Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extracts From Toulmin Smith's History. Of The English Gilds.
Christ , the Virgin Mary , and other saints , stepped into the place of Odin and the rest of the gods " ( pp . lxvii , and next page ) . That feasting was not perpetuated by tho Masonic fraternity only , may
be proved from the following quotation , viz . : " The Gild Brethren wore fond of their feast days of rejoicings , in various processions , " & o . ( p . xxxiv ) . Again :
" The very soul of the Craft Gild was its meetings , which brought all the Gild Brothers together every week or quarter . These meetings were always held with certain ceremonies of greater solemnity . The box having several locks , * * * and containing the charters of the Gild , statutes , the money , and other valuable articles was opened on such occasions , and all present had to uncover their heads , " ( p . cxxv ) .
Having shown that an old landmark of feasting was the cause of the origin of the Gilds , and I may add that the said old landmark has always been strictly observed by the Gilds , including the Masonic fraternity , tho next question is , which is the oldest handicraft Gild ? and whioh handicraft
Gild was most honoured in olden times by kings , lords , & c . ? A Masonic luminary will doubtless say that the Masonic fraternity was oldest and moro highly esteemed than all other Gilds put together . Mr . Brentano will not , however , have it so . He says :
" Foremost among the free handicraftsmen were the weavers . They formed a kind of middle-class between the patrician and plobian , and to supply the local demands the weavers' manufacturers found markets in tho most distant countries [ which ] naturally invested them with greater
importance . They were distinguished above all others by wealth aud selfrespect , and a sense of freedom . Their unions enjoyed of old the greatest independence . In all towns they stood at the head of the Craftsmen ; and the contests of the handicraft class with the patricians for political emancipation and its victories , were , above all , the struggles of the victorious weavers .
" Accordingly , m all manufacturing countries of that time , in England . Flanders , and Brabant , as well as in the Rhenish towns , the most ancient Gilds were those of the weavers . The Gild of the London weavers was chartered by Henry I ., and so was that of Oxford weavers . In the reign of Henry II ., weaver Gilds , confirmed by the king , existed in Northampton , York , Huntingdon , Lincoln , and Winchester . "
After giving a number of towns in Germany , Flanders , Brabant , & c „ he winds up as follows : "We may infer that here , among these extremely industrious and stubborn weavers of Flanders and Brabant , did the first Craft Gild originate , " ( pp . cxvi ., & c ) .
Again , says our author : " In London the Craft Gilds appear in full possession of the mastery iu the reign of Edward III . The privileges which they had till then exercised only on suffrance , or on payment of their permas ( meaning a certain sum of money due to the crown ) , were now , for the first time ,
generally confirmed to them by charters by Edward III . ; fhe authorities of the city of London , who had in former times contended with all their might against the Craft Gilds , now approved of their statutes , and in the fourteenth century a large majority of the trades appeared before the Mayor and
Aldermen to get their ordinances enrolled , at the same time they adopted particular , livery , and were thence called Livery Companies . Edward III . himself actually became a member of one of them , that of the Linen Armories , or Tailor ' s Gild , and his example found numerous imitators amongst his successors and nobility of London , " ( p . cxxii ) .
From the above extracts we learn that the weavers were chartered as Gilds , both on the Continent and in England , before any other handicraft organisation received such privileges , that the scheme of giving liberty to common people was opposed by the nobility , and must add that the trading Gilds were bitterly opposed to granting Guild privileges to handicraft
organisations . These struggles continued in England until the reign of Edward III ., when the Guild system- gave satisfaction to all parties . Now , the question is , when and how have the Masons obtained the Guild privileges in England ? and where the earliest laws of the first Mason ' s Gild ? Mr ,
Brentano ' s statement , on the above , is rather brief , but as he refers in footnotes to a book called " Memorials of London and London Lifo , " by Henry Thomas Riley , as his authority , I shall , therefore , give the next extract from Mr . Riley's book , or rather say , an extract from the London record of the fourteenth century , viz :
"At a congregation of the Mayor and Aldermen on the Monday next before the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( 2 nd Feb . ) , in the thirtieth year of the reign of King Edward the Third , & c . There being
present Simon Fraunceys , the Mayor , John Lovekyn , and other Aldermen , the Sheriffs , and John Little , Simon de Benyngtone and William de Holbeche , Commoners , certain articles wero ordained touching the trade of Masons , in these words . *
" Whereas , Simon Fraunceys , Mayor of the City of London , has been given to understand that divers dissensions and disputes have been moved in the said city between the masons who are hewers , on the one band , and the
light masons and setters on the other , because of their trade has not been regulated in due manner by the government of folks of fcheir trade in such form as other trades are 1 Therefore , the said Mayor , for maintaining the peace of our Lord the King , and for allaying such manner of dissensions and
Extracts From Toulmin Smith's History. Of The English Gilds.
disputes , and for nurturing love among all manner of folks in honour of the said city , and for tho profit of tho common people , by assent of the Council of the Aldermen aud the Sheriffs , caused all the good folks of the said trade to be summoned before him , to have from them good and true information how their trade might be best ordered and ruled for the profit of the common people .
" Whereupon , the good folks of said trade chose from among themselves of the most skillful men of their trade to inform the Mayor , Aldermen and Sheriffs , as to tho facts and articles touching their said trade : that is to say , Walter do Sallynge ( and five others ) , in behalf of the mason hewers , and
Richard Jove ( and six others ) , in behalf of the light masons and setters ; the which folks were sworn before the said Mayor , Aldermen , and Sheriffs , in manner as follows : " In the first place—that every man of the trade may work at any work touching tho trade , if he bo perfectly skilled aud knowing the trade .
" Also—that good folks of the said trade shall be chosen and sworne every timo that need shall be to oversee that no one of the trade takes work to complete , if he does not well and perfectly know how to perform such
work , on pain of losing , to the use of the Commonalty ; the first tune that he shall by the persons so sworn be convicted thereof one mark ; and the second time , two marks , and the third time he shall forswear the trade forever .
" Also—that no one shall take work in gross , if he be not of ability in a proper manner to complete such work ; and he who wishes to undertake such work in gross , shall come to the good man of whom he has taken such work to do and complete , and shall bring with him six or four ancient men of his trade , sworn thereunto , if they are prepared to testify unto the good
man of whom he has taken such work to do , that he is skillful and of ability to perform such work , and that if he shall iail to complete such work in due manner , or not of ability to do the same , they themselves who so testify that he is skillful and of ability to finish the work , are bound to complete the same work well and properly at their own charges , in such manner as he
undertook ; in case the employer who owns the work shall have fully paid the workman . And if the employer shall then owe him anything , let him pay it to the persons who have so undertaken for him to complete the work . " Also—that no one shall set an apprentice or journeyman to work , except in presence of his master , before he has been perfectly instructed in
his calling , and he who shall do the contrary , and by the person so sworn be convicted thereof , let him pay , the first time to the use of the Commonalty , half a mark , and the second time , one mark , and third time twenty shillings , and so let him pay twenty shillings every time that he shall be
convicted thereof . " Also—that no one of the said trade shall take an apprentice for a less time than seven years , according to the usage of the city ; and he who shall do to the contrary thereof , shall be punished in the same manner .
" Also—that the said Masters so chosen , shall oversee that all those who work by the day shall take for their hire according as they are skilled , and may deserve for their work , and not outrageously . " Also—if anyone of the said trade will not be ruled or directed in due
manner by the persons of his trade sworn thereunto , such sworn persons are to make known his name unto the Mayor , and the Mayor , by assent of the Aldermen and Sheriffs , shall cause him to be chastised by imprisonment and other punishment ; that so , other rebels may take example by him , to be ruled by the good folks of their trade .
" Also—that no one of the said trade shall take the apprentice or journeyman of another , to the prejudice or damage of his master , until his term shall have fully expired ; on pain of paying to the use of the Commonalty half a mark each time that he shall be convicted thereof . "
The above extracts from the London record of 1356 show ( until otherwise proved ) , the true beginning of the first Mason ' s organisation , namely , 1356 . Second , the above code of laws , the first code Masons ever had , show that what our Masonic luminaries called " ancient landmarks , " was unknown to the Masons of 1356 . Now , after reading the above extracts , can anyone
discover that Masons were more highly honored than other Gilds ? I hope , therefore , that our American Grand Masters , our Rev . St . Johns' Day orators , and above all , our high degree luminaries at their " Councils of Deliberation , " will take due notice of the above hints , " and act accordingly . " AMEN I— " So mote it be . "
Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket Book for the year 1896 , corrected from the books of the United Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter . London : George Kenning . The Calendar for 1896 has just been issued by Brother Kenning , and provides further evidence of the steady progress of Freemasonry in our midst , the last Lodge in this year's issue being numbered 2533 , as against
2590 in that for 1896 . The general appearance of the Calendar is much the same as those of previous years , and in view of the matter-of-fact contents of the work there is little of novelty to be referred to , but this does not preclude a word of well deserved praise in regard to the printing of the book , which is in every way satisfactory , and stands out as practical testimony of the high capabilities of the establishment whero it is produced .
Park hurst . —The grand Christmas pantomime entitled " Dick Wbittington " will be produced at the Parkhurst Theatre , Holloway , on Christmas Eve , Tuesday next . The powerful company includes Misses Jennie Richards , Jessie Wildey , Florence Estelle , Phillis Marlowe , Florence Trevelion , & c . ; Messrs . Alec Derwent , J . W . Brabourne , W . Lancey , Forge and Redman , Fred Lefranc , and James Yonng . Libretto by Leslie Moreton , music by T . P . Fish , dresses by Mons . Alias and others , scenery by Fred Storey . The Pantomime is produced by Mr . James Young .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extracts From Toulmin Smith's History. Of The English Gilds.
Christ , the Virgin Mary , and other saints , stepped into the place of Odin and the rest of the gods " ( pp . lxvii , and next page ) . That feasting was not perpetuated by tho Masonic fraternity only , may
be proved from the following quotation , viz . : " The Gild Brethren wore fond of their feast days of rejoicings , in various processions , " & o . ( p . xxxiv ) . Again :
" The very soul of the Craft Gild was its meetings , which brought all the Gild Brothers together every week or quarter . These meetings were always held with certain ceremonies of greater solemnity . The box having several locks , * * * and containing the charters of the Gild , statutes , the money , and other valuable articles was opened on such occasions , and all present had to uncover their heads , " ( p . cxxv ) .
Having shown that an old landmark of feasting was the cause of the origin of the Gilds , and I may add that the said old landmark has always been strictly observed by the Gilds , including the Masonic fraternity , tho next question is , which is the oldest handicraft Gild ? and whioh handicraft
Gild was most honoured in olden times by kings , lords , & c . ? A Masonic luminary will doubtless say that the Masonic fraternity was oldest and moro highly esteemed than all other Gilds put together . Mr . Brentano will not , however , have it so . He says :
" Foremost among the free handicraftsmen were the weavers . They formed a kind of middle-class between the patrician and plobian , and to supply the local demands the weavers' manufacturers found markets in tho most distant countries [ which ] naturally invested them with greater
importance . They were distinguished above all others by wealth aud selfrespect , and a sense of freedom . Their unions enjoyed of old the greatest independence . In all towns they stood at the head of the Craftsmen ; and the contests of the handicraft class with the patricians for political emancipation and its victories , were , above all , the struggles of the victorious weavers .
" Accordingly , m all manufacturing countries of that time , in England . Flanders , and Brabant , as well as in the Rhenish towns , the most ancient Gilds were those of the weavers . The Gild of the London weavers was chartered by Henry I ., and so was that of Oxford weavers . In the reign of Henry II ., weaver Gilds , confirmed by the king , existed in Northampton , York , Huntingdon , Lincoln , and Winchester . "
After giving a number of towns in Germany , Flanders , Brabant , & c „ he winds up as follows : "We may infer that here , among these extremely industrious and stubborn weavers of Flanders and Brabant , did the first Craft Gild originate , " ( pp . cxvi ., & c ) .
Again , says our author : " In London the Craft Gilds appear in full possession of the mastery iu the reign of Edward III . The privileges which they had till then exercised only on suffrance , or on payment of their permas ( meaning a certain sum of money due to the crown ) , were now , for the first time ,
generally confirmed to them by charters by Edward III . ; fhe authorities of the city of London , who had in former times contended with all their might against the Craft Gilds , now approved of their statutes , and in the fourteenth century a large majority of the trades appeared before the Mayor and
Aldermen to get their ordinances enrolled , at the same time they adopted particular , livery , and were thence called Livery Companies . Edward III . himself actually became a member of one of them , that of the Linen Armories , or Tailor ' s Gild , and his example found numerous imitators amongst his successors and nobility of London , " ( p . cxxii ) .
From the above extracts we learn that the weavers were chartered as Gilds , both on the Continent and in England , before any other handicraft organisation received such privileges , that the scheme of giving liberty to common people was opposed by the nobility , and must add that the trading Gilds were bitterly opposed to granting Guild privileges to handicraft
organisations . These struggles continued in England until the reign of Edward III ., when the Guild system- gave satisfaction to all parties . Now , the question is , when and how have the Masons obtained the Guild privileges in England ? and where the earliest laws of the first Mason ' s Gild ? Mr ,
Brentano ' s statement , on the above , is rather brief , but as he refers in footnotes to a book called " Memorials of London and London Lifo , " by Henry Thomas Riley , as his authority , I shall , therefore , give the next extract from Mr . Riley's book , or rather say , an extract from the London record of the fourteenth century , viz :
"At a congregation of the Mayor and Aldermen on the Monday next before the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( 2 nd Feb . ) , in the thirtieth year of the reign of King Edward the Third , & c . There being
present Simon Fraunceys , the Mayor , John Lovekyn , and other Aldermen , the Sheriffs , and John Little , Simon de Benyngtone and William de Holbeche , Commoners , certain articles wero ordained touching the trade of Masons , in these words . *
" Whereas , Simon Fraunceys , Mayor of the City of London , has been given to understand that divers dissensions and disputes have been moved in the said city between the masons who are hewers , on the one band , and the
light masons and setters on the other , because of their trade has not been regulated in due manner by the government of folks of fcheir trade in such form as other trades are 1 Therefore , the said Mayor , for maintaining the peace of our Lord the King , and for allaying such manner of dissensions and
Extracts From Toulmin Smith's History. Of The English Gilds.
disputes , and for nurturing love among all manner of folks in honour of the said city , and for tho profit of tho common people , by assent of the Council of the Aldermen aud the Sheriffs , caused all the good folks of the said trade to be summoned before him , to have from them good and true information how their trade might be best ordered and ruled for the profit of the common people .
" Whereupon , the good folks of said trade chose from among themselves of the most skillful men of their trade to inform the Mayor , Aldermen and Sheriffs , as to tho facts and articles touching their said trade : that is to say , Walter do Sallynge ( and five others ) , in behalf of the mason hewers , and
Richard Jove ( and six others ) , in behalf of the light masons and setters ; the which folks were sworn before the said Mayor , Aldermen , and Sheriffs , in manner as follows : " In the first place—that every man of the trade may work at any work touching tho trade , if he bo perfectly skilled aud knowing the trade .
" Also—that good folks of the said trade shall be chosen and sworne every timo that need shall be to oversee that no one of the trade takes work to complete , if he does not well and perfectly know how to perform such
work , on pain of losing , to the use of the Commonalty ; the first tune that he shall by the persons so sworn be convicted thereof one mark ; and the second time , two marks , and the third time he shall forswear the trade forever .
" Also—that no one shall take work in gross , if he be not of ability in a proper manner to complete such work ; and he who wishes to undertake such work in gross , shall come to the good man of whom he has taken such work to do and complete , and shall bring with him six or four ancient men of his trade , sworn thereunto , if they are prepared to testify unto the good
man of whom he has taken such work to do , that he is skillful and of ability to perform such work , and that if he shall iail to complete such work in due manner , or not of ability to do the same , they themselves who so testify that he is skillful and of ability to finish the work , are bound to complete the same work well and properly at their own charges , in such manner as he
undertook ; in case the employer who owns the work shall have fully paid the workman . And if the employer shall then owe him anything , let him pay it to the persons who have so undertaken for him to complete the work . " Also—that no one shall set an apprentice or journeyman to work , except in presence of his master , before he has been perfectly instructed in
his calling , and he who shall do the contrary , and by the person so sworn be convicted thereof , let him pay , the first time to the use of the Commonalty , half a mark , and the second time , one mark , and third time twenty shillings , and so let him pay twenty shillings every time that he shall be
convicted thereof . " Also—that no one of the said trade shall take an apprentice for a less time than seven years , according to the usage of the city ; and he who shall do to the contrary thereof , shall be punished in the same manner .
" Also—that the said Masters so chosen , shall oversee that all those who work by the day shall take for their hire according as they are skilled , and may deserve for their work , and not outrageously . " Also—if anyone of the said trade will not be ruled or directed in due
manner by the persons of his trade sworn thereunto , such sworn persons are to make known his name unto the Mayor , and the Mayor , by assent of the Aldermen and Sheriffs , shall cause him to be chastised by imprisonment and other punishment ; that so , other rebels may take example by him , to be ruled by the good folks of their trade .
" Also—that no one of the said trade shall take the apprentice or journeyman of another , to the prejudice or damage of his master , until his term shall have fully expired ; on pain of paying to the use of the Commonalty half a mark each time that he shall be convicted thereof . "
The above extracts from the London record of 1356 show ( until otherwise proved ) , the true beginning of the first Mason ' s organisation , namely , 1356 . Second , the above code of laws , the first code Masons ever had , show that what our Masonic luminaries called " ancient landmarks , " was unknown to the Masons of 1356 . Now , after reading the above extracts , can anyone
discover that Masons were more highly honored than other Gilds ? I hope , therefore , that our American Grand Masters , our Rev . St . Johns' Day orators , and above all , our high degree luminaries at their " Councils of Deliberation , " will take due notice of the above hints , " and act accordingly . " AMEN I— " So mote it be . "
Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket Book for the year 1896 , corrected from the books of the United Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter . London : George Kenning . The Calendar for 1896 has just been issued by Brother Kenning , and provides further evidence of the steady progress of Freemasonry in our midst , the last Lodge in this year's issue being numbered 2533 , as against
2590 in that for 1896 . The general appearance of the Calendar is much the same as those of previous years , and in view of the matter-of-fact contents of the work there is little of novelty to be referred to , but this does not preclude a word of well deserved praise in regard to the printing of the book , which is in every way satisfactory , and stands out as practical testimony of the high capabilities of the establishment whero it is produced .
Park hurst . —The grand Christmas pantomime entitled " Dick Wbittington " will be produced at the Parkhurst Theatre , Holloway , on Christmas Eve , Tuesday next . The powerful company includes Misses Jennie Richards , Jessie Wildey , Florence Estelle , Phillis Marlowe , Florence Trevelion , & c . ; Messrs . Alec Derwent , J . W . Brabourne , W . Lancey , Forge and Redman , Fred Lefranc , and James Yonng . Libretto by Leslie Moreton , music by T . P . Fish , dresses by Mons . Alias and others , scenery by Fred Storey . The Pantomime is produced by Mr . James Young .