater part of themfor the time being, And that such Master and Keepers or Wardens and Societie of the misterie of Art aforesaid bee persons able and Capeable in law by the name and under the name of Master, Keepers or Wardens of the Societie of the Freemen of the Mistery or Art of the Tilers and Bricklayers of London, to purchase, possesse and Receive in Fee and perpetuitie, Lands, Tenements, Rents, revencions and other possessions which are not of maie not bee holden of us, our heires or successors ymediatly in cheife or otherwise by Knights service, unto the value of Fiftie Powndes by the yeare above reprises of any person or persons whatsoever willing to give, bequeath, sell or assigne the same, To have and to hold to the said Master and Keepers or Wardens and Societie of the Mistery or Art aforesaid and their successorsforever, in aid of the releife of the poore men and weomen, Brethren and sistersof the Societie and Misterie of Art aforesaid forever, without the molestacion, inquieting, impeachment, impediment or grievance of us, our heires or successors or of any others our officers or ministers, or of the Justices, Escheators, Shreives, Baliffes, or of any others of our said heires or successors, the Statute published of Landes and Tenements not put in Mortmayne or any other statute, act, ordinance, provision or restraint, thing or matter to the Contrarie thereof made or published or to bee made notwithstanding, And, moreover, of our more abundant grace, wee have granted for us, our heires and successors, to the said Master and Keepers or Wardens and societie of the mistery or Art aforesaid, and their Successors, that the said Master and Keepers or Wardens and Societie, and their Successors, shall and maie lawfullyand freely from time to time make, ordeine and establish for the sound and wholesome rule and governement of the Fremen of the Misterie or Art aforesaid, and of the said societie, ordinances, provisions, lawes and Statuts, according as necessity requireth, soe often and when it shall bee needful and seeme fitt unto them Soe that those lawes, Statuts and Ordinances bee noe manner of waies against the lawes and Customes of our Realme of England, and to impose reasonable paines upon everie such person or persons which shall infringe and not observe suchlike ordinances, provisions, lawes or statuts, And that such Master and Keepers or Wardens for the time being may from time to time lawfully leavy such said paines or forfeitures to the proffitt and Comodity of the said Master and Keepers or Wardens and Societie of the Mistery or Art aforesaid, and their successors, maie from time to time att their pleasure receive and admit into the same societie an hable, honest and discreete workeman, being skilfull of and in the same Misterie or Art of Tilers and Bricklayers, And alsoe to expel and amove any other from and out of the said Societie att their pleasure, Moreover wee will and grant for us, our heires and Successors, to the said Master, Keeper or Wardens and the Societie aforesaid, That the said Master and Keepers or Wardens of the said Societie of the misterie of Art aforesaid, for the time being, maie and forever have the search, Correcting and Governing of all and singular Freemen of the said societie using the said Misterie or Art of the Tilers and Bricklaiers in the same Cittie and suburbes thereof, and of all other freemen of forreinors any waie frequenting and using the said Misterie or Art of the Tilers and Bricklaiers, aswell within the same Cittie and Liberties and suburbes thereof, as within any other place or places within fifiteene miles of the said Cittie of London; And of all Tilers called plaine Tilers, rouffe Tilers, Corner Tilers, and paveing Tilers, and of all other things and matters whatsoever, any manner of waie touching, belonging or apperteineing to the said Misterie or Art of the Tilers and Bricklayers, aswell within the same Cittie and Liberties and suburbes thereof, as within any other place or places within Fifteene miles of the said Cittie of London, and the punishing of all the said persons, aswell freemen as forreynors whatsoever, as before is specified, for their faults, aswell in the premises as in not perfectly executing, doing and using the Misterie or Art aforesaid, by the survey of the aforesaid Master who for the time shalbe, or by the survey of any other of the honest and more sufficient men of the misterie or Art aforesaid, which from time to time the same Master shall depute in his steede hereunto, And that they maie correct and amend the faults in the same misterie or Art, if any shall be found, according to their sound discrecions, as shall be thought more apt and convenient to bee done to the greater proffitt of the Cominally [sic] of our people; Commanding, and by theis presentes strictly charging all and singuler Shreiffes, Maiors, Baliffes, Cunstables, and other the officers, Ministers and subiects whatsoever of us, our heiries and successors, That from time to time they bee aiding, assisting and comforting unto the said Master, Keepers or Wardens and Societie of the said Misterie or Art, and their successors, in the execucion of the presmisses in all thinges as is fitting, not bringing to them or any of them and damage or iniurie, Although expresses mencion in theis presents bee not heretofore made of the true yearly value, or of any other value or certeinetie of the premises, or any of themthem, or of any guiftes or grants by us or any our Pregenitors to the said Masters, Keepers or Wardens and Societie aforesaid Or any statute, act, ordinance, proclamacion, provision or restraint to the contrary thereof had, made, ordained or provided, or any other thing, cause or matter whatsoever, in any wise notwithstanding. In Witnes whereof wee have caused theis our letters to bee made Patents, Witnesour selfe at Gorambury, the Third daie of August, in the Tenth yeare of our Raign, which said letters Patents and all and singuler thinges therein conteined, having ratified wee the same for us, our heires and successors, as much as in us lieth, doe gratefully accept and approve of and to our beloved Edward griffin, now Master, and Mathew Austen and Thomas Butler, now Keepers or Wardens of the Fellowshipp of the Misterie or Art aforesaid, and their Successors, wee doe ratifie and confirme as the same letters Patents in themselves doe reasonably testify. In Witnes whereof wee have caused theis our letters to bee made Patents, Witnes our selfe at Westminster, the twentieth daie of Aprill, in the second yeare of our Reigne of England, Frannce and Ireland, and of Scotland seaven and Thirtie [And in the Year of our Lord 1604 – this added in Latin in a later hand]