Piece
Transferred to SC 5/8/6 and subsequently to C 47/8/1
Catalogue reference: SC 5/8/7
Transferred to SC 5/8/6 and subsequently to C 47/8/1
Item
Cordwainers of London. King. The Cordwainers complain of the Flemings and other strangers...
Catalogue reference: SC 8/345/E1323
What’s it about?
This record is about the Cordwainers of London. King. The Cordwainers complain of the Flemings and other strangers... dating from [? 1450] in the series Special Collections: Ancient Petitions. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
Is it available online?
Yes, this record is available online and can be downloaded. How to view it.
Can I see it in person?
No, this record is not available to see in person at The National Archives. Other ways to view it.
Full description and record details
-
Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- SC 8/345/E1323
-
Date (When the record was created)
- [? 1450]
-
Description (What the record is about)
-
- Petitioners
- Cordwainers of London.
- Addressees
- King.
- Nature of request
- The Cordwainers complain of the Flemings and other strangers who have come into the realm and taken up the craft of cordwainer. They state that formerly they were of sufficient ability and power to set on work such young men of the craft of cordwainer as resorted to London as other cities, towns, boroughs and villages of the realm, and sold their wares more cheaply than the strangers were able to. Now the strangers will not set any English on work, being so hugely set on work these days, so that the subject [native] cordwainers cannot live by their occupation, and cannot set on work young men coming to London and other cities, towns, boroughs and villages of the realm so that they fall to idleness, and become thieves, beggars, vagabonds and people of vicious living for lack of occupation to their utter undoing, and the Cordwainers who used to contribute to the charges with others, and have other charges such as wives and children, and will be utterly impoverished without remedy being soon provided. They request that this being considered, and with the advice of the lords spiritual and temporal assembled in this parliament that it be ordained that any stranger of whatsoever country coming into the realm after the date of the making of the act and wishing to be a cordwainer, occupy any house or chamber, and reside there with another stranger, nor occupy the craft of cordwainer, but that all such strangers with these skills coming after this act depart the realm or forfeit £20. They also request that any stranger occupying a house and the craft of cordwainer after the act will not take any apprentice, servant or any other person to work with him or to his use except if it his son or daughter, and except those taken on the day of the making of the act on pain of forfeiture of £20. The forfeiture is to be divided between the king and the person suing the action, and the defendant not be allowed to wage or do his law, nor any protection or essoin of service to the king for any such defendant be allowed.
- Nature of endorsement
- [None].
- Places mentioned
- London.
- People mentioned
- Flemings.
-
Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
-
Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
-
Language (The language of the record)
- English
-
Closure status (Whether the record is ‘open’ (available to the public) or ‘closed’ (not available due to a legal exemption))
- Open Document, Open Description
-
Publication note(s) (A note of publications related to the record)
- The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, Ed. Paul Brand, Anne Curry, Chris Given-Wilson, Rosemary Horrox, W.M. Ormrod and J.R.S. Phillips, (Cambridge University Press, 2005), parliament of 1450, Appendix no.7 (summary of petition with references)
-
Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C9736744/
How to order it
- View this record page in our current catalogue
- Check viewing and downloading options
- Select an option and follow instructions
Series information
SC 8
Special Collections: Ancient Petitions
See the series level description for more information about this record.
Catalogue hierarchy
Over 27 million records
74,884 records
18,283 records
47 records
You are currently looking at the item: SC 8/345/E1323
Cordwainers of London. King. The Cordwainers complain of the Flemings and other strangers...
Related records
Records that share similar topics with this record.