Page:Mediaevalleicest00billrich.djvu/178

 the price of corn is fallen, without prejudice either to your corporation or the said bakers of the said town. Of your accomplishment whereof in some moderate sort we do not doubt." After the receipt of this Order, the Mayor and Corporation summoned Becket and the Bakers before them. Becket then said that, unless he might be suffered to bake such sorts of bread and as much weekly as he had heretofore used, he would "answer them (the Plaintiffs) to the law." The Mayor and his brethren then reported to the Attorney, that, in view of Becket's attitude, they had "taken no order betwixt them," but had "left them to the order of the honourable court of the Duchy." One of the Plaintiff Bakers, Roger Hall, having made an affidavit to the effect that the Defendants had disobeyed the injunction which prohibited them from baking in their houses "spiced cakes, buns, biscuits and such other spiced bread, and to sell the same, (being bread out of assize and not by law allowed)," the Duchy Court made an Order on Jan. 25, 1600, and appointed the ensuing 21st of April for hearing the matter. The case seems, however, to have been settled before that date, on April 3rd, when the bakers agreed that Becket should be allowed to bake spiced bread, &c. one day in the week, upon his undertaking not to bake more than would serve his guests.

The Ordinal of the Leicester Bakers' Occupation has not been preserved, but no doubt it corresponded generally to those of other towns. Its contents may be inferred, in some degree, from the Composition of the Hull Bakers, dated 1598, which is still extant. This ordinance provided in the first place for the government of the company. One Warden and two Searchers were to be chosen yearly, who, on the day after their election, should be sworn before the Mayor, and who should give bonds to the company; and only freemen were to be admitted to the company. Provision was made for the protection of the trade: no innholder or other person within the town not free of the company of bakers might bake any bread for sale, nor for serving their guests; no inhabitant might bake cakes to sell, and no person from outside the town might sell bread within the town except on Market Days, and then only by retail. Offenders were to be 136