Faversham: Regulations for the Town Porters, 1448

( 219 ) FAVERSHAM. EEGTJIiATIONS FOE THE TOWN PoETEES, 1448. BT P. P. GIRAUD, TOWN CLERK. FEW of the Faversham records of the reign of Henry VI. still remain. Some disconnected sheets of proceedings at Wardmotes are bound in a volume, containing accounts and miscellaneous documents between the years 1448 and 1606, from which the following regulations are extracted. The Brewers appear to have taken a very prominent position in the town. The powers of punishment claimed by the Mayor are worthy of notice. " Md. A comen Wardmoth holden at Feversham the x day of Jule the xxvi yere of Kyng Harry the syxt by fore John Seyncler* mayer of the towne & port of Feversham and the Jurats and Co'es of the same towne, hyt was complayned uppon diverse eontraversies and debates late growyn be twene the marehaunts brewers & vitalers of the said towne on that oon partie and the comen portours of the same towne on that other partye in As moche no certeyn Euyle ordynaunce And apoyntyng be for thys tyme hath not be had in Wrytyng excepte A lytyll Eemembraunce in the olde quayer that was Seman at tongef of the Whych contravarsiez and debates the said mayor forth wyth the Avisse and assent of the Juratts and cominers by the assent of the forsaid parties hath ordeynyd and Awarded in maner and forme hereafter followyng that ys to say that vi porters shall be had in the said town of the strongest men * John Seyncler was Mayor of Faversham in 1443 and 1448. He was probably a member of the family of St. Clere, who held the manor and seat of Aldham St. Clere in Ightham from the reign of Edward II. to that of Henry VII. Sir Philip St. Clere of Ightham, in right of his wife Margaret, possessed the Manor of Ospringe next Faversham, which descended to his son Thomas St. Clere, who left an only daughter and heiress Eleanor in 12 Edward IV., who married Sir John Gage, Knt. Sir Philip St. Clere had another son John, to whom descended the Manor of Penshurst and estates at Lyghe, which he sold to John, Duke of Bedford. Pardon under the Great Seal, 7 July, 28 Henry VI. (1450), was granted to John Seyncler of Faversham, " Esquire," and others therein named, and all others of Paversham concerned in John Mortymer's (Cade's) rebellion. Cade was slain four days after the date of this pardon. Thomas Seyncler was owner of a garden in Faversham (Fine, 11 November, 18 Edward IV). t Seman at Tonge was Mayor in 1401 and 1403. 220 FAVERSHAM. and of good name and fame that cane be chosen by the said mayre and vi or iiij at the leste of the Juratts Aforesaid and before them to make an oth by the wordys of the gospell at soche tyme as any of them ys chosen that they shall be trew lyege men to the Kynge Harry the VI. Kyng of Vyngland and to hys heyrys Kyngs of Yngland and to be redy to the mayers semauns or to hys lyeftenauut to do all maner and lefull comaundements and in especyall to do execusyon of the pyllyry* kukyng stolef brekyng of bakers ovens Scoolds Cutpursys and Bawdys. "For the whych Servysse duly to be don they shall of every Tonne Wyne that they Wynde up at the key and to seller ageyne, xij d. And for selleryng only—for every barell heryng, 1 d. ob. Every heryng, ob. Every Bune Samon of straunger, ij d. Every quarter whete malte Barly or other cornys to be borne frome the howsyng off the kay syde unto the shyp, ob. And for every quarter off the forsaid graynes born from any other strete withyn the said Fraunchyse to the shyp, 1 d. "Item for every chalder Colys, iij d. Every quarter salt, 1 d. ob. And for portage of all other Merchaundysse they to take after the rate of the weyght ther off. " Allso they furthyemore shall swere truly to bere All ale & bere that ys browyn to sale of the brewers of the said towne solde to tappysteris of the said Towne Bryngyng Ageyn to ye Brewers the vessells of the said ale & bere at soche tyme As they ben full spendyd yf they can fynde the said vessells in the said tappisters housys takyng of the Brewer for every barell for his labours, 1 d. And another peny of Tappyster. And also they shall not procure nor stei non of the said Tapysters from on Brewer tyll Another ne dyffame noo Brewers chaffer. And yt can be dwly provyd by complaynt made by fore the said mayor or any other after comyng that all or any of the said porters labour procurr' or styrr in A maner Above rehersyd than twoo tymys to be Amercyd. And the thyrde tyme to lesse hys offyce for a yere and a day and theye bodyys to be punyshed at the Mayer's Wyll. " More over they shall swere that withyn two dayes next a-fter the Beryng day of the foresaid ale and bere to come to the Brewers house and ther offre them duly to tayll or score with them every Barrell Binne & kylderkyn that they have so born whedyr too whom in what place they have soo born. And yf yt kin aftyrward be duly provyd by the said Brewers or any of them by fore the sayd Mayer or any other Mayer herafter comyng that they gave they said Wessells of Ale and Bere to other personys contrary to the scooryng or Tayllyng. And yt so provyd twoo tymes to make A fyne of the double of every suche barell or kylderkyn that on parte to the * An engine of wood for exposing offenders to public view and making them infamous. The punishment of the pillory was abolished by Stat. I. Vict. o. 23. f A seat at the end of a beam, used for duoking " common scolds." It was also a punishment inflicted on brewers and bakers transgressing the laws, who were ducked in stinking water. One formerly used at Fordwich may still be seen there. REGULATIONS FOR THE TOWN PORTERS, 1448. 221 mayer and that other to the party so grevyd. And the thyrd tyme to lese hys offyce of portershyp for ever. And yff yt happe that yn defaute or neclygence of the said portouris or off any of them any vessell of wyne ale or bere vitayll or maner of marchaundyse to be lost or eonsumyd that then they make Amendys to the partyes so grevyd As the mayer for the tyme beyng and hys said feleshyp woll awarde. And yf the said portours or sufficiant depute for them be not redy at warnyng resonable to bere the marchaundys goodys and Brewers Ale and Bere in tyme resonable off olde tyme acustomed that than that defaute in them so duly provyde twr oo tymes to be amercyd and at the thyrde tyme to make a grevous fyne after the dyscressyon off the mayer. " Also it ys ordeynyd by the said Mayer and hys felowys yff any marchaunt or vytailler off the said towne on ther partye interypt let or breke any of the said Articules in the said ordinaunee coinprehendyd tociens quociens to pay to the said mayer, xx d. And yff any Brewer of the said towne breke any of the said Articules on ther partie everyche of them to pay tociens quociens to the said mayer, vj s. viij d. " Furthyemore yt ys ordeyned by the said Mayer & hys feleshyp after the dyssece of everyche off the portours or ells whan any off them woll sell or yeve their offyce that of the money so solde & reseyvyd, xl d. there off to be paid to the use and profyte of the cominalte a forsaid and xx d. to be delyve' to the Wardens of the chyrch worke. And also eche off the saide portours shall have resonable exkypson off—xl dayes in the hole yer by lycens off the Aldyrman to them yerly be the said Mayer assygned fyndyng a suffyciaunt depute in his absence."