The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-02 00:00:00

THE GROCERS' COMPABY.

The records of Grocers begin partly in Norman
French, partly in Old English, as follows: "To the
Honour of God, the Virgin Mary, St. Anthony, and all
saints, the 9th day of May, 1345, a fraternity was
founded of the Company of Pepperers of Soper's-lane,
for love and unity to maintain and keep themselves
together, of which fraternity are sundry beginners,
founders, and donors, to preserve the said fraternity."
Twenty-two persons accorded to Meet together at a ,
dinner in the Abbot's place in Bury, and there were
then chosen "two the first wardens that ever were of
our fraternity," and ordinances were agreed to pro-
viding that no person should be of the fraternity "if
not of good condition and of this craft," i.e., "a
pepperer of Soper's-lane or a spicer in the ward
of Cheap, or other people of their mystery
wherever they reside," for contribution among the mem-
bers for the purposes of the fraternity, including the
maintenance of a priest, the wearing of a livery, arbi-
tration by the wardens upon disputes between mem-
bers, attendance at Mass at the Monastery of St.
Anthony on St. Anthony's Day, and at a feast on that
day or within the octave, at which feast the wardens
should come with chaplets and choose and crown two
other wardens for the year ensuing, attendance at the
funerals of members, the taking of apprentices,
assistEOce of unfortunate members out of the common
stock, and that "any of the fraternity may, according
to his circumstances and free will, devise what be
chooses to the common box for the better supporting
the fraternity and their alms." In 1348 it was
ordained by common consent that widows of members
should remain members, and as such be assisted by
the fraternity and come to the dinners, but should
lose their privilege of marrying out of the fraternity.
In 1373 there were 124 members of
.the Company,
and in that year the style of the fraternity appears
for the first time in the records as the Grocers.
In 1376 the ordinances , required that there
should be four meetings in the year, "principally
to treat of the common business of the mystery; alsc
that for the relief of the poor members of the com-
pany who shall become impoverished, and for estab-
lishing other alms, every one of the company shall
give to the common box tenpence," and that no one
of any other mystery should be admitted into the
company without the common assent, and should pay
for Ms entry ten pounds at least. There are also
provisions for attendance at the dirge or funeral of
deceased members, and for payment by the company
of the funeral charges of indigent members. The
date of the foundation of the Drapers' Company is
not known, but the charter of earliest date (1364)
speaks of the mystery as already established, and the
earliest Ordinances of which the company possess any
oiHrne:eg purportyn2d2a.Fp TA.reisw
yatotosns
association
hcefov
etrrevisiondion mpartakenfraoymoorf
which
earlierch set
derives madeits
lolfB9t-hle2nla2t,ureappoeaf
appears
social and religious as well as a commercial guild.
to have been a member.—Nineteenth Century.