Dossier 05 - Ordinances

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Ordinances enacted at a meeting of the Common Hall, 14 May 1694:

(1) Whereas divers Company members have great part of their estates in copies entered in the register books which is and always has by ancient usage of the Company been taken to be the right and property of such persons (members of the Company) for whom such copies are duly entered in the register and constantly bargained and sold among Company members as their property, and devised to children and others for legacies and to their widows for their maintenance, And that they to whom such copies are entered purchased or devised ought to have the sole printing thereof Wherefore for the better preservation of this ancient usage from being invaded And to prevent the abuse of trade by violating the same, after any entries of copies are made in the register books by any members of the Company, If any other member shall without licence or consent of the member by whom the entries are made, or his assignees print or import any such copies whereof such due entry has been made in the register book to or for such other member, or shall sell, bind or stitch the same without license That members so offending shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of twelve pounds for each copy or part of copy imprinted, imported, sold, bound, stitched or exposed to sale without such licence or consent.

(2) The Master, Wardens and Assistants may yearly elect one discreet, able, honest and fit person who has been educated and instructed in clerkship and in the knowledge of the laws of the realm to be Clerk for the entering and registering of all decrees, ordinances, Acts, agreements, orders etc. made in their Court, committees, meetings and assemblies And to advise and assist the Master and Wardens in all affairs of the Company relating to the law And to do all things pertinant to the office At which election there shall be two or more persons put in nomination Whereof the then present Clerk to be one To which nomination the Master, Wardens and Assistants may exhibit such person they think fit to be candidates Which person so elected shall take the oath And shall seal, execute and deliver to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty one bond or obligation of the penalty of one thousand pounds or more (with sufficient sureties if required) that he shall diligently perform the said office and keep the register books of copies, Court books and other Company books in good condition from being torn, obliterated, razed etc. And when required by the Master and Wardens deliver to them in a Court of Assistants all of the books in good condition And shall deliver in like condition all other books and papers concerning the Company And shall give a true account in writing to the Master and Wardens And to them make true payment of any monies belonging to the Company which he has received.

[Text of the Clerk's oath].

(3) Every year yearly 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 persons elected will accept the office and attend the Master and Warden upon their summons, and collect and receive all quarterage and quarterly payments 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 they received and disbursements they made for the use of the Company during their time in office, and shall speedily pay what remains in their 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 cause for his refusal or delay.

(4) If after the election of the Renter Wardens either of the persons elected shall not accept the office, having no reasonable excuse, then such persons shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of forty pounds BUT if any person chosen Renter Warden shall make application to the Court of Assistants to be excused from the same office by the Master, Wardens and Assistants may excuse him for a smaller sum if they think fit, not being under the sum of twenty-four pounds.

(5) Every year upon the day of the Lord Mayor of London being sworn at Westminster the two Renter Wardens shall at their costs and charges provide for the Master, Wardens, Assistants and liverymen in Common Hall a sufficient dinner as has usually been made there upon the occasion of the Company's attendance in the solemnity of the day. 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.

(6) The Master, Wardens and Assistants shall when they think fit elect and admit such Company members into the livery Which person so elected shall upon his admission into the livery pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the usual sum of twenty pounds And if any such person so elected shall not upon notice accept, having no reasonable excuse to refuse, Then he shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of forty 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 any books particularly granted to the Company in the letters patent, then any such member shall forfeit to the Company the sum of twelve pence for each book so imprinted, imported, bound etc.

(8) The Master and Wardens may at any time with such assistance they think fit enter the printing house or warehouse of any Company member And also into the shops and warehouses of any stationer bookseller or bookbinder being a Company member to see what is there imprinting, binding or stitching And in case any Company members shall refuse to open their doors to the Master or Wardens or to show the Master or Wardens their printing house and place of printing, shop, warehouse or workhouse and what they have there or is there printing, stitching or bindingThat then such members so offending shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of five pounds.

(9) No master printer or other printer being a Company member shall teach any person other than his own legitimate son the art of printing, who is not actually bound by allowance of the Master in a Court of Assistants an apprentice upon pain that every master printer so offending shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of five pounds.

(10) Whereas by ancient usage of the Company touching the taking and retaining of apprentices is that every Company member who is or has been Master or Upper Warden may have and retain three apprentices at one time And every Liveryman may have and retain two apprentices at one time And every yeoman of the Company may have a retain one apprentice at one time, from hence forward if any Company member or members shall by binding at any other place than the Common Hall and by allowance of the Master in the Court of Assistants or by turning over without such allowance have or retain any apprentices such member or members shall pay to the Master, Wardens and Commonalty the sum of five pounds.

Witnessed and signed by Sir John Somers, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, Sir John Holt, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of the King's Bench and Sir George Treby, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

1st membrane with decorative headpiece; 3 red seals on red and white plaited cords.

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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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