Ordinances enacted at a meeting of the Common Hall, 17 Aug 1681:

(1) No member of the Company shall print, publish, sell, bind etc., or cause to be printed, published, sold, bound etc., any book, pamphlet, portraiture, picture or paper, unless such printer as shall print the same do thereunto print his name, or the name of a bookseller keeping a shop in the City of London or its suburbs, who shall put the same to printing upon forfeiting to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty of the Company the sum of twenty pounds.

(2) Every year in a Court of Assistants the Master, Wardens and Assistants may elect and choose two honest, discreet and able men, being of the livery of this Society, who shall bear the title of Renter Wardens for the one year next ensuing, until others shall be chosen in their place. And in case of death or removal of any Renter Warden, the Master, Wardens and Assistants shall elect another Renter Warden.The person elected will accept the office and attend the Master and Warden upon their summons, and collect and receive all quarterage due from and payable to the Company by all members; and within a month of another person being admitted to the office shall give to the Master, Wardens and Assistants a true account, in writing, of all money that he received and disbursements he made for the use of the Company during his time in office, and shall speedily pay what remains in his hands due upon the account, and deliver all books and papers relating to the Company; upon pain that every person offending against this Ordinance shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty five pounds for each month that he refuses to make such an account; and five pounds for every month's time after such account stated that monies due to the account remain unpaid, if he has no reasonable impediment or excuse for his failure.

(3) After the election of the Renter Wardens, if either of those elected refuse to accept the office, having no reasonable impediment or excuse to do so, then such a person shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of forty pounds. But if such a person makes application to the Court of Assistants, the Master, Wardens and Assistants may excuse him for a small sum of money, not under the sum of twenty-four pounds.

(4) The two Renter Wardens shall, every year upon the day of the Lord Mayor of London being sworn at Westminster, in the Common Hall, find and provide a sufficient dinner for the Master, Wardens, Assistants and livery of the Company. And if default be made, then every person making default shall forfeit and pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of forty pounds.

(5) Whereas several members of the Company have great part of their estates in copies; and by ancient usage of the Company, when any book or copy is entered in the register book of the Company, to any member or members of the Company, such person to whom such an entry is made is reputed and taken to be the proprietor of such book of copy and ought to have the sole printing thereof; which privilege is now often abused; where any entry shall be made of any book of copy in the register book by any member of the Company; in such case, if any other member of the Company shall then, without licence or consent of such member for whom such an entry is made in the register book, print or import any such copy, or shall sell, bind etc. the same; then the member offending shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of twelve pence for every copy or book imprinted, imported, sold, bound etc. contrary hereunto.

(6) The Master and Wardens shall enter into the printing-house, warehouse or place of any members of the Company; and also into the shops and warehouses of any stationers, bookseller or bookbinder that are members of the Company, to see what is being imprinted, bound or stitched. And in case any member of the Company shall refuse to open his door and show the Master and Wardens his printing-house, shop or warehouse, and what he has in his house printed by him; then such a member shall forfeit to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of ten pounds.

(7) Whereas Charles II granted by letters patents to the Company licence and authority only to print and sell several books therein mentioned for a term of years yet in being; if any member of the Company shall, during the continuance of the term of the letters patents, without licence of the Master, Wardens and Commonalty, imprint, import, bind, sell or stitch contrary hereunto, then any such member shall forfeit to the Company the sum of twelve pence for each book so imprinted, imported, bound etc.

(8) Where the sole printing of any copy or book is already granted to any member of the Company by letters patents, or to any person not being a member of the Company; or when the printing of any copy or book shall hereafter be granted by His Majesty or his successors; then if any other members of the Company shall without licence of such owners of such copies or books print, import, bind, stitch or sell contrary hereunto, then such members so offending shall forfeit to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of twelve pence for every such book so imprinted, imported, bound etc.

(9) The Master, Wardens and Assistants, in a Court of Assistants, may elect and admit such members into the livery of the Company as they see fit; which person to be elected shall, upon his admission to the livery, pay to the Company the sum of twenty pounds for his admission. And if any such person to be elected to the livery shall refuse to accept it, without reasonable cause, and is so allowed by the Master, Wardens and Assistants, then he shall pay to the Company the sum of forty pounds.

Witnessed and signed by Heneage, Lord High Chancellor of England, Sir Francis Pemberton, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of the King's Bench and Sir Francis North, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

1st membrane decorated, uncoloured.

Draft minutes are dated 26 Mar 1685, 6 Apr 1685, 6, 11, 20 and 22 May 1685, 1 and 26 Jun 1685, 4 and 6 Jul 1685, 3, 18 and 22 Aug 1685, 7 and 12 Sep 1685, 5 Oct 1685, 2 Nov 1685, 7 and 22 Dec 1685, 1 Feb 1686 and 1 Mar 1686.

Some minutes have other documents inserted:

Minutes for 6 Apr 1685:

1. letter from Peter Parker and Thomas Guy, printers for the University of Oxford, to the master, wardens and court, offering to continue their former agreement that if the company pays its first quarter of rent then they will forbear to comprint, and stating that they will forgo the company's unpaid three quarters rent if the company acquits them of the Psalms they have printed, 25 Mar 1685.

Minutes for 6 and 11 May 1685:

1. Lord Mayor's precept to the master, wardens and court, requiring them to nominate a new livery and return the names of those nominated to the Guildhall on the morning of 7 July, 5 May 1685.

2. Lord Mayor's order, stating that as the liveries of several city companies are to be suspended and the livery status of these companies determined, their liveries must be newly granted, and ordering that their masters and wardens nominate loyal members to form the new livery, 5 May 1685.

3. list of members of the Haberdashers', Fishmongers', Merchant Taylors' Girdlers', Leathersellers' and Barber Chirurgeons' Companies, 6 May 1685.

4. Lord Mayor's order, listing those approved by the court as members of the new livery, 7 May 1685.

5. Lord Mayor's order, requesting that the master and wardens of several companies send their new charters to the town clerk to be enrolled in the journals of the court [of aldermen], 8 May 1685.

Minutes for 20 and 22 May 1685:

1. royal command to Roger L'Estrange, signed by Lord Sunderland, renewing regulations concerning licensing and the restriction of number of presses, 21 May 1685.

Minutes for 6 Jul 1685:

1. letter from Jo[h]n Richardson to the master, stating that by reason of commands to attend the service of his Majesty he is unable to attend the duties of renter warden, requesting that the court make a new choice and stating that he is happy to pay the fine for not serving, 6 Jul 1685.

Minutes for 3, 18 and 22 Aug 1685:

1. Lord Mayor's statement that the master, wardens and assistants had presented to the court [of aldermen] a list of names of those nominated to be liverymen of the company, and that the court approves and allows them to be of the livery, 30 Jul 1685.

2. true copy of licence and deputation from the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London to Roger Midgley, permitting him to licence books on behalf of the bishops under the revived Printing Act, 21 Aug 1685.

Minutes for 7 and 22 Dec 1685:

1. memorandum reading 'Memorandum December the 7th 1685 that the precedanse of the Westminster parliament before that at Oxford where printing in partnership for Mr Faniewell Herick Mr Tho Bassett Mr John Wright Mr Francis Smith Mr Ralp Smith Mr Robert Boulter and Benjamin Harris and Richard Chigwell, witnis my hand Benjamin Harris'.

Minutes for 1 Feb 1686:

1. otherwise blank piece of paper with the inscription 'Court 1st february 1685'.

Minutes for 1 Mar 1686:

1. draft minutes of meeting of the Committee about Stall Booksellers, 5 Mar 1686, with an annotated copy.

Inserted loose:

1. copy Lord Mayor's order that booksellers free of other companies be turned over to the company, and that in the future the chamberlain of the city do not admit any stationer to any company other than the Stationers' Company, 7 May 1685.

2. small slip of paper with the inscription 'Court - 1685'.

3. warrant from the Chief Justice 'to all Mayors Sheriffs Bayliffs Constables & all other officers & Ministers whome these may concerne', requiring them to assist the company in searching out seditious printing, 3 Nov 1685.

Committee minutes are written on some Court minute documents:

Court sitting of 6 Apr 1685: meeting of the Committee about Peter Parker and Thom[a]s Guy, 29 Apr 1685.

Court sitting of 6 Jul 1685: meeting of the Committee appointed about Parker & Guy, 21 Jul 1685.

Contains the following Acts and commentaries (mostly print):

• Appendix to A Decree of Starre-Chamber Concerning Printing made the eleventh Day of July last past, 1637

• Act against Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets, and for better Regulating of Printing, 1649

• An act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious, treasonable, and unlicensed books and pamphlets, 1662

• An act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious, treasonable, and unlicensed books and pamphlets, 1685

• An act for the encouragement of learning, by vesting the copies of printed books in the authors or purchasers of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, 1708 (printed 1718)

• An act to amend the law of copyright, 1842

• Stamp Acts, 1757 and 1765

• Restraint against co-printing law books (manuscript, no date)

• A Letter To a Member of Parliament, Shewing, that a Restraint On the Press Is inconsistent with the Protestant Religion, and dangerous to te Liberties of the Nation, 1698 - anonymously authored tract, now variously attributed to Daniel Defoe and Matthew Tindal

• Further Reasons Humbly Offered... for making more effectual... An Act for the Encouragement of Learning - argument advanced on the Stationers' side in the Battle of the Booksellers

• A Bill for making more effectual... An act to enable to commissioners of His Majesty's stamp duties, 1735

• Legal Deposit Act, 1775 (two copies)

• An Act to enable to commissioners of His Majesty's stamp duties to stamp the paper of newspapers, 1794

• An Act for repealing the Duties on Paper, 1794

• An act from granting Samuel Buckley the sole liberty of printing and reprinting the histories of Thuanus, 1733

• Acts for prohibiting the Importation of Books re-printed Abroad, 1739 and 1746

• An Act for the further Encouragement of Learning, 1801

• Copyright Bill, 1881

i: Court order that the Bishop of London's order to damask the Assemblies' catechisms and burn sheets of De Anima Mundi be registered in the Company's book of orders, 3 Dec 1677.

ii: order of the Bishop of London to damask seditious books seized from Francis Smith and to burn any not in a fit state for damasking, 16 Jul 1678.

iii: order of the Bishop of London to damask reams of Loyal Protestant Tutor, counterfeit primers and A Papist Misrepresented and Represented, 14 Dec 1685.

iv: order of the Archbishop of Canterbury to damask reams of Seli Historia di Grand Brittagno, Dowlman of Succession, Hunt's Postscript, Hunt's noe Protestant Plott and the Bishop of London's letters, 8 Apr 1687.

v: order of the Earl of Middleton, Principal Secretary of State, to damask English Liberties, or Freeborne Subjects Inheritance, and A Scheme of Popish Cruelties, or a Prospect of what we must expect under a Popish Successor, 11 Nov 1685.

vi: order of the Bishop of London to damask Hobbe's Leviathan, 11 Dec 1673.

vii: receipt of payment for damasking Leviathan, 25 Mar 1674.

viii: receipt of payment, 1677 [MISSING].

ix: receipted account of monies due to John Garrett for tasks including damasking Dorman Newman's books, and expenses relating to Astwood's trial, 29 Jun 1681.

x: bill and receipt of payment of Robert Stephens for getting the warrant to damask books seized at Pindar's Coffee-house which was supposed to be Obadiah Walker's, 26 Feb 1690.

xi: receipt of payment for damasking, with receipt of payment of Robert Stephens on verso for services, 5 May 1690.

xii: receipts of payment of Robert Stephens for searches, 25 Jun [1680]

xiii: receipt of payment of Robert Stephens for indicting publishers, 25 Jul 1693.

xiv: order of the Bishop of London to damask books imported from beyond the seas, undated.

xv: typescript copy certificate of the burning of socinianized Common Prayer books on 7 Feb 1716.

Hand-written records of printing at Oxford, and of seizures of illegal printing, including:

• Copy of two orders of the Bishop of London to damask books seized from Susan Streater and Nathaniel Thompson. The original order was delivered to the Company 29 October 1678
• Copy of order of Charles, Earl of Middleton to damask books seized from Benjamin Harris, 11 November 1685
• Copy of order of the Bishop of London to damask books seized from George Croome, Mrs. Harris, and James Rawlins. The order is dated 14 December 1685.
• Copy of order of Thomas Jenner, Recorder of the City of London, to all Constables, Headboroughs, and officers of the Peace, to assist the Company in searching, 17 December 1685. Copy of similar orders dated 31 December 1685 and 16 January 1686.
• Copy of an order of the Bishop of London, Henry Compton, to damask books seized from Barnard White and Robert Roberts. The sheets were discovered by Roger L’Estrange. The order is dated 26 January 1686.
• Copies of statement by John Mayo regarding an illegal printing press, 7 January 1686.
• Copy of an order from Secretary Sunderland to the Wardens to deliver a book to Robert Scott, 8 February 1686. With Scott’s receipt of the books, 10 February 1686.
• Copy of an order from Secretary Sunderland to the Wardens to deliver a book to Henry Hills, 15 February 1686. With Hills’s receipt of books, 26 February 1686.
• Copy of order to Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables and other officers, 8 April 1686.
• Agreement between Ann Humphries and the Company.
• Copy of order from the Archbishop of Canterbury to damask seized books, 8 April 1687.
• Copy of Rules to be observed by the Master and Wardens and members of the Company called to inspect imported books.
• Copy of an order for the delivery of psalms to Peter Parker and Thomas Guy. Signed in receipt by Parker and Guy, 20 June 1687.
• Copy of Mr Pollexfen’s advice touching the agreement with Oxford.
• Copy of Mr Trinder’s opinion in the case with Cambridge.
• Copy of the paper given the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, 20 May 1687.
• Copy of articles of agreement between John Bellinger, John Baker, Robert Clavell and Henry Hills.
• Copy of the state of the case concerning the printing at Oxford.
• Other miscellaneous records.

• Bill of expenses incurred by the beadle, Randall Taylor, August-October 1677. Items include: travel by water to Lambeth and back, with Mr Leybourne, with Mr Herick, with Smart, with Mr Haris & his man, two books of Mr Kendon, with Mr Steevens, in attending the Chamberlain with Mr Mearne & Mr Leigh, quarteridge payment. Signed in receipt by Randall Taylor, 12 October 1677.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly, relating to the following legal actions: the King against Mearne, the King against Clerke, the King against Winter. Signed in receipt by John Lilly, 11 August 1677.
• Bill for a search and seizure at Mr John Starkey’s, 26 September 1677.
• Receipt for Thomas Warren for four days attending in searches, 11 April 1678.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly. Includes expenses relating to legal actions: the King against Marlow, the King against Sole. Signed in receipt by Lilly, 17 July 1678.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly, relating to searching and copying Moredale’s Decree. Signed in receipt by Lilly, 23 December 1680.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly, relating to the case of the Company of Stationers against Astwood. Signed in receipt by Lilly, 14 July 1681.
• List of expenses incurred during searches, 9-14 August 1681. Personal names: Thomas Braddyll, Lionel Jenkins, Robert Stephens, Richard Royston, Roger Norton, Samuel Mearne, Robert Scott, Horne, Henry Hills, Randall Taylor, Thomas Newcombe.
• List of expenses incurred in attending the Lord Chief Justice, 26-28 August 1681.
• Bill of Samuel Mearne with items including, coach hire to attend Secretary of State Lionel Jenkins, attending the Solicitor General, at the Queen’s Head with Mr Sherman, Mr Hills, and Captain Baker, at the Queen’s Head again. Signed in receipt by Mearne, 16 March 1682.
• Bill of the beadle, Nicholas Hooper for various expenses incurred December 1691-October 1692. Signed in receipt by Hooper, 7 April 1694.
• Bill for a dinner at the Queen’s Head, signed in receipt, 20 March 1700.
• Bill of the beadle, Nicholas Hooper, for various expenses incurred February-March 1700. Signed in receipt by Hooper, 29 March 1700.

Receipted bills for suppressing unlicenced books and other expenditures, including:

• Bill of the beadle, Randal Taylor, for various expenses incurred July-November 1683. Items include: searching with Mr Steevens, with Mr Sawbridge and Steevens, sweeping the chimney, searching at Holloway Lane and other places, with Mr Steevens, mending the sword, searching again, paid the postman and the woman for cleaning, 8 whifflers’ staves, taking down putting up and mending the banners, candles and pipes for a court. Signed in receipt by Taylor, 24 December 1683.
• Bill of Henry Hills Sr. for going to and from Whitehall multiple times, and for seizing a catechism, 1687.
• Bill for books bought by Henry Hills Jr. in his office as Messenger of the Press. Signed in receipt by Hills Jr., 10 March 1688.
• Various bills of Henry Hills Jr., February 1688-January 1689.
• Bill of Henry Hills Sr. Signed in receipt by Hills, 12 June 1688.
• Bill of Henry Hills Sr. Items include: spent upon one giving intelligence about unlicensed books, gave for intelligence of Barnets 6 Letters or papers printed together & for one of them, promised for discovery of a private press when taken upon that intelligence, spent going to Whitehall about it & getting two warrants from Secretary Sunderland. Signed in receipt by Hills, 25 November 1687.

Receipted bills for searching and other expenditures, received for or from Robert Stephens.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of ten shilling for going searching with Warden Vere several times, 26 December 1677. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Thomas Vere.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens in the sum of one pound five shillings six pence. Items include: waiting on Web concerns in Southwark with Smart, subpoena three days at Westminster upon the trial of Thompson, going to Mortlake and waiting upon the Secretary and Council. Received of the clerk, John Lilly, 1 June 1678. Place names: Southwark, Westminster, Mortlake. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Lilly, Web, Smart, Nathaniel Thompson.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens in the sum of nine shillings six pence, received of John Lilly, 10 July 1678. Items include: one day attending the quarter sessions, two days waiting to take Soul's (Sowle) will, the constable and expenses. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Lilly, Andrew Sowle.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company 30 Dec 1680-25 Mar 1681. Items include: several searches about pamphlets, attendance on the secretary everyday, his trouble about the Peers speech, Hatfield Vision, Presbyterian need, a letter interrupted going for Holland, attendance at Guildhall and sessions and for employing men to buy several pamphlets and small books. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of two pounds fifteen shillings, 25 March 1681. Personal name: Robert Stephens, Francis Tyton.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens for expenses incurred from 25 March-24 June 1681. Items include: several searches with Mr Marlow to Gaines's private press, several searches and seizing the Answer to the King's Declaration and expense and Treason In Graine, taking a warrant to search the Glass House Yard for Braddyll's private press, for seizing the Rare Show at Astwood's. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of two pounds two shillings six pence, 2 July 1681. Place name: Glass House Yard. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Marlow, Gaines, Thomas Braddyll, James Astwood.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens addressed to the Master and Wardens of the Stationers' Company asking for reimbursement. The expenses were incurred defending an indictment from Samuel Lee over Stephens's actions to stop the printing and publishing of city charters by Lee, as commanded by the Company. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of eight pounds one shilling, 8 September 1681. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Samuel Lee.

Bill of Robert Stephens addressed to Warden Towse, for expenses incurred in the service of the Company June-December 1681. Items include: going with Warden Towse and sometimes with Warden Newcomb searching several times, buying several books and pamphlets with wrong names and without names, prosecuting several offenders. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of five pounds. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Towse, Thomas Newcomb.