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

178 CRAFTS AND TRADES CRAFTS AND TRADES '79business must have been very necessary for the wifein cases where the husband worked for wages, and noton his own account, for in I 363 carpenter's wageswere fixed " be my lorde mayors commandement . . .yf they dyd fynde themselves meat and drynkeat xiiij9he day and their servants xijd. Itm otherwisesthe sayd carpynters to have viijd the day waygesmeat & drynke & their servants vjd meat & drynke."'These wages would have been inadequate for themaintenance of a family in London, and thereforeunless the carpenter was in a position to employapprentices and enter into contracts, in which casehe could find employment also for his wife, she musthave traded in some way on her own account.It is difficult to say how far the position of womenin the Stationers? and Carpenters7 Companies wastypical of their position in the other great LondonCompanies and in the Gilds and Companies whichflourished or decayed in the provinces. All theseorganisations resembled each other in certain broadoutlines, but varied considerably in, details. Allseem to have agreed in the early association of brothersand sisters on equal terms for social and religiouspurposes.Thus the Carpenters7 was " establishedone perpetual brotherhood, or guild . . . . toconsist of one master, three wardens, and commonaltyof freemen, of the Mystery of Carpentry . . . .and of the brethren and sisters of freemen of thesaid mystery."' The charter granted by Henry VI.to the Armourers and Braziers provided " that thebreihren and sisters of that ffraternity or guild, should be of itself one perpetual community . . . .and have perpetual sucession. And that the brothersand sisters of the same ffraternity or guild, . . . .might choose and make one Master and two Wardensfrom among themselves ; and also elect and make anotherMaster and other Wardens into the office aforesaid,according to the ordinances of the better and worthierpart of thesame brethren and sisters . . . . . "l Inthis case the sisters were regarded as active andresponsible members but of the Merchant TaylorsClode says " It is clear that women were originallyadmitted as members and took apprentices ; that itwas customary in later years for women to dine or bepresent at the quarterly meetings is evidenced by anotice of their absence in 1603, ' the upper table nearto the garden, commonlv called the Mistris Table,was furnished with swbrd bearer and gentlemenstrangers, there being no gentlewomen at this QuarterDay.' In many of the wills of early benefactors,sisters as well as brethren are named as ' devisees.'Thus in Sibsay's (1404) the devise is ' to the Masterand Wardens and brethren and sisters' . . . . .When an Almsman of the Livery married with theCompany's consent his widow remained during herlife an almswoman, and was buried by the Company.In that sense she was treated as a sister of thefraternity, but she probably exercised no rights as amember of it."2The sisters are often referred to in the rules relating tothe dinners, which were such an important featureof gild life. The " Grocers " provided that " Everyone of the Fraternity from thenceforward, that hasa wife or companion, shall come to the feast, and bringwith him a lady if he pleases ; [et ameyne avec luyune dernoiselle si luy plest] if they cannot come, forthe reasons hereafter named, that is to say, sick,big with child, and near deliverance, without anyother exception ; and that every man shall pay forhis wife 20d. ; also, that each shall pay ss., that isRecords of the Worshfpful Company of Carpenters, Vol. III., p. 75, Corrrt Book.Jupp. Carpenters, p. 12.l Armourers and Brazzers. Charter and By-lams ofthe Company, p. 4.Clode. Hastory of the Merchant Taylors, London, Vol. I., p. 42.