working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

172 CRAFTS AND TRADES CRAFTS AND TRADES I73the Dynner day ijs. vjd. a man whether ther wyffesor they themselves come or no."' But the entriesdo not suggest that the position of equal sisters whichthey held in the days of the old " Boke " was main-'tained. Women made presents to the Company." Mistrys ellis," the wife of one of the masters ofthe Company, presented " a sylii pott psell gyltthe qter daye at candylmas wayeing viij ozes &a qter."' This apparently was in memory of herdeceased husband, for in the same year she "turned over"an apprentice, and in 1564 a fine was paid by RichardSmarte " for not comyng at ye owre appoynted tomistris Ellis beriall-~ijd."~ Neither the existenceof these two instances, which show a lively interestin the Company, nor the absence of other referencescan be taken as conclusive evidence one way or anotherconcerning the social position of the sisters in theCompany. Among the many judgments passedon brothers for reviling each other, using " ondecentwords," etc., etc., only once is a woman fined for thisoffence, when in 1556 the warden enters in his accountbook " Resd of frances stelecrag a fyne for yll wordesthat his wyffe gave to John Dorrant ijs-Resd of JohnDorrant for yll wordes that he gave to Mystris francesxvjd-Resd of Wyllam Mortyik a fyne for callyngof Mystris frances best ijs ."4It is certain that the wives of carpenters, like thewives of other tradesmen, shared the businessanxieties of their husbands, the help they renderedbeing most often in buying and selling. Thisactivity is reflected in some rules drawn up to regulatel Records of Worshipful Company of Carpenters, Vol. III., p. 58.Ibid, Vol. IV., p. 99, Wardens Acct. Book, 1558S In 1563 xxs. was " Resd of Wyllym barnewell at ye buryall of his wiffe 7' shedyd wyll to be gyven to ye C5pany. (Ibid, Vol. IV., p. 117) Payd at the buryall ofbarnewell's wyffe at ye kyges hedd. xiiijs. iiijd. Paid to the bedle for Redyng of yewyll viijd. (Ibrd, Vol. IV., p. 149. )Ibid, Vol. IV., p. 84.the purchase of timber. In I 554 " yt was agreydbe the Master & wardyns and the moste parte of theassestens that no woman shall come to the watersto by tymber bourde lath ijters ponchons gystes &Raffters ther husbandes beyng in the town upponpayne to forfyt at evrp tyme so fownd."' TheCompany's decision was not readily obeyed, foron March 8th, 1547, " the Master and the Wardynswt partt of the Assestens went to the gyldehall tohave had a Redresse for the women that came to thewatersyde to by stuffe,""nd on March 10th " wascalled in John Armestrong, Wyllyam boner, WyllyamWatson, John Gryffyn and Henry Wrest there havingamonyssion to warne ther wyffes that they schuldenot by no stuffe at the waters syd upone payneof a fyne."'On her husband's death the carpenter's wife generallyretired from business, transferring her apprentices fora consideration to another master. That thispractice was not universal is shown in the case ofa boy who had been apprenticed to JosephHutchinson and was " turned over to Anne Hayward,widow, relict of Richard Hayward Carpentar.""Mrs. Hayward must clearly have been actively prosecutingher late husband's business. The womenwho " make free " apprentices seem generally tohave done so within a few months of their husband'sdeaths. That the Company recognised the rightof women to retain apprentices if they chose is shownby the following provision in Statutes dated Novemberloth, 1607. " If any Apprentice or ApprenticesMarry or Absent themselves from their Master orMistress During their Apprenticehood, then within-- -l Records of Worshipful Company of Carpenters, Vol. III., p. 15, Court Book,a Ibid, Vol. III., p,. 30.Ibid, Vol. III., p. 31.' Ibrd, Vol. I., p. 136.