An Old City Company: a Sketch of the History and Conditions of the Skinners' Company of London

Appendix I, Together With a Supplementary Award of the 17th January,

1521—12 Hen. VIII—explaining that the original award was applicable on all occasions.

Lord Mayor Billesdon’s award, which forms the subject of the painting recently placed by the two Companies jointly in the Royal Exchange, has continued to be scrupulously observed down to the present time. The two Companies rank alternately sixth and seventh among the twelve great Companies of the City, and the Master and Wardens of each dine with the other once a year; the Skinners’ entertainment taking place in December, and that of the Merchant Taylors’ in June. The representatives of the visiting Company are received as the chief guests of the occasion, and after dinner the Master of the entertaining Company gives the time-honoured toast, which, when the entertainment is at Skinners’ Hall, is in the following terms:—“The Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Skinners drink health and prosperity to the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, also to the Worshipful Company of Skinners, Merchant Taylors and Skinners, Skinners and Merchant Taylors root and branch; may they continue and flourish for ever!” To which the Master of the Merchant Taylors’ Company responds in identical form, but transposing the names of the two Companies. When the entertainment is at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, the Master of that Company gives the toast on behalf of his Company, to which the Master of the Skinners’ Company responds.

In the year 1681, some little friction appears to have occurred with respect to the annual visit, as the Court Book for that year contains the following entry under date August 9th:—“Whereas, at a Court holden the 8th of June last, it was ordered that the Mast^r and Wardens of the Merchant Taylors should be invited to dine with this Worp^l Comp: on their Election Day, viz^t, on the 15th of the said month, and whereas the Mast^r and Wardens of the said Compa: were invited by the Wardens of this Worp^l Comp: at Merchant Taylors schoole at the usuall time, and forasmuch as the Mast^r and Wardens of the said Company of Merchant Taylors for severall reasons to their Court appearing did decline the said invitac’on and sent one of their Wardens to excuse their comeing; and since, viz^t, on Monday, the 8th of August instant, one of their Wardens with some other p’sons in his Comp: made an invitac’on to the Mast^r and Wardens of this Worp^l Company to dine with their said Company, on Thursday, the 11th of this instant August. Now, this Court haveing had informac’on from the Mast^r and Mr. Warden Key that such their invitac’on was not made by ord^r of Court of Assistants of the said Company of Merchant Taylors, but only by one of their Wardens, with the consent and direction of the said Mast^r and Wardens—This Court doth therefore desire Mast^r and Wardens of this Company now p’sent to decline goeing to their said Dinner or to accept thereof in respect the said invitac’on was not made by ord^r of their Court according to their usuall custome.”

In pre-Reformation times, an important feature in the conduct of the Company was the performance of obits and rendering of honour to departed members. The Renter Warden’s accounts, which have been preserved from 1491 downwards, contain numerous references to such matters. Thus, in 1535–6—

“Pay’d to Syr John Stylbone, pryst, syngynge and prayinge for the soule of Master Merfen at the Charnel-house, and at Seynt Antolyns, by yere

viili.”

“Item, pay’d for the kepynge of Mr. Myrfyns obbyte by yere at the Charnel-house xxvis. viiid.”

Again, in the following year—

“Payd for a dyner provided at Skynners’ Hall for the bequest of William Tornor, Skynner, decessed, for the clothyn of thys felysshipe in the tyme of thys accompt

iiiili. vs. iid.”

“Item, payd for spice, bred, wyne, and ale at hys buryinge at Skynners’ Hall after Dirige for the Company at the tyme of his buryall in the tyme of thys accompt

vis. viiid.”

On the other hand, we find among the receipts in 1535–6—

“R’d of Thomas Davy the yonger for a fyne for that he denyed to bere the corpus of Thomas Franke to hys beryall

xiid.”

“Item, r’d of Water Bucknell for a fyne for that he gave oprobryus wordes to the Master and Wardens, xxd., and for that he denyed to bere the corpus of Thomas Franke, decessid, according to the ordynances

iiis. iiiid. Summa vs.”

So, in 1536–7—

“Receyved of the executors of John Edwards, Skynner, latte decessed, for his bequest to make a recreacion at Skynners’ Hall for the clothinge of the Company that were present at his buryall in the tyme of thys accompt

xls.”

The fine imposed on Water Bucknell for his “oprobryus” words to the Master and Wardens show that the authorities of the Company knew how to guard themselves from insult. But they were equally careful in the case of less important members. Thus, in 1535–6—

“R’d of William Tornor for a fyne for that he Revyled and myssayd ongoddly wordes to George Forman

vs.”

“Item, R’d of George Forman for slaunderus wordes and mysbehavyor to the sayd William Turnor the same day

iiis.”

It may be conjectured that the 2s. by which Turner’s fine exceeded Forman’s was owing to the blasphemous character of his language.

Litigation was a cheap and inexpensive amusement in those days. Thus, in 1535–6—

“Payd for the sute in the lawe bytwene thys house and Mystres Bedell in the Spirituall Corte for maynteynynge of the Torches Master Bedyll gave thys house

viis. vid.”

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Company contained many men of distinction. One of the more conspicuous of these was Sir Andrew Judd, who was Master of the Company in 1533, and on five subsequent occasions. He was Alderman, Sheriff, and (in 1550) Lord Mayor of London. He was also Mayor of the Staple of Calais, and in all his various offices he was distinguished by loyalty and capacity, taking, among other things, an active part in the suppression of Sir Thomas Wyatt’s rebellion. He died in 1558, having amassed a considerable fortune as a merchant, and was a benefactor of the Company to a substantial extent. He founded the Company’s almshouses for men in Great St. Helen’s. But his especial glory is that, in the year 1553, he founded and endowed, in his native town of Tonbridge, under letters-patent obtained by him from Edward VI, the famous free Grammar School, now known as Tonbridge School, which has since made good its claim to a place among the great public schools of England. This school is, by direction of the Founder, governed by the Skinners’ Company, in whom he reposed the fullest confidence, not unwisely.

Very little now remains of the original school buildings, with the exception of a part of the Head-Master’s house; the old buildings were removed and new ones erected in 1863–4, to which were added a large block of science rooms, with a library and gymnasium, in 1886–7, and a great hall with another large block of class-rooms and workshops, joining the science buildings to the 1863–4 buildings, in 1894. A new chapel was erected in 1900–2, replacing a smaller one which had been built in 1859, but which was never consecrated, and is now used as a museum. Still further additional buildings are in prospect. Large additions have also been made to the playing-fields. The school is now governed under a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 1881, and contains about four hundred boys.

The annual Visitation of the Governors takes place at the end of the summer term, when the doors of the houses in the town are decorated with young birch trees, in a way which I only remember to have seen elsewhere at the old Imperial city of Rothenburg, in Bavaria, at Whitsuntide. On the first day the buildings and property are inspected, and any necessary directions given. On the second day a Latin address, reminding one of the Ad Portas at Winchester, is delivered by the Head Boy on the arrival of the Governors at the School, to which one of the Examiners replies. A roll-call in the Great Hall follows, succeeded by a commemorative service in the parish church, at which an interesting bidding prayer is repeated (see Appendix II). In the afternoon there is a prize distribution in the Great Hall, with the addition of addresses by the Head Master and the Master of the Governors, an announcement of the result of the examination for leaving exhibitions, and a list of honours obtained, which grows from year to year. Three silver pens, respectively gilt, parcel-gilt, and plain, are also presented to distinguished scholars, in accordance with the Founder’s directions.

The inscription on Sir Andrew Judd’s monument in the church of St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate, is as follows:—

“To Russia and Muscova To Spayne Gynny withoute Fable Traveld he by land and sea Bothe Mayre of London and Staple. The commenwelthe he norished So worthelie in all his daies That ech state fullwell him loved To his perpetuall prayes. Three wives he had: one was Mary Four sunes one mayde had he by her Annys had none by him truly By Dame Mary had one dowghter Thus in the month of September A thowsande fyve hunderd fyftey And eyght died this worthie Staplar, Worshipynge his posterytye. S’r Andrew Judd Knt.”

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