By the assent of James Butler, e. Ormond, Jcr, and the council, to the honour of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Michael the Archangel and all Saints, for fulfilling the pious purpose and wholesome intention of James Butler, e. Ormond, Thomas Shorthals, William Sutton, John Kilbarry, Robert Ireland, John fitz Robert, John Brayn, Nicholas Parker, Henry Clynche, John Morvyll, Juliana Lowyn, John Barret, Thomas Lawless, chaplain, Edmund Bryan, Master Thomas Aase, Thomas Bennet, Robert Chamier, John Waryng, William Sprot, William Flemyng, Simon Dongane, William Petyt, and Richard Devenyshe, the K. grants and gives licence to them, for him, his heirs and successors, as far as pertains to him, that they or those of them who shall survive, to the glory of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, a fraternity or guild of the art of shoemakers of the city of Dublin, to be named the fraternity or guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for ever, of themselves and other persons, as well men as women, may found anew, begin, commence, enter into and make, and whatsoever honest and fit persons willing to adhere to them voluntarily, among the brethren and sisters of the fraternity or guild, may receive, admit and accept.
And that the brethren of the fraternity or guild so begun, [etc.], may every year have two masters from among themselves who shall be of the art of shoemakers, for the rule, government and superintendence of such fraternity or guild, and the custody of all lands, tenements, rents, possessions, goods and chattels, which to the fraternity or guild thenceforth shall happen to be acquired, given, granted or assigned, or to the fraternity or guild to belong, and for the rule, government and supervision of the art of shoemakers in the city, and the suburbs thereof.
And that such masters for the time being, by the advice of the more reputable brethren of the art, shall have full power to elect, ordain and successively constitute, other masters from year to year, to have the rule, government and superintendence of such fraternity or guild, and of the said art, and the custody of the lands, tenements, rents and possessions, goods and chattels, in the said form; and them and each of them from time to time, when it shall be needful and necessary, to remove from the offices and exonerate, and substitute others of the art in their place, as it shall be expedient.
And that may have and use a common seal to be employed for the business and acts relating to the fraternity or guild, which seal shall remain under the custody of the masters for the time being.
And also that the masters and their successors, masters, who for the time shall be, for that fraternity or guild, and for the lands, tenements, rents, services, possessions, goods and chattels of the fraternity or guild, in whatsoever actions, causes, plaints, demands and pleas, as well real and personal as mixed, of whatsoever kind or nature they be, by the name of the masters of the fraternity or guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Dublin, before secular and ecclesiastical judges whatsoever, may implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, and to implead and be impleaded, and also to answer and be answered, shall be able and duty bound.
And that the masters and brethren of the fraternity or guild may meet at suitable or convenient places and times, as often and when it shall seem fit to them, to treat, agree and communicate among themselves, together with others, for having their counsel and advice, for the state and advantage and rule of the fraternity or guild, and the brethren and sisters of the fraternity or guild and their successors; and to make lawful and honest ordinances to the glory of God and honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for the good government of the fraternity or guild from year to year and from time to time; and the same ordinances in like manner from time to time, when it shall be requisite and necessary, to augment and diminish, according to the discretion of the masters and brethren of the fraternity and guild and their successors for ever.
And further, grant to the said James Butler, e. Ormond, [etc.], that they or those of them who shall survive, to the glory of God and honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary may make, ordain and establish, according to the discretion, ordinance and provision of them or of those who shall survive, a chantry of one chaplain or more chaplains, to celebrate divine service daily in the chapel of the Blessed Mary in the church of St Michael, in the High Street of the city for ever, for the wholesome state of the K., while he shall live, and of the Jcr and the founders, and also of the brethren and sisters of the fraternity or guild aforesaid, as long as they shall live, and for the K.’s soul when he shall have departed this light, and of his father and mother, and for the souls of his noble progenitors, and of all and singular above expressed when they shall have departed this light; and also of the brethren and sisters of the fraternity or guild, and of their successors and benefactors, and all of the faithful departed for ever.
And that the masters and brethren and their successors may meet at seasonable times and places, as often and when it shall seem to them most expedient, to treat and ordain for the chantry, according to the ordinance in this behalf to be made.
And moreover the K. has granted and given licence to the masters and brethren of the fraternity or guild and to their successors for the time being, that they may acquire lands, tenements, rents and services, and advowsons of churches and chapels, as well in demesne and fee as in reversion, with the appurtenances, up to the value of £10 p.a. above charges and reprises, whether they be held of the K. in chief or of others, to have and to hold to them and their successors, masters and brethren of the fraternity or guild for ever, of the chief lords of those fees, by the services thereout due and of right accustomed, as well for the improvement of the state of the fraternity or guild, as to find, support and sustain, the charges of the chantry, and to do other works of piety for the said state and souls forever; the statute concerning not putting lands and tenements in mortmain enacted, or other statutes or ordinances whatsoever, heretofore to the contrary made or enacted notwithstanding.
And moreover for the honour of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Michael and all saints, as is said, and the improvement and increase of the state of the fraternity or guild, the K. has granted for himself and his heirs and successors to the masters of the fraternity or guild and to their successors, masters of the fraternity or guild for the time being, that the masters for the time being have full power, as it shall be necessary and shall seem to them most expedient, from time to time to enquire as to all trespasses, deceits, misprisons, oppressions, extortions and defaults, done or committed by any of those who in the city or suburbs of the same exercise the art of a shoemaker, and their servants and apprentices, in all and everything that to the said art within the city and suburbs thereof may appertain; and the same at the suits of those who are willing to complain, to hear and faithfully to determine, and damages to the party complaining, as it shall be just, to adjudge, and issue out to due execution.
And all and singular who before the master by due examination, or in any other mode shall be lawfully found guilty of any of these articles, to chastise, correct and amend by imprisonment within the K.’s prison of the city, or by fines, ransoms, or amercements, as the case requires, in this behalf to be taken.
And the K. wills and firmly commands, for him, his heirs and successors, that the keeper of the K.’s prison in the city, who for the time shall be, or his deputy, receive in custody of imprisonment such guilty and convicted persons by warrants or warrant of the masters and them there safely keep, until by warrants or warrant of the masters they be delivered. Granting for the K., his heirs and successors to the said authority, until they be delivered from the prison such convicts to them committed by the said authority, until they be delivered from the prison by the mandate of the masters, without hindrance from the K., his heirs or successors, or the officers and ministers of the K., his heirs or successors whomsoever.
And also that the masters and their successors, masters of the fraternity or guild, may have full cognizance of all manner of pleas, trespasses, debts, accounts, contracts, agreements, deceits, falsities and misprisons, between shoemaker and shoemaker, shoemaker and his servant or apprentice, and between any other persons and any person of the art of a shoemaker, at the suit of him who will complain concerning anything appertaining to the same art, to be held before the masters where they will, and it shall seem to them most expedient, in the city or suburbs; and also the fines, ransoms and amercements accruing in this behalf, when such shall be imposed or adjudged, to levy and collect by their officers and ministers, to the use and profit of the fraternity or guild.
And moreover that whenever any person of the art shall be willing to take any apprentice of the art, he shall first cause him who is to be the apprentice to come before the masters and the clerk of the fraternity or guild who shall discreetly see whether such apprentice be of free condition, of the English nation, and good conversation, and if he shall be found such that he shall be received as an apprentice, and his indenture thereof shall be enrolled before the masters within the year then next following by the clerk; and that whoever shall receive any one as an apprentice otherwise than as said, such reception by so doing shall be held altogether for null. And that nevertheless the person receiving shall be bound to pay half a mark to the use of the fraternity or guild.
And that as often as any apprentice of the art within the city or suburbs shall run away, it shall then be lawful for his master in his own person or by his certain attorney having letters testimonial under the common seal of the fraternity or guild, to testify that such fugitive was his apprentice, to take and arrest the apprentice where ever he shall be found without the liberties of the lords of the cities and towns privileged by the K., his ancestors or predecessors, and him to his own house to bring back and compel to serve him, as shall be just and consonant to reason.
And that when the term, to wit, of seven years, of any apprentice of the art in the city and suburbs shall have been well and faithfully served and ended, such apprentice shall be brought by him master and the masters for the time being to the Guildhall of the city, and shall there by their testimony before the mayor and bailiffs of the city, for the time being, be received and sworn into the guild of the liberty of the city.
And that no person of the art shall hereafter be received or accepted to obtain the liberty of the city without the assent of the masters of the fraternity or guild for the time being, and of other honest men of the art residing within the city.
And that no person shall exercise or use the art within the city or suburbs, unless by consideration of the masters he shall be found able to exercise the art, and admitted to the guild of the liberty of the city.
And that the masters and their successors may order and appoint a clerk to write their acts and records, and may have as many serjeants and beadles as shall seem to them expedient, to perform due execution and their duty concerning everything.
And that the masters and their successors, together with others of the art residing in the city, may at suitable and seasonable places and times, as often and when it shall appear to them most proper and expedient, treat, agree and communicate among themselves, together with others, for obtaining council and advice for the state and good government of the art, and make and constitute lawful and honest ordinances to the glory of God and for the good government of the art.
The K. has also granted that the masters and their successors, masters of the fraternity or guild, during the term in which they shall remain in those offices, shall not be put in assises, juries, attaints or inquisitions in any of the K.’s courts within the city or suburbs, or elsewhere, although such inquisitions or juries may touch the K., his heirs or ministers. And that none of the masters, while he shall remain in such office, be made collector or receiver of any rents, subsidies, customs or other profits of the K.’s heirs and successors or any other whomsoever, arising within the city or suburbs, relating to the K.’s use or that of his city.
For 6s 8d paid into the hanaper.
