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From: "Peter Richardson" <>
Subject: Re: [CHS] Freemen of the City of Chester
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 21:46:28 +1100
References: <001d01c3e8de$fe091e20$1f8889d4@your98zn8kzqjb>


Hi Gordon,
As a modern day Freeman I recently visited the Chester Guildhall who have all the details of the various Guilds that Freemen are members of.. The Chester Records Office also have records. The Guilds were the early form of trade unions... if you wanted to ply your trade within the walls of the City of Chester you had to join the relevant Guild. I am in the Merchant Taylors Guild and became a Freeman by birth as it was originally passed down to the male side of the family... I believe since the 1990s that female can now be Freemen... if that can ever be politically correct in our weird world. FREEPERSON???
The Guilds go back to the 13th century.
Happy hunting... more info below...
Peter Richardson
Melbourne.
The Guilds of Chester

The original Guild Merchant was an association of all the merchants and craftsmen of a town, regulating trade and working conditions. The citizens of Chester were granted recognition of their Guild Merchant in 1200 but by the middle of the 13th century power had become concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy merchants and discontent arose with the system. This led to separate guilds for each craft being formed to protect the interests, trade and well being of each member.

A "closed shop" policy was adopted - a craftsman had to be a member of a guild in order to carry on his business and outsiders could only trade in the city if they paid certain tolls or during the Fairs. Guildsmen had to be Freemen of the City and there were four ways to achieve this: by apprenticeship, by being born the son of a Freeman, by purchasing membership or by the gift of the Assembly.

The closely allied nature of some of the crafts could cause dissent if certain craftsmen attempted to carry out part of another's trade so from the 15th century a lot of the guilds with similar aspects amalgamated. These included the Shoemakers and Cordwainers, the Joiners, Carvers and Turners and also the Wrights, Slaters and Sawyers. Possibly the largest union was that of the Smiths, Cutlers, Pewterers, Founders, Cardmakers, Girdlers, Headmakers, Wiredrawers, Spurriers, Arrowheadmakers, Armourers and Bellfounders Company!

As well as participating in local government as council members, the guilds took responsibility for the welfare of the associates and their families. They took part in the Midsummer Fairs and the Mystery plays. They attended regular meetings at local inns or in the towers on the city walls and took their role seriously, exercising considerable influence over the trade of Chester until well into the 18th century.

By then however, the general decline of many of the ancient crafts and trades coupled with the foundation of new industrial towns had begun to lessen the power and function of the guilds. With more enlightened thinking there was also a tendency to ignore what was increasingly seen as outdated and restrictive sanctions on trade. Applications to be made Freemen dropped dramatically.

The guilds survived, albeit in a much less authoritative role and in the early 1960s took over Holy Trinity Church as their Guildhall. It became imperative that in order to increase membership and protect their future new admittance procedures be considered and in 1993 women were made Freemen for the first time.

The Freemen and Guilds still participate in civic occasions and the Midsummer Watch Parades. Freemen are admitted at regular Pentice Courts and the guild companies hold various meetings throughout the year

----- Original Message -----
From: deane
To:
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 3:17 AM
Subject: [CHS] Freemen of the City of Chester


I have a Family Tree which goes back to 1700 - and beyond. Between the years 1600 and 1700 various members were stated to have been 'Freemen of Chester'. I feel sure there will be a Register or Record of all Freemen somewhere - but, where? Can anyone help please?
Gordon Deane


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