Records of the Armourers’ Company of London
Author: Armourers’ Company of London
Original Language: Middle English (one manuscript) and Norman French (another manuscript)
Place of Composition: London
Date of Composition: 1322
Source of Text: Armourers’ Company of London, Lib. C, fol. 33, 15 Edw. II, 1322 in Charles ffoulkes, The Armourer and His Craft, Appendix A pp. 169, 170
Source of Translation: n/a
Conditions of Use: Please give me credit for the transcription
Very few of the records of the armourers’ company of London survive and are legible, but this is an exception.
A version of this decree in French from another manuscript is available here. Note that the Modern English version is a 19th century translation of a French text which has never been published. I would recommend following the Middle English version below.
| Edward ye Second Be it remembered that in ye hustinge of comon plaes holden ye Mondaie in ye feaste of ye conversion of Saint Paule, ye yere of ye reigne of our Lord ye king Edward, ye son of king Edward, XV th., in ye presence of Sir Hamen de Chigewelle then Maior, Nicholas de farringdon and by assent of Hugh de Auggeye, &c. Armorers. It is was ordeyned for ye comon proffyt and assented that from henceforth all Armor made in ye Cytie to sell be good and convenable after ye forme that henceforth That is to saie that an Akton and Gambezon covered with sendall or of cloth of Silke be stuffed with new clothe of cotten and of cadar and of oldn sendal and not otherwise. And that ye wyite acketonnes be stuffed of old lynnen and of cottone and of new clothe wth in and wth out. Also forasmuch as men have founde old bascuette broken and false now newly covered by men that nothing understand of ye mystery wh be putt in pryvie places and borne out into ye countrye out of ye said Cytie, to sell and in ye same citie of wh men may not gaine knowledge whether they be good or ill, of ye wh thinge greate yill might fall to ye king and his people, and a greate slaunder to ye Armorers aforesaid and to all ye Cytie. |
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| It is ordeyned and assented that no Farrar ne other man that maketh ye Irons of bascuette hereafter so to be covered no bascuett by himself to sell be free but that he sall sell out of his hands will open and ungarnished as men have used before this tyme. And ye which shall abide ungarnished until they be sene by the myor that shall be sworn or by ny of Cz’ens wherther they be convenable to garnishe or no. And there be found in and Court of Armorers or else where in whch Court is Armor for to sell, whatsoever it be, that is not proffytable or otherwise than is ordeyned and none be it taken and brought before ye Maior and Aldermen and hys Czens to be demed good or ill after their discretion. And for the whch thing well and lawfully to be kept and surveyed Roger Savage Willm. De Langgull, Richard Johonnez (John Conny) being sworne. And if they myor may not attend that ij of them Do that longeth thereto. Fol. 135 … | This section has not yet been proofread |
| Fol. 135: ffirst it is a general Article ordeyned for all ye crafte of London and centred in ye Chamber of ye Guildhall of ye said City in ye booke wth ye letter C in ye xxxv leaffe in ye tyme of Adam Bury Maior, in ye yere of ye reigne of king Ed. ye thirde after ye conquest. | This section has not yet been proofread |
| Lib. v. xd. It is ordeyned that in all ye crafte of ye citie of London be truely ruled and governed every person in his nature in due maner so that no falsehood ne false workemanshipp nor Deceipt be founde in no maner wise in any of ye foresaid crafte for ye worshipp of ye good folke of all ye same crafte and for the comon proffytt of ye people. | This section has not yet been proofread |
