Post by Tamrin on Aug 8, 2008 10:11:39 GMT 10
1389 CERTIFICATE OF THE GILD OF MASONS AT LINCOLN
Chancery Miscellanea, Bdle., 41, No. 154.
From Ars Quatuor Coronatorum (AQC), Vol. XLII, 1931, pp. 64/67
GILD OF MASONS AT LINCOLN
By Bro. W.J. Williams (commentary, annotations and original Latin text excised)
TRANSLATION
[In the following translation the verbiage of the original, in which every clause
is introduced by a long formula, has not been preserved. The brothers and sisters are always specified,
and he and she is written each time. So also every fine is stated to be “without any remission.”
The Graceman as the principal officer of a gild is a word apparently peculiar
to Lincoln and its neighbourhood. It suggests a Teutonic derivation, sc, Grossmann.]
Chancery Miscellanea, Bdle., 41, No. 154.
From Ars Quatuor Coronatorum (AQC), Vol. XLII, 1931, pp. 64/67
GILD OF MASONS AT LINCOLN
By Bro. W.J. Williams (commentary, annotations and original Latin text excised)
TRANSLATION
[In the following translation the verbiage of the original, in which every clause
is introduced by a long formula, has not been preserved. The brothers and sisters are always specified,
and he and she is written each time. So also every fine is stated to be “without any remission.”
The Graceman as the principal officer of a gild is a word apparently peculiar
to Lincoln and its neighbourhood. It suggests a Teutonic derivation, sc, Grossmann.]
City of Lincoln
The certificate of the Graceman or Master of a certain gild founded in honour of our Lord, and the B.V.M., and of all saints by the common assent, direction and advice of the cementarii, by virtue of a proclamation by the letter of our lord the King, as follows:
On the Feast of Pentecost, A.D. 1313, it was enacted by the common consent of this fraternity that all brothers and sisters should meet at the specified place allotted to them under the penalty of one pound of wax, where the candle of the gild should be set up, and should there take up their candle with all solemnity and devotion in the place where it is [to be set up] and there it is to be lit on every feast day throughout the year in perpetuity.
They shall have their morningspeech on the morrow of Easter without any postponement, so that on that day they may the better and more conveniently be able to see to all the affairs of the gild and transact its business to its advantage and honour. And if it should chance that any of the fraternity be summoned to the said morningspeech and do not appear he shall be penalised half a pound of wax on account of his disregard of his duty unless he have a reasonable cause of excuse.
If any brother or sister wishes to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land or to Rome or to St. James [of Compostella] and goes over sea, then all the brethren shall assemble and conduct him or her with all honour to the outgoing of the city, and each shall give one halfpenny, unless they desire to give more generously. And when any such pilgrim shall return from over seas, all shall go to meet him, to the city gates and shall conduct him to the mother church with joy and honour.
When any member dies within the city all shall assemble with four candles there where the body is, and shall light them at the principal mass where the body is interred. Similarly when all are gathered together on the next morning the Graceman shall pay one penny from the goods of the gildhouse, and each of the wardens one halfpenny, and each of the brothers and sisters one halfpenny, to provide bread to be given to the poor for the good of the soul of the deceased. And should anyone not pay the said halfpenny before the funeral he shall give a penny. And should he withhold the penny for more than three days he shall give half a pound of wax. Should any brother or sister die outside the city, and certain information is received of the death, they shall take measures for his soul’s benefit as though he had died in the city, in his own parish church.
Should any brother or sister in the town or market be in custody for any fault, saving theft or murder, he shall send word to the brethren and they shall come to his aid and assist him as brethren should do.
Whoever is elected Graceman and refuses to take the office shall pay two pounds of wax, and whoever being elected warden or deacon refuses the office shall give one pound, and the penalty shall be paid within three days under pain of being doubled.
If any member shall have any of the property of the gild in his possession, he shall return such property to the gild chest within three days from the morningspeech under a penalty of two pounds of wax.
On the day on which the gild offers its candle they shall for the love of God, feed as many poor persons as there are brothers and sisters in the gild, with good bread and mead, and a dish of meat or fish according as meat or fish is procurable on that day.
If any brother or sister curse another or hastily commences litigation while the gild are still endeavouring to compose the quarrel he shall give to the gild a pound of wax.
Every brother or sister on entering the gild shall pay four shillings or one quarter of best barley at the three terms of the year, and four pence, namely, one to the deacon, one to the clerk and two to the ale.
If any brother or sister have had in their hands goods of the gild and shall have faithfully returned them intact, after settling the account of their dealings, should such an one fall into poverty he shall have from the gild funds for three years 18 pence, namely six pence each year but when he comes again into better circumstances he shall repay.
Should any brother or sister on his or her death-bed bequeathe to the gild two shillings or goods to that value, and dies, there shall be on the day of his death one mass said annually in perpetuity, and for four shillings or goods to that value, two masses, and for half a mark three.
All cementarii of this gild shall agree that any cementarius who takes an apprentice shall give 40 pence to the maintaining of the candle, and if he be unwilling to give, the amount shall be doubled.
All brethren shall pay one farthing a week throughout the year, and should any one fail or refuse, then at the end of the term the amount is to be doubled.
Of all lands and tenements, whether under licence of mortmain or not, the gild possesses none; goods in the hands of the members themselves for the use of the gild, do not exist, save what is for the maintenance of the devotions specified; and they have no general meetings save such as are held for their social purposes among themselves.
The certificate of the Graceman or Master of a certain gild founded in honour of our Lord, and the B.V.M., and of all saints by the common assent, direction and advice of the cementarii, by virtue of a proclamation by the letter of our lord the King, as follows:
On the Feast of Pentecost, A.D. 1313, it was enacted by the common consent of this fraternity that all brothers and sisters should meet at the specified place allotted to them under the penalty of one pound of wax, where the candle of the gild should be set up, and should there take up their candle with all solemnity and devotion in the place where it is [to be set up] and there it is to be lit on every feast day throughout the year in perpetuity.
They shall have their morningspeech on the morrow of Easter without any postponement, so that on that day they may the better and more conveniently be able to see to all the affairs of the gild and transact its business to its advantage and honour. And if it should chance that any of the fraternity be summoned to the said morningspeech and do not appear he shall be penalised half a pound of wax on account of his disregard of his duty unless he have a reasonable cause of excuse.
If any brother or sister wishes to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land or to Rome or to St. James [of Compostella] and goes over sea, then all the brethren shall assemble and conduct him or her with all honour to the outgoing of the city, and each shall give one halfpenny, unless they desire to give more generously. And when any such pilgrim shall return from over seas, all shall go to meet him, to the city gates and shall conduct him to the mother church with joy and honour.
When any member dies within the city all shall assemble with four candles there where the body is, and shall light them at the principal mass where the body is interred. Similarly when all are gathered together on the next morning the Graceman shall pay one penny from the goods of the gildhouse, and each of the wardens one halfpenny, and each of the brothers and sisters one halfpenny, to provide bread to be given to the poor for the good of the soul of the deceased. And should anyone not pay the said halfpenny before the funeral he shall give a penny. And should he withhold the penny for more than three days he shall give half a pound of wax. Should any brother or sister die outside the city, and certain information is received of the death, they shall take measures for his soul’s benefit as though he had died in the city, in his own parish church.
Should any brother or sister in the town or market be in custody for any fault, saving theft or murder, he shall send word to the brethren and they shall come to his aid and assist him as brethren should do.
Whoever is elected Graceman and refuses to take the office shall pay two pounds of wax, and whoever being elected warden or deacon refuses the office shall give one pound, and the penalty shall be paid within three days under pain of being doubled.
If any member shall have any of the property of the gild in his possession, he shall return such property to the gild chest within three days from the morningspeech under a penalty of two pounds of wax.
On the day on which the gild offers its candle they shall for the love of God, feed as many poor persons as there are brothers and sisters in the gild, with good bread and mead, and a dish of meat or fish according as meat or fish is procurable on that day.
If any brother or sister curse another or hastily commences litigation while the gild are still endeavouring to compose the quarrel he shall give to the gild a pound of wax.
Every brother or sister on entering the gild shall pay four shillings or one quarter of best barley at the three terms of the year, and four pence, namely, one to the deacon, one to the clerk and two to the ale.
If any brother or sister have had in their hands goods of the gild and shall have faithfully returned them intact, after settling the account of their dealings, should such an one fall into poverty he shall have from the gild funds for three years 18 pence, namely six pence each year but when he comes again into better circumstances he shall repay.
Should any brother or sister on his or her death-bed bequeathe to the gild two shillings or goods to that value, and dies, there shall be on the day of his death one mass said annually in perpetuity, and for four shillings or goods to that value, two masses, and for half a mark three.
All cementarii of this gild shall agree that any cementarius who takes an apprentice shall give 40 pence to the maintaining of the candle, and if he be unwilling to give, the amount shall be doubled.
All brethren shall pay one farthing a week throughout the year, and should any one fail or refuse, then at the end of the term the amount is to be doubled.
Of all lands and tenements, whether under licence of mortmain or not, the gild possesses none; goods in the hands of the members themselves for the use of the gild, do not exist, save what is for the maintenance of the devotions specified; and they have no general meetings save such as are held for their social purposes among themselves.