Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/489

 9 th S. II. DEC; 17, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

481

LONDON, SATUBDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1898.

CONTENTS. -No. 51.

NOTES : Crafts in the Fourteenth Century, 481 Irish Bells, 4*2 ' Dictionary of National Biography,' 483 Littre, 484 The Bell Punch Poem Ghost-words, 485 "Saving health" V and W Gladstone's Welsh Fore- fathers, 486 Mistral and Tennyson" Prototype," 487.

QUERIES: "Forrep- land " Economic History, 487 Mabon's Day Sir Thomas More " Phisgie " Farnham Marriage Kegisters, 488 Wordsworth Wanstead House- Duke of Albany" Ruction" Daffodil Legend Barton and Stedman Cape Town in 1844 Carlton Club Henry Curtis, 489 -'Martyrdom of Man 'Heraldic, 490.

REPLIES : Oldest Parish Register, 490 " Bob-baw ! " St. Fursey, 491 Moon through Coloured Glass Lending Money by Measure" Tipuler" Rounds or Rungs, 492 Rivers' Banks Bekesbourne Nonjurors Gentleman Porter. 493 Pattens " Jumble" The Roses of Kilravock 29, Upper Grosvenor Street Silhouettes Middlesex- Mackenzie, 494 Low Latin in the Classical Period Author Wanted Philip Thicknesse Hymn La Miseri- cordia Paul Jones, 495 Swakeleys W. Prynn The River Parret Furly Family" Helpmate," 496 Mill Bay Prison" Developement " W. Barren" Pig-a-back " Arms Wanted, 497- God's Name in Shakspeare The Wey- mouth Pine Liverpool Newspapers, 498.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Evans's 'In Quest of the Holy Graal ' Lang's ' Companions of Pickle ' Piper's ' Church Towers of Somersetshire ' Lang's Scott's ' Pirate ' Gee's ' Elizabethan Clergy.'

Notices to Correspondents.

fjtoles,

CRAFTS AND TRADES IN THE FOUR- TEENTH CENTURY.

IT is commonly asserted, even by writers of repute, that there were no early textile manufactures in England, but that we exported our wool to be woven in the looms of Flanders, weaving being intro- duced by refugees who fled from the religious persecutions of Alva and took refuge in Norfolk during the reign of Eliza- beth. I have long had my doubts, based chiefly on the prevalence of such surnames as Webster (the weaver), Lister (the dyer), and Walker (who trod the cloth in the vat).

A further proof is afforded by the 'Keturn of the Poll Tax for the West Riding ' (1379), which contains the names and trades of the population in the fourteenth century. The surnames show that in 1379 the manufac- ture of wool had been long practised.

The dyers' trade was naturally pursued in the larger towns rather than in the villages, and by masters employing several workmen. Thus at Pontefract there is a Lyster who employs two men and two maids; another who employs two men; and there is a Webe- ster who employs two men. At Wakefield

there is also a Lyster who employs two men. The names Webster and Lyster, also called by his Latin name Tinctor, are common enough to prove that cloth sufficient for local consumption was woven in Yorkshire. There were twelve Textors, and four Sherenmns (hence the name of Mrs. Sherman), who " clipped " the cloth when the Websters had done their task.

The manufacture of leather seems to have been important, showing that leather jerkins and breeches were commonly worn. We have nineteen Skynners, forty Barkars, six Sadde- lers, three Cordeweners, 167 Souters (shoe- makers)^ and eight Glovers. The surname Feuster is a trade name denoting a maker of pack saddles.

The commonest trades are Taylour and Smyth, since one lived in almost every village. The Taylours number 407, of whom 140 are called by the Latin name of Cissor. In addi- tion to 261 Smyths, several are specialized. There are two Arusmyths, three Lokesrayths, three Goldsmyths, five Fferours (shoeing- smiths), and six Marshalls (farriers).

The Wryght wrought both in wood and metal. The number catalogued is 186, of whom 81 are called by the Latin name Faber (French favre) : one of the few cases in which the Latin translation of a trade name has become a common surname. The Wryghts' trade, like that of the Smyths, was specialized. The Arkwryght made the great arks or chests in which the clothes or meal were stored ; and we find a Ploughwryght, a Wheelwryght, two Shippewryghts, eleven Cartwryghts, and two Glasenwryghts (glaziers), who were probably concerned with the windows of churches. Glass win- dows in houses were rare, as is still the case in Sicily or Egypt.

The Bakesters are few (fifteen), suggesting that families baked their, own bread. There are twenty-six butchers (Fleshewer, Bocher, or Carnifex), whence Labouchere ; while the surname Potter shows that this trade was in existence. The Fysshers (forty-three) were opulent, being taxed twelve times as much as labourers.

In towns on the main roads, such as Don- caster and Pontefract, the most lucrative trade was that of innkeeper (Osteler), who is highly taxed and employs many servants, maids as well as men. There were two Herbieurs, eight Taverners, and forty -four Brewers (Brewster or Brasiator).

There were twenty-one lawyers, but not one apothecary or leech, perhaps because the healing art was carried on by the inmates of most monasteries. There seem to have been