Bestanddeel 03 - Ordinances

5 membranes

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.

• Engels

• Latijn

A microfilm copy is on reel 71, 'Records of the Stationers' Company 1554-1920: 115 Reels of Microfilm with Printed Guide', published by Chadwyck-Healy Ltd (1989)

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