| Administrative History | SADDLERS CHARTER 1472
Recognises taken in the Exchequer of Chester before Sir William Stanley, Chamberlain of Chester, together with the enrolment of written charters and other Muniments at the feast of St. Michael the Archangel in the eleventh year of the reign of Edward IV until the time of the same feast in the following year (Sept - Sept, 1471-2)
Letters patent to the Saddlers of the City of Chester.
Edward by the grace of God, King of England, France, and Lord of Ireland, to all to whom these present letters shall have come, greeting. Know that when we were informed by our beloved subjects, Richard Saddler and Henry Ellomo, stewards. Richard Ellomo, John Yong, Richard Yong and Henry Yong, alderman and resident masters and craftsmen of the art and occupation of Saddlers in our City of Chester, of what excessive intrusions, encroachments and usurpations of the same art within our City aforesaid have been made by foreign people and persons of stubborn and obstinate dispositions who were not ordered to support the burdens of the cost of the plays and pageant assigned to the occupiers of that art in the City for a portion of the plays and light in honour of Corpus Christi held and provided annually by the occupiers of that art and trade in the City aforesaid, nor any of the many other burdens annually ordained in honour of God and our City aforesaid and borne by the same craftsmen in our City aforesaid and thus our subjects aforesaid have seriously decayed and are so impoverished in their property that they are unable to continue the same burdens or sustain them in the future without our favour [and] remedy in that part. Wortherefore having deeply considered these premises, have granted by our special grace to our aforesaid subjects, the stewards, aldermen and resident masters and craftsmen of the same art and occupation of saddlers and to their successors, stewards, aldermen and resident masters and craftsmen of the same art and occupation of saddlers within our City of Chester for the future that no person or persons for the next forty years shall enter or disturb or occupy the aforesaid art and occupation of saddlers within our said City nor in any place within its liberties without the free assent, license and agreement of our said subjects and their successors stewards, aldermen, masters and craftsmen of the same art of saddlers or the major part of them living within our said City under penalty of a fine of 100s on any such person who without such licence shall enter, disturb or occupy the said art or occupation without the free assent, licence and agreement aforesaid, half of the said 100s being paid to us our heirs and successors and the other half to the said stewards, aldermen, masters and craftsmen of the same art and occupation of saddlers within our said City for the time being to support the pageant, light and plays before mentioned and levied by our Sheriffs of our said City for the time being. And moreover, by our grace more fully we have granted to the said subjects and their successors, stewards, aldermen, masters and craftsmen of the said art of saddlers living in future in the said City and its liberties that they may in future cause to be ordained what is necessary for them and to lay down for their craft such ordinances and constitutions as are fitting to be observed by the stewards, aldermen, masters and craftsmen of that art within the said City so that by the opportunity ordained for the maintenance of the pageant plays, the art and occupation of saddlers within the said City and its liberties can be more beneficially provided [for]. In witness of this matter we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witnessed by me at Chester the 8th Day of March in the 12th year of our reign (1472)
By writ of Privy Seal and given by the authority of Parliament.
To all to whom this present writing shall come to be seen heard or read, Robert Harvey, Esquire, Mayor of the City of Chester and the Citizens of the said City send greeting in our Lord God ever-lasting. Forasmuch as we have perfect knowledge and full understanding that the Corporation of Saddlors in the said City of Chester is an ancient corporation and now doth and anciently hath consisted of an Alderman and two Stewards and the rest of the Commonalty of the said trade and that the said corporation hath and always hath had great dependence upon the art and mistery of Curriers and that they which heretofore have used and exercised the said art and mistery of a currier within the said City have not been or been accounted to be or to make any corporation of themselves or jointly with any others in the City but have lived as men out of all and every the corporations of trades or misteries within the said City whereby hath eneued con ention and strife not only amongst the said Curriers themselves but also between them and other Curriers repairing to the said City, insomuch that the Curriers, freemen of the said City, have now of late been humble suitors to the Mayor, Recorder, Alderman, Sheriffs, Sheriff-peers and Common Council of the said City to be received and admitted into the Corporation and fellowship of some trade or mistery within the said City which suit of their having been taken into due consideration and the said Mayor, Recorder, Alderman, Sheriffs, Sheriff-[rs] and Common Council of the said City finding it very expedient and consonant to that ancient government that hath heretofore been used and exercised within the said City that every tradesman being a freeman of the said City should be a member of some corporation of tradesmen within the said City and the said Mayor, Recorder, Alderman, Sheriffs, Sheriff-peers and Common Council of the said City perceiving a great desire in the said Curriers, freemen of the said City to be admitted and made members of the corporation of Saddlers and again being fully certified by Richard Warmincham, Alderman of the said Corporation of Saddlers and Evan Lewis and Thomas Williams the younger, stewards of the said Corporation of the willingness and consent of the said whole corporation of Saddlers to admit and receive not only the new Curriers, freemen of the said City, into their corporation and fellowship but also all such Curriers as shall by them or any of be brought up and instructed as apprentice in the said trade or mistery of Curriers or which shall proceed from them or any of them and be enabled by the laws and statutes of this realm and liberties of this City to use and exercise the said trade or mistery within the said City, have therefore by a unanimous consent and approbation thought as far as in them lay to grant and allow that the new Curriers, freemen of the said City and all such as hereafter will be by them or any of them brought up or instructed as apprentices in the said trade or mistery of a Currier within the said City or which shall proceed from them and be enabled by the laws and statues of this realm and liberties of this City to use and exercise the said trade and mistery of a Currier within the said City that they and every of them for ever from henceforth shall be and shall be taken and reputed to be to all intents and purposes members of the said corporation and that they only and none other shall be enabled to use and exercise the said art and trade of Curriers within the said City for their own proper lucre and gain. And the said Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Sheriff-peers and Common Council of the said City, moreover, finding a readiness in the said Corporation of Saddlers to conform themselves to their wills and desires in the aforesaid matters have by act of Common Council ordered, and the said Mayor and Citizens in testimony and confirmation thereof have for the preservation of the rights and liberties of the said corporation of Saddlers which of the late time hath been by some trenched upon and violated, thought it fit to order and hereby express and declare that no person or persons ought in any wise to use or excercise the art mistery or occupation of a Saddlers within the said City except he or they be a member of the said corporation of Saddlers and enabled by the laws and statutes of this Kingdom to use and exercise the said art and trade of a Saddler. And therefore as as in us lioth, we the said Mayor and Citizens do order and command that no person or persons do or shall from henceforth [] wise to use or exercise the said art mistery or occupation of a Saddler within the said City or liberties unless in the time of some fairs hold within the said City except he or they be a member of the said corporation of Saddlers and enabled by the laws and statutes of this realm to use add exercise the said art and trade of a Saddler upon pain of incurring the punishment which shall be meet to be inflicted upon much offenders. In witness whereof the said Robert Harvy, Mayor, hath hereunto caused to be set in the Common Seal of the said City of Chester the day .... of October in the 16th year of the reign of our sovereign Lord Charles, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland and France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, Etc., 1630. |