Complaint of the Shoemakers of Norwich against Their Journeymen
| Artifact Summary | |
|---|---|
| Artifact type | |
| Creator/author | |
| Date | 1490 |
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| City and country of origin | |
| Abstract | |
Entry
[Records of the City of Norwich, ed. Hudson and Tingey (1910), Vol. II. , p. 104.]
Assembly on the Feast of St. Matthew 6 H. vii [21 Sept. 1490] . It is agreed that the bill of the Shomakers craft shall be enacted according to the effect of that bill. And whosoever of the said craft shall act to the contrary, he shall forfeit six shillings and eight pence, and they shall be diuided in this form, viz. one part to the Community and the other part to the craft . Which same bill, word for word, follows. To our right honourable Mastres, the Meire and his Brethern Alderman, and to our good mastres and weelwillers of the CommonCownsell of the Cite, Sheweth to your grete discrecions the poor Artificers and craftymen of Shomakers of the seid cite, that wher dyuers jornymen and seruaunts of the seid crafte gretly disposed to riot and idelnes, whereby may succede grete pouerte, so that dyuers dayes wekely whan them luste to leve ther bodyly labour till a grete parte of the weke be almost so expended and wasted, ayenst the avauntage and profight werely ofthem self and of ther Mastres also. And also contrary to the lawe [of] god and good guydyng temporall, they labour qwikly toward the Sondaye and festyuall dayes on the Saterdayes and vigils ffro iiij of the clock at after none to the depnes and derknes ofthe nyght foloweng. And not onely that synfull disposicion but moche warse so offendyng in the morownynggs of such festes, and omyttyng the heryng of ther dyuyne seruyce ; Wherfor prayeth the seid artificers hertyly, that the rather for goddys cause and also that vertuous and true labour myght help to the sustentacion of the seid crafte, that by your generall assent may be ordeyned and enacted for a laudable custume, that none such seruaunt or jornyman from hensforth presume to occupye nor werke after the seid howre in vigeles and Saterdayes aforeseid, upon peyne by your discrecions to be sette for punyshment alsweel of the seid artificers for ther fauoryng and sup- portyng, as for the seid jornymen so werkyng and offendyng.
