The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
and constituted by the said Master Wardens and Assistants in every
respect according to the true intent and meaning of the same and of
these presents, and in all other causes matters and things concerning
the good and welfare of the said art and mystery, and that they the
said deputies for the time being and every of them shall be from
time to time accomptable to the said Master Wardens and Commonalty
and their successors for all sums of money profits and commodities
by them or any of them to be collected or received by reason or in
respect of his said office or offices place or places of deputy or
deputies, and shall further before he or they execute or undertake
the same office or place of deputy or deputies take a corporal oath
... for the true and due execution of the said office and place, and
also the oath commonly called the Oath of Supremacy.... And ... if
any person or persons so named or elected to be deputy or deputies
to the Master Wardens and Assistants of the said corporation art or
mystery for the time being as aforesaid shall accept the same office
and deputation and then after shall wilfully and obstinately without
good and just cause or excuse refuse to attend or execute the same,
so as no person so nominated be compelled against his will to hold
such place of deputation above the space of two years together,
that then the said Master Wardens and Assistants or the more part
of them shall or may impose upon every such person so refusing to
exercise the said office or place after such acceptance thereof as
aforesaid a reasonable fine not exceeding twenty nobles, to be levied
and paid to the use of the said corporation. And further we will
and by these presents ... do grant unto the said Master Wardens and
Commonalty and their successors that they ... and their successors
shall and may have take and entertain one honest and discreet
person in manner and form hereafter in these presents expressed to
be nominated and chosen which shall be and be called the Clerk of
the said corporation art or mystery of Shipwrights. And we have
assigned made constituted named and ordained ... our well-beloved
subject and servant Richard Newman gent. to be the present Clerk
of the said corporation art or mystery, to be and continue in the
said office during the term of his natural life, unless he for some
misdemeanour shall be removed or dismissed or shall surrender the
same ... [_with power to company to choose successor_]. [_Power to_]
name and appoint any other inferior Officers Ministers and Members
as shall be needful and expedient in to or for the said corporation
art or mystery or the good government and affairs thereof [_and to
remove them_]. [_Power to_] admit receive and take in whatsoever
person or persons being our natural born subjects as well within
this our realm of England as in other our Dominions and places being
under our obeisance and not otherwise which would be and are or
shall be willing and desirous to be of the said corporation as a
member or members thereof, and that all and every person and persons
so to be admitted received and taken in by the said Master Wardens
and Assistants or the more part of them shall from the time of his
or their admission be called and accompted a brother and member or
freeman of the said Corporation in deed and in name ... [_and power
to remove them_]. And to the intent that as well our self our heirs
and successors as also all our merchants and other our subjects may
from time to time hereafter be better furnished stored and supplied
with cunning skilful and sufficient Shipwrights and workmen of that
kind for the making building and repairing of ships pinnaces and
other vessels, and for the avoiding suppressing or preventing as
much as in us lieth of the manifold abuses and deceits therein daily
practised and committed by such persons as are altogether unskilful,
having never been trained or brought up as apprentices in the said
art or mystery according to the laws and statutes of this our realm
of England, we do therefore ... will and grant to the said Master
Wardens and Commonalty of the said art or mystery of Shipwrights of
Redrith and to their successors forever that every Freeman of the
said company shall and may from time to time hereafter have take and
keep one or more apprentice or apprentices to be trained and brought
up under him in the said trade art or mystery of Shipwright, and
that every such apprentice shall be by covenants bound by and to
his master that shall entertain him as aforesaid duly and truly to
serve him as his apprentice for and during the full space and term of
seven years at the least, and to be ordered and used to all intents
and purposes according to the custom of the city of London, and that
the same covenant of apprenticeship be made by writing indented
and registered or enrolled at their common hall before themselves
in their said corporation by their Clerk or his sufficient deputy
or deputies for the time being, and that such enrolment shall be
good and effectual in the law to all intents and purposes against
us our heirs and successors and against all other person or persons
whatsoever, any law statute custom or usage to the contrary in any
wise notwithstanding. Willing and by these presents for us our heirs
and successors straitly charging and commanding that no shipwright
caulker or ship-carpenter or any other being a Freeman of the said
company and using exercising practising or professing the said trade
skill art or mystery of building making trimming dressing graving
launching drawing stocking or repairing of any ships pinnaces or
other vessel or vessels whatsoever for navigation or traffic shall
or may at any time or times hereafter receive have entertain or
keep any apprentice or other servant being not already free of the
said Corporation or not having served with some other shipwright in
the same trade, to be used exercised trained or brought up under
him in the said trade art or mystery as aforesaid except he first
cause every such his servant or apprentice to be bound unto him by
indenture for the said term of seven years at the least or for so
many years as together with the years which he hath served in the
said trade as aforesaid shall make up the number of seven years,
and do likewise cause his said indenture of apprenticeship to be
registered or enrolled before the Clerk of the Company or his deputy
for the time being as aforesaid within one month next after the
taking thereof, upon pain of our heavy displeasure and of such fine
or other punishment as by the laws and statutes of this realm or by
the laws and ordinances already made or hereafter to be made by the
said Master Wardens and Assistants of the said art or mystery for
the time being or the greater part of them according to the true
intent and meaning hereof shall or may be inflicted upon him or
them that shall offend therein. [_Power to_] assemble convocate and
congregate themselves together at or in their common hall or house
being now at Redrith in the County of Surrey or in any other place
or places for the same convenient, and then and there to keep Courts
and consultation for the said corporation art or mystery and the
affairs thereof, and the perquisites issues and profits of the said
Court or Courts so to be held and kept to leave take and perceive to
and for the use of the said Corporation for the better maintenance
and preservation thereof, without any accompt to be made or rendered
to us our heirs or successors in that behalf. [_And power_] then
and there to treat consult commune determine and agree amongst
themselves or with any other person or persons whatsoever, of upon
and concerning the good estate benefit conversation and wholesome
rule government and ordering of the said Corporation art or mystery
and the men apprentices workmen workmanship and all other the affairs
and things to the same belonging or thereupon in any wise depending,
and at in and upon such their assemblies meetings and conferences
to make ordain and constitute such and so many good wholesome and
reasonable laws statutes articles constitutions orders and ordinances
whatsoever as to them or the greater part of them being then and
there present, whereof the Master and one of the Wardens for the
time being to be always two, shall seem reasonable necessary meet
and convenient for touching or concerning the premises, and for the
better advancement performance and continuance of the same, and
also for the better directing how and in what order and manner the
said Master Wardens and Commonalty and all other person and persons
using the said art or mystery within our said realm of England or
Dominion of Wales shall demean and behave themselves as well in all
and singular matters and things touching or concerning the said art
or mystery or any thing thereunto appertaining as also in their
several offices functions ministries and businesses touching or
concerning the said art or mystery as aforesaid, and the same laws
orders articles and constitutions so made or any of them to put in
use and execute accordingly, and at their will again to revoke alter
or change when and as often as occasion shall thereto require. [_The
Regulations, &c., when_] entered and registered in some public book
to be kept for that purpose ... shall be holden as laws ordinances
and statutes amongst them to be put in use and execution, and shall
bind all persons of the said Corporation art or mystery and all
shipwrights and workmen of that profession in any place port haven
or town within our said realm of England and dominion of Wales, as
well the subjects of the same our realm and dominions as strangers
and aliens for and during the time of their being in or upon any
part of our said realm coasts or dominions or any creeks or harbours
of the same, to observe obey and perform the same from time to time
in all things as the same ought to be, upon the pains penalties and
punishments in the same to be imposed inflicted and limited so always
as the said laws statutes articles orders ordinances pains penalties
and punishments and every of them be agreeable to reason and justice
and not contrary or repugnant to the laws statutes rights or customs
of this our realm of England, nor derogatory to the jurisdictions
and pre-eminences of the Lord High Admiral of England for the
time being or to the Court of Admiralty of England or the Judges
Register or Marshall of that Court for the time being or any of them.
[_Power to impose_] pains penalties punishments fines amercements
and forfeitures ... and for default of payment ... to distrain the
goods and chattels of such offender and the same to keep till they
shall be satisfied or otherwise to bring their action for the same
according to law. And ... all and singular fines forfeitures sum and
sums of money whatsoever due or hereafter to be due and received by
reason of the said decrees orders or ordinances shall be to the use
commodity and sole benefit and behoof of the said Corporation without
any accompt or other thing therefore to us our heirs or successors
to be yielded paid rendered made or done in that behalf, and without
any let trouble molestation or interruption of any person or persons
whatsoever for the same. [_Powers_] by writing under their common
seal ... to ask levy have receive and take in all and every place
and places within our said realm of England and Dominion of Wales as
well of every Master Workman Shipwright or other person or persons
that shall hereafter make or build or cause to be made or built any
new ship or ships vessel or vessels of the burthen of one hundred
ton or more or less all and singular such profits dues duties fees
allowances sum and sums of money whatsoever after such rate and in