The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-01-31
The GUILDS IN The
MIDDLE ACES
ASSOCIATIONS OF SKILLED WORK
ERs-RELIGIoUS CHARACTER
THEIR DISAPPEARANCE.

Social life in the Ages of Faith was
expressed and modified by the numer-
Gus Guilds, says a writer in "The Live
ISSUE" The Guild was an association
either purely religious or animated by
the religious and charitable spirit of
the time From the Saxon days there
were religious Guilds open to all.
Their object was not trade or material
benefits, but piety, prayer and Chris
tian charity After the Conquest,
these Guilds increased very rapidly,
and as the first outcome of the growth
in trade, the Gild-merchant, as it was
called, made it's appearance. The Gid
merchant was a corporation of the
chief worthless of town, appointed by
royal charter for the regulation of
trade, food stuffs however being ex-
cepted. It's members constituted a
sort of chamber of commerce, and ex.
ercised considerable power throughout
Europe from the Conquest to the four
| teenth century. The Gild-merchant
checked competition, controlled prices,
weights and measures, and guaranteed
the quality of goods offered for sale.
The Gild-merchant probably dis
charged the Office of bargaining col
lectively for the town, as in the pur-
chase of coal, or of the cargo of a for
| eign vessel. These corporations rep
resented monopoly and protection; but
they were suited to the condition and
needs of their time With the further
| developments of trade their influence
yielded to that of the Craft Guilds, al
though they long survived as religious
and social fraternities.
Craft Guilds.
The Craft Guilds were associations
of artisans-masters and men-from
which, however, women were not ex-
cluded. The whole of the skilled
workers of the country were grouped
under their respective trades, so that
the Guilds of England were counted
| by their thousands, and gave to in
dustry it's strength, independence and
property. Their gay distinctive "cloth-
| ing" is some evidence of their posi-
ton in the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries, when without friction they
ultimately succeeded to the rank or
influence formerly occupied by the
Gild-merchants. They derived author
| ity from the mayor or chief magistrate
of their town to supervise the condi-
lions of work, hours, days of rest,
wages, materials, workmanship and
prices. They arranged for the entry
of apprentices into the home life of
| the master. They ensured the eff
cheney of their training, required
warrant of their good behavior, and
protected their liberties. They also
safeguarded their own particular trade
from foreign competition, and the in
road of alien workers. These Guilds
were essentially religious in charac-
ter, each with it's patron saint, it's fes-
tival, it's prayers for deceased breth-
rem and it's recognized place in the To-
cal professions or pageants. Social
functions of joyous character at
tended upon the great annual feast of
the Guild, generally on or near the fes-
tival of it's patron saint. The Guilds
were generous and faithful in helping
those of their members and others
too who fell into poverty through sick
ness or misfortune. They acted at
times in a narrow and selfish spirit.
They absorbed the wealth of the towns
and to some extent may have exploit
ed others.