Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-10-29
FREEDOM OF THE TOWN.
How 1t Was Conferred Upon "Foreigners"
in Days Gone BY.

HOW was COnteTreu upon ''F
in Days Gone BY.
In recent historical address at Cor
ham, Me-, Rev. Elijah Kellogg, speak
ing of his ancestors who were among
the early settlers of that town, men
toned an old usage of colonial times.
at was the CUSTOM" he said, "to warn
persons out of town unless they had
real estate or had such character as
rendered them useful members Of
society,"" Allusion to this practice is
frequent in our early history, and no
doubt many readers are familiar with
the characteristic story of the Puritan,
who, upon receiving the formal request
to relieve the town of any liability for
his support, turned to his wife and
said: Come, Abigail, let us be going.
The town is so poor that it was over
populated by the first settler"
This warning newcomer out of
town was commonly mere matter of
form. If settler remained after this
warning the town could not be made
chargeable with his support in case he
became pauper.
In those days it was customary to
elect men free men of the town" in
town meeting. Originally the govern
ment of the town was in the hands of
proprietors only, the plan was to admit
new citizens by voting them the ''free-
dom of the town." Since colonial
times this vote has been simply COM
pliment rarely paid to distinguished
visitor, who is thereby made the public
guest, rather than citizen.
This usage was brought from Eng
land, where it had prevailed from a
time so distant that the memory of man
runs not to the contrary. The munich
pal records of London contain frequent
mention of it. In 1905 four men were
deprived of the freedom of the city be-
cause they rented land outside the city
limits. No record will be found of adj
mission to the freedom of the city,
for this was entered upon the rolls of
Guildhall.
In 1926, ''for avoiding certain perils, "
it was ordained to the effect that all
alien merchants who had been admitted
to the freedom of the city should be
wholly removed from the same.
at was expressly ordained that from
circumstances be admitted to the free
dom of the said city, save only at the
Hastings of London, and by the assent
of the commonalty, and upon the sutfi-
cient security of six reputable men of
the trade which such person should
have followed, and should intend to
follow"
1t will be observed that during those
times admission to the freedom of the
city involved admission to some guild
or craft, which the freeman was re-
quired to follow, and that in any other
employment he could not engage. An
entry made upon the records in 1413 is
suggestive on many points.
''Be it remembered that on the first
day of December, in the first year of
Henry ", by the Wardens and good
folks of the trade of Cutters of the City
of London, information was given unto
the Mayor, Aldermen, and Chamber
lain, of the same city, that one William
Wysman, of Waltham, in the County
of Essex, a foreigner, had been adj
mitted to the freedom of the said CITY
folks of the trade of coursers, as one
who followed their calling; whereas
the said William was at that time of
the craft of the Cutters, and not of the
said trade of coursers."
1t is enough to say that William con.
fessed that he had gained the freedom
of the city deceitfully. For this sit
was awarded that such admission to
the freedom should be held as null,
and that he should pay for his wares
and merchandise from thenceforth
custom and all other things, the same
as one who is a foreigner, and enjoys
no freedom of the said city,"
The reader will observe that Wys-
man, coming from Waltham, not more
than twenty miles from London, was a
foreigner" This does not mean that
he was alien to the realm, but simply
that he was not a freeman, though he
may have been one at Waltham.
1t also appears that after he was de.
prived of the freedom of the city, he
could remain and follow the calling OF
"courser" Gockey), only he would
have to pay "customs and all othel
things. the same as one who is for
eigner' is. just the same as hi
would have to pay had he come from
Waltham, and not been admitted free
man. This gives an idea of how many
of our custom dues originated, and o
the broader and more generous view
that are now taken of citizenship
Youths COMPANION.