Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-05-01
"WorshipfuI Barbers."
From Pail Mall Gazette.

The "Worshipful Company OF Bar
bers" recently celebrated it's 600th an
nlVersary by a banquet, at which a
large number Of distinguished guests
were entertained, many of them being
prominent members of the medical pro-
fesslon. Monkwell street is at the ex-
treme end of London Wall, near Alder
gate, and there, in that curiously in
tense quiet which is the note of the
back streets in the city, is the hall of
the Company of BARRIERS. The building
itself is comparatively late, a beautiful
work Of lingo Jones. 1t has that air
of nignified comfort, the mark Of ia
cobean architecture; there is nothing
of enthusiasm about the style, nothing
that is not sober and quiet. Though
the hall is late, there are some things
there of a greater antiquity, and many
things OF real beauty.
The idea of the medieval guild was
to protect, not the worker, but the
work. Just as the Stationers existed to
prevent the issuing of unseemly or
heretical books; just as the goldsmiths
protected the public against inferior
work, so the barber-surgeons had to
keep up the standard of shaving, Of
hair cutting, of blood letting and the
more serious forms of surgery. And
they exercised more stringent powers
than do the trade unions. When Rich
ard lie Barbour was confirmed in his
position as master of the BARRIERS in
13OS-for the BARRIERS are keeping their
seX-cCntenary-he was given super
vision over the whole of his trade in
London, as It is put. Once q month, so
Richard swore, he had to go the rounds
and rebuke any BARRIERS whom he found
acting disgracefully or entering on 9TH
er trades less reputable than their own.
The master of city company not only
had this power of supervision over the
members of his trade or profession, but
he successfully prevented unauthorized
folk from performing the mysteries.
1t Is difficult to give any particular
ceased to be connected. save in the
vaguest way, with the trades whose
names they bear. But there is no doubt
that, until comparatively recent times,
this connection was close. AS late as
1893 several BARRIERS were prosecuted
and fined for exercising the trade in
the city without being members of the
company.
1t may be Of interest to give two in
stances Of the nature Of the discipline
they exercised, and also of it's evidently
severe character. In 1647 we find in
the minutes OF the company that Mr.
Heydon complained ito this court OF
his apprentice here present in court
for his evil and stubbOrne behavior
toward him and frequent absences out
of his service in daytime and in late
hours at night. The said apprentice
being in court to answer to the same
did rudely and most irreverently be-
have himself toward his said master
and the whole court, in saucy language
and behavior, using several oathes pro-
testing that he will not serve his mas
ter whatever shall come of it. This
court did, therefore, cause the haire OF
the said apprentice (being undecently
long, to be cut shorter"
in the year 1907 the company ex-
pended II shillings on "a pece of blacke
buckaram to make coote for correction
of apprentices" This coat, familiarly
called "bulbeggar," was put over the
head and shoulders of the sturdy bar
ber appointed to chastise an appren-
tice. This prevented the criminal from
recognizing his executioner, who would
otherwise have been waylaid in Monk
we'll street by the apprentices in a body
and soundly drubbed in return.