The two earliest Goldsmiths' record books reveal details of working practices, financial accounts, apprentices, civic events such as pageants, misdeeds broght before the wardens, and much else besides.
The goldsmiths of London had formed an organised guild, or mistery (in the medieval sense of "craft" or "profession") by the twelfth century. Granted their first royal charter in 1327 by Edward III, they are one of the twelve great livery companies, and still oversee the work of goldsmiths, silversmiths and jewellers. Published here for the first time are their two earliest record books, presented in the original languages, French (Anglo-Norman), Englishand Latin, with a facing-page translation into modern English. From these full records valuable and lively detail emerges: the working practices of gold and silversmiths, the financial accounts of the wardens, apprentices admitted, participation in civic events such as pageants, and records of offences (both professional and personal) brought before the disciplinary court. The edition is accompanied by a full introduction, a bibliography, a subject index and a complete name index.
LISA JEFFERSON, MA, D Phil, FSA, is a medievalist who works both in Oxford and in France.