The History of the Worshipful Company of the Drapers of London

But by the close of the fifteenth century the wider system of 'national Economy' began to be developed, to be followed by that of an international' or 'world Economy', and the industrial conditions grew too complex to be satisfactorily organized by the Gild system. The market now became far wider than that of the town, while the capitalist entrepreneur who rose to meet the new developments refused to submit to the old Gild restrictions.

From that moment the usefulness of the Gilds declined, and by the end of the seventeenth century they had altogether ceased to control the industrial world. Nevertheless they still remained as interesting relics of the past, and, of late, by their renewed activities in the promotion of philanthropic work, and of education, both theoretical and technical, have gone far to satisfy all but the most extravagant.

Of the Gilds of London, that of the Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the most important. I have been entrusted with the valued privilege of writing its history, which is long overdue.

Although Herbert in his work on the Livery Companies of London has already seized on the more salient points, his account is based on a somewhat superficial study of the original documents in the possession of the Company, and is unfortunately very inaccurate. And no other history of the Drapers has been attempted.

If the interest taken by the author in his work were the measure of his success, I should feel no qualms. Unfortunately much more is required. It is therefore with some trepidation that I face my readers.

Whatever success I may have attained is certainly largely due to the generous assistance I have received on all hands.

The earlier part of my work, up to the end of the reign of Elizabeth, has been much facilitated by the transcripts of the Company's Documents, which had been already executed by Mr. Welch and his son.

I owe my thanks to Mr. Pooley, the Clerk of the Worshipful Company, and to Miss Greenwood for help most ungrudgingly and generously given. I have also to thank Miss Greenwood for the Index. Without the

loyal co-operation of Miss Watkins, my Secretary, and the assiduous attention of Mr. Whitaker, the SubLibrarian of All Souls College, and his staff, the publication of this first instalment would have been long delayed.

Bodley's Librarian as well as the staff have often helped me in elucidating difficult questions. M. Pirenne, the eminent Historian of the Low Countries, has generously given me much valuable information on the early history of the cloth industry in its original home.

Among others, I owe to Miss M. Sellers and Mr. Heaton much instruction with regard to the Yorkshire cloth industry; to Professor Oman, assistance in heraldry; and to the Rev. Dr. P. H. Aitken, great help with regard to the earliest paper used for the Drapers' documents.

Finally I have to thank Mr. Leys, of University College, Oxford, and Professor Unwin, of the Victoria University, Manchester, for their careful reading of the proofs, and the latter for many invaluable criticisms and suggestions.

The first two volumes, which are now offered to the public, bring the History of the Drapers' Company up to the close of the reign of Elizabeth. How many more volumes may be required to complete the work, I am not as yet in a position to state. The material in the possession of the Company is very voluminous and has been as yet untouched by me. But the Court has kindly acceded to my wish that I should no longer delay to publish the History of the Company during the period when, in common with the other Gilds of London, it most profoundly influenced not only the industrial but the civic life of our metropolis.

I have prefaced the history of the Company by an Introduction on the relations of the Gilds to the government of the City up to the close of the fifteenth century, in the hope that the exact position of the Company in the development of London would thereby be made more clear.

ALL SOULS COllege,

OXFORD,

July 1914.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME I

INTRODUCTION

London and her Gilds from the Norman Conquest to the

Close of the Middle Ages.

CHAPTER I

The Early History of the Cloth Trade up to the End of the

Thirteenth Century. The first appearance of the

Draper