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THERE is good evidence to
show that the tailors were organised before the close of the fifteenth
century. In addition to the ordinary causes which induced all craftsmen
to combine, the tailors had two special reasons—they had to take special
steps to protect themselves against encroachments by the tailors
residing in Old Aberdeen and the outskirts of the town, and they had
also to combine for the purpose of excluding females from exercising any
branch of the craft. The tailors claimed the monopoly of making all
kinds of garments, both male and female, and, as will be seen later on,
it was only after a keen struggle that the craftsmen granted women even
the partial privilege of making certain articles of female attire.
The first recognition of
the Tailor Craft by the magistrates appears to have been on 6th
February,1511, when the baillies "consentit and ordainit the dekinys of
ye tailzeour craft to call all ye tailzeours of yis burgh befor yame and
consider, see, and understand, all poynts of yair craft, and reforme and
causs to be reformitt all poynts and falts y' yai fynd amang yair said
craft, and quhair yai can not reform thame to present ye said faltis to
ye said bailyies.--Council Register, Vol. ix. p. 79.
This power was further
extended under the following ordinance, granting to the Tailors the same
powers as had been conferred upon the Hammermen [See Hammermen Seal of
Cause, pp. 198, 199.] :—
9th June, 1533.—Item, the
haill toun being convenit for the maist part in the tolbooth, grantit
the same privileges to the tailyours thae haue grantit abefoir to the
smythis and sic lik pouar thae chesand and present-and to thame ane
sufficient dekin, sicklik as the smythis hes done that sail answer to
the town for the haill craft, and dicerns them thair commound seill
thairupon.
The oldest existing
minute-book of the Tailor Trade has the following preface:—"Acts and
Ordinances of the Taylzior traid in Aberdeen ordained be John Forbes,
present deacon of the said traid, with consent of the maisters and
members of the said Incorporation, to be extracted out of the old
registers and hereinsert, homologat, and approven under the hands of
Alex. Mitchell, clerk to the traids of the said burgh, in ane fenced
court, 1694." The following are the acts and ordinances, including those
copied out of the old register :—
ANENT SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
Item, it is statute and
ordained for the glorie of God that ilk maister, prentiss, and servant
keep the holy Sabbath day at prayers and preaching, and that nane
wilfully absent themselves therefra under the pains following :—The
maisters, six shillings eight pennies; the servant, three shillings six
pennies ; and the prentiss to be punished in his person if he has not
money to pay the onlaw at the will and discretion of the deacon and
maisters.
ANENT OBEDIENCE TO THE
DEACON.
Item, it is statute and
ordained that no frieman speak irreverantly to the deacon in fenced
courts or elsewhaur, neither to tak ony speech upon him except he be
asked, or ask the same be licence, under the pain of fourty shillings to
the poore's use.
ANENT GENERAL BEHAVIOUR.
Item, it is statute and
ordained that if any of the members of the said calling offend ane other
be wark, word, or deed, at any tyme hereaifter, the party offending sail
pay to the poore of the calling four pounds money tones quotes, by and
attour satisfaction by the pairty grived, according to the gravity of
the fault.
ANENT FEEING SERVANTS.
Item, it is statute and
ordained that no freeman shall fee nor conduce with any servant or boy
for less than three years, under the pain of fourty shillings, and that
they fee them before the deacon for the tyme.
ANENT THE ELECTION OF
MASTERS.
Item, it is statute and
ordained be the haill craft, be common vott, that ilk new elected deacon
to be chosen hereafter shall have absolute power, with consent of the
lait deacon, to choyse, nominate, and elect his six maisters, als freely
as if they had been chosen be vott of the haill craft. [This statute was
modified to the extent that the deacon "lifted"a certain number of the
Trade out of which the boxmaster and masters were chosen.]
ANENT ATTENDANCE AT
BURIALS.
28th October, 1631.—Item,
the said day forsameikle as the great abuse befoir complained upon be
the Magistrates of this burgh and haill deacons of crafts anent the
untymeous coming of freemen to burials of freemen, their wives, and
children departed, and through not coming with hatts on their heads who
are in use to wear them, for remeid whereof the deacon and maisters,
with consent of the haill craft, hes ordained and ordains everie freeman
that is warnit be the officer to go to burials, that they and every one
of them come to their deacon's stair fitt tymously, and convoy their
deacon to the burial or burials, and that everie ane have their hatt on
their head who has any or in use to wear; and who contravenes hereuntill
shall pay to the craft eight shillings toties quoties.
ANENT KEEPING THE SECRETS
OF THE CRAFT.
18th February, 1678.—In
presence of Alexander Milne, deacon, it is strictlie statute and
ordained unanimously be the haill traid that whatever entering freeman
of the craft, or any other freeman thereof, shall anyways reveal or
divulge to the Magistrates or any Burgess of Guild, directly or
indirectly, any of the craft's secrets, especially anent their procedure
when entering freemen of the traid, anent the composition or other
expenses and debursements, that the person or persons so doing (being
made out) shall never carry public charge amongst the said traid as
deacon, maister, or boxmaster, until they give to the traid all
satisfaction anent the said misdemeanour.
ANENT ENTRY MONEY.
20th August, 1685.—The
said traid taking into their consideration the grudging and clamour of
some supplicants or entrants to be fremen of the traid upon the account
of the present expenses in giving ane dinner or feast when they are
incorporat in this society as freiman, as also anent the complant that
when there was ane order of counsel to take trial of the supplicants
qualifications, the supplicant, by the information of others, was so
instructed that what he could do then, could doe so weill thereafter,
for remeid whereoff the haill freemen of the said traid by voice of
court ordained for the use of the poore and common good of the said
incorporation, the following rates should be fixed :—Prentiss, four
score ten merks journeymen, four score ten pounds ; and extranear, 100
pounds Scots.
ANENT THE ELECTION DINNER.
24th August, 1708.—The
which day (for many good and reasonable causes) the traid statute and
unalterably ordains that in all tyme coming, the deacon of the said
traid shall at his outgoing as deacon pay the whole expenses of the
dinner at the election of a new deacon yearly, and that the same dinner
be sufficient and after the accustomed manner, and hereby declares that
the traids public funds, nor no other private person shall be concerned
in payment of the expenses or any part thereof, but allenarly the said
off going deacon under the failzie of twenty pounds Scots money to be
paid by the contravener for the use of the said traid, and be the said
contravener to have no pairt or portion or concern in the said trade
until the samen be paid. [In 1711 It was ordained that the dinner was
not to cost more than fifteen pounds Scots. If the deacon was re-elected
the trade defrayed the expenses of the dinner, and the trade also agreed
to pay the dinner at the passing of entrants.]
ANENT JOURNEYMEN.
6th March, 1728.—The
trade hereby statute and ordain that no person whatever shall be
received as journeyman in this trade for the future, except allenarly
such as have served as apprentices to freemen of this trade.
ANENT FINES.
22nd January, 1733.—The
trade unanimously statute and ordain that in all time coming no fine
that shall be paid into the trade be any member thereof, or by any
person whatsomever shall be repaid to the party that shall pay the same
upon any application or pretence whatsomever.
Previous to 1661, when
the art of needlemaking was introduced into this country, the
instruments used by tailors were of a very rude description, bone and
box skewers and rough pieces of iron and steel being used for needles,
while thimbles were not in ordinary use until introduced into this
country from Holland by a Dutchman named Lofting, in 1695.
The female labour
question appears to have been a very knotty problem to the Tailor Craft
in Aberdeen. The craftsmen had a monopoly of making female as well as
men's garments, and they resented very keenly the introduction of female
labour, while the proposal that women should be allowed to set up in
business as mantlemakers filled them with dismay. They resisted long,
but ultimately they had to give way, although even to the last it was
only a partial concession which was made. The women were granted certain
modified privileges, and compelled to come within the jurisdiction of
the craft, but they were not admitted to full membership. The women were
simply granted "a toleration" to make certain classes of work, and even
in granting this privilege the tailors in Aberdeen were, we believe, the
only craftsmen in Scotland who allowed females to share in their special
privileges.
When the women first
began to encroach on the exclusive privileges of the craftsmen, the
Aberdeen tailors sought advice in different quarters. They applied,
among others, to the Magistrates, but their honours declined to
interfere on the ground that the application by a female for liberty to
make mantles was " unprecedented." After several women had been
prosecuted for encroaching on the privileges of the tailors, a
compromise was effected by which women were to be allowed to make
mantles, and, in some instances, petticoats, but on no consideration
whatever were they to import or deal in stays and other articles of
female attire.
The minutes in the books
of the Trade with regard to the granting of "tollerations" to the mantua-makers
are very voluminous, and afford unmistakable evidence of the reluctance
with which the craftsmen yielded to their demands. On 30th May, 1717, a
deputation was appointed to meet with a Rachael Baxter anent a petition
she had presented craving liberty for mantle-making ; and after
consultation the following minute was adopted :—
The trade hereby grants
libertie to the said Rachel Baxter for mantuamaking allenarly within the
said burgh, and admittit, and hereby admits, her free in this
incorporation for that effect (with and under the restrictions
following) that she shall neither take to be prentiss nor employ in any
work either within or without doors as servants but only women, and that
these women servants, or prentisses, shall be feed or entered in the
same way and manner as the other prentisses or servants in the said
tailor trade agreeable to their constant practice and constitution;
second, that she shall have only the privilege of mantua-making, and no
ways make stays, or import the same to sell from any other place, and
that the traid's clerk shall be employed to draw her indentures with her
prentisses and agreements with any servants who are to be still subject
to the rules of the traid in such cases, for payment of ane certain sum
of money for banqueting money to the boxmaster of the tayliour traid of
this burgh, which is accepted of by them for her freedom in the tayliour
traid, as above expressed, and this besides of her expenses due and
quarterly penny as use is in such cases; and it is hereby declared that
thir presents to be no precedent to any woman in tyme coming, and the
said Rachel Baxter obliged herself to implement the haill premises as
above expressed, and for that end subscribed thir presents. (Signed)
Rachel Baxter. [It Is worthy of note that Rachel wrote a much superior
signature to the bulk of the craftsmen, a remark which applies to the
other females who were subsequently admitted to similar privileges.]
In another case the
minute runs:—
7th November, 1728.—The
said day Janet Pirie, lawful daughter to John Pirie, shipmaster in
Aberdeen, gave in a petition to the Trade mentioning that she, having
learned mantua-making, and being to exercise the said employment within
the burgh with the liberty and toleration of the trade for that effect,
and therefore craving; that the trade might consider the premises and
grant her a toleration and liberty for exercising the said employment
upon her payment yearly to their boxmaster such a sum as they should
appoint, which petition, being seen and considered by the said trade,
they hereby grant liberty and tolleration to the said Janet Pirie to
exercise the employment of mantua-making within this burgh, and with and
under the restrictions and conditions following, alIenarly and no
otherwise, namely:—Primo.—That she shall take no men apprentices, nor
employ men servants in any work whatever relating to her employment
directly or indirectly, but aIlenarly women apprentices and servants.
Secundo.—That she shall only make gowns and petticoats for women, and
shall not make or mend any other kind of women's cloaths, and shall not
make or mend any kind of men's cloaths. Tertio.—The said Janet Pirie is
not to import or sell any stays whatsoever. All which the said Janet
Pixie binds and obliges her to stand to implement, and perform under the
penalty of twenty shillings sterling for the first transgression, to be
paid by her to the boxmaster for the use of the poor, and double the
same penalty totics quoties thereafter she shall transgress the premises
or any part thereof. And that it shall be lawful for the boxmaster to
call and convene the said Janet Pixie at any time he shall think
convenient, and crave her oath on her transgressing the premises, and to
which proof she hereby subjects herself. And it is further hereby
declared that the said Janet Pixie's apprentices shall have no benefit
herefrom. And the said Janet Pixie obliges her to pay yearly to the
Trade's boxmaster for the said tolleration fifteen shillings sterling
money during her exercising the said employment at the term of Martinmas
next.
When about half-a-dozen
women had been granted this privilege, including Mrs. Catherine Wilson,
daughter of Mr George Wilson of Finzean, a grand-nephew of Dr. William
Guild, the craftsmen became alarmed at their increasing number, and
resolved to increase the dues.
7th November, 1728.—The
Trade, taking to their consideration that the number of the women mantua-makers
in this burgh is very much increasing, and that the same is a great hurt
and prejudice to this Trade, do therefore statute and ordain that every
woman who for the future shall be tollerate to work at mantua-making by
the Trade, shall pay yearly to the boxmaster of this Trade for such
tollerance the sum of twenty-four shillings yearly, without any
mitigation or defalcation whatever.
This rate was raised in
April, 1734, to thirty pounds Scots for the daughter of a burgess, and
four pounds sterling if an unfreeman's daughter. In 1732 the boxmaster
was authorised to pursue all mantua-makers " who exercised the said
trade, and have no tolleration therefore from the trade," and amongst
those who were prosecuted for carrying on the business without having
obtained the necessary "tollerance," was Mrs. Ann Forbes, daughter of
Lachlan Forbes of Edinglassie. She left the town, however, before the
summons could be served. Another instance of the vigilance with which
the tailors guarded their privileges is to be found in the following
minute instructing a search after skinners who might be suspected of
making breeches :—
2nd October, 1772.—The
said day the trade granted warrant to the deacon and maisters to search
after what power the skinners in this place have for making of breeches,
and what expenses may be roared thereanent to be allowed.
A curious case is
recorded in the books of the Trade which also illustrates the antipathy
that existed with regard to women interfering with the privileges of the
craft. On 30th October, 1661, George Watt was charged with having
"wilfully and contemptuously questioned the lawful authority and just
and good government of the burgh in giving order with his ain hand
without the magistrates' permission to tak and apprehend ane piece of
stuff, belonging to Isobel Wallace, servant to the Lady Craigievar, from
the said Isobel her servant woman who was carrying the same out of the
town for behoof of her said mistress, and in detaining and refusing to
produce the same before the magistrates according to the council's order
made thereanent." Watt raised an action against the Magistrates before
the Privy Council; but for doing this it was complained that he "did all
that in him lay to mak ane great rupture and division between the
counsell and the tradesmen within the burgh," the result being that he
was "deprived of his libertie and freedom of the tailor trade within
this burgh in any time hereafter," it being also "ordanit his boothe and
chope door to be closed up." In the following year it is recorded that
Watt "craved upon his knees the magistrates and counsells pardon," and
on doing so was "reponit to his freedom and liberty on payment of 90
merks scots and five shillings of arms money as use is."
The first mention of
upholsterers in connection with the Tailor Trade occurs in a minute
dated 14th September, 1767, when the Trade "granted warrant to the
boxmaster to prosecute before the magistrates, George Bartlett, who had
sett up the trade of upholsterer without any manner of freedom or title
thereto." From that date all upholsterers had to join the craft, their
essay being "to stuff and make ane cover of a sopha." Numerous
complaints were also made about this time against tailors who, while
qualified to make only one class of work, undertook to make work for
which they had not been tested; and it was declared " contrary to the
constitution of all communities that any should work and practice any
piece of material work wherein they are not sworn to be qualified by the
ordinary course of tryal, and conform the constitution of the communitie,
therefore the said traid statute and ordain that no entrant freeman for
the future that qualifies himself only for men's work, and refuses, or
does not qualify himself for women's clothes by passing a say for both,
or either, shall be tolerate or allowed to work either in women's
clothes or men's clothes without he pass the say conform, and that his
working or practising the said traid shall only be conform to his say
passed at his admission."
The tailors had numerous
disputes in regard to hours and wages. In 1720 the rate of wages was
fixed at four shillings Scots (fourpence sterling) per diem, the working
hours to be from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. On 2nd August, 1734, the hours were
fixed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and these hours continued for over thirty
years; but the journeymen ultimately rebelled against both the long
hours and miserable pay :-
20th May, 1768.—Whereas
ane illegal combination has lately been entered into by the journeymen
tailors to oblige the freemen to raise their wages from eightpence to
tenpence per day by refusing to work themselves, and detering others by
threatening all the country lads from engaging to serve the masters of
the trade, whereby great inconvenience has been brought on many of the
members of the trade, the meeting having taken the same under serious
consideration, and being of opinion that eightpence a day is the highest
wages the masters can afford to their journeymen, and that the
jcurneymen have at present no reason to complain of the lowness of their
wages, as the price of meal and other necessaries is of late much
fallen, have unanimously resolved, and do agree, in order that the young
men may not be encouraged in their unjustifiable attempt by the conduct
of any particular master or any difference among them, that they shall
strictly observe all the former acts and regulations of the trade with
respect to the journeymen; and particularlie that no freeman shall
employ any married journeyman at more wages than eightpence a day, and
that they shall not employ any journeyman who shall refuse to work at
those wages, and shall take upon him to work for himself within the
freedom or liberties until they be brought to trial and punished
therefor, and that under the penalty of ten pounds Scots, to be paid to
the boxmaster, for every breach of this resolution whenever the majority
of the trade shall find the same incurred.
The following minutes
give particulars of a strike which took place among the journeymen in
1797, when a number of them had been summoned before the Magistrates and
sentenced to fines and imprisonment for their conduct
19th June, 1797.—It was
represented to the trade that their journeymen had entered into an
illegal combination for the purpose of raising their wages. The trade
unanimously recommended Mr. DI`Donald to give in a statement of this
matter to the clerk and authorized him to bring a prosecution against
the delinquents for redress, and the whole number agreed to this, and
not to give any additional wages to their servants, the said wages
having been twice raised within a few years.
5th July, 1797.—The
magistrates sentence upon the complaint at the instance of the deacon
with concurrence of the Procurator Fiscal against certain of the
journeymen taylors having been publicly read, the court appoint the same
to be put to immediate execution and to be copied into their sederunt
book, and of which the tenor follows—" July, 1797.Assoilizes the
defender, James Aliaster, who has been passed from by the complainers
and discerns, and having advised the proof brought by the complainers
and whole process, Finds, that the complainers have brought sufficient
evidence of the combination stated in the complaint, and therefore fines
and amerciates each of the defenders, Malcolm Robertson, William Troup,
William Sinclair, Robert Torrie, William Anderson, William Mackenzie,
Alexander Smith, John Robb, James Beverley, James Ross, David Mackenzie,
and John Inues in nine shillings sterling to the private complainer, and
in one shilling sterling to the procurator fiscal, and further discerns
and ordains them and each of them to be incarcerated in the tolbooth of
Aberdeen for eight days and to find sufficient caution, acted in the
Burgh Court books that they shall immediately after being set at liberty
return to the service of their former masters respectively, and serve
them at the rate of seven shillings and sixpence a week, and that they
shall not leave their service without giving the toasters one months
previous warning at least of their intention so to do. And grant warrant
to the towns sergeants to commit the said defenders prisoners to the
tolbooth of Aberdeen, and to the keeper of said tolbooth to receive and
detain them therein for said eight days, and thereafter until they pay
the fine awarded against them respectively, and find caution as
aforesaid, signed, George More, provost; William Littlejohn, baillie;
Charles Farquharson, baillie; Robert Garden, baillie."
The following account,
rendered in 1727, will give some indication of the prices charged by
master tailors about this period:—
The tenacity with which
the special privileges of the craftsmen were maintained was well
illustrated by a litigation which was commenced by the Tailor
Incorporation in 1817, and lasted for four years, in regard to an
infringement of their privileges by Messrs. James Mowat & Company,
manufacturers, and James Stott, a servant of the company. It was
contended that as the partners of the firm of Mowat and Company were
burgesses of Guild, they were protected against the conclusions of
summons. The Magistrates took this view of the case, but, on appeal, the
Lords of Council and Session found that the Seal of Cause obtained by
the Tailors in 1533 necessarily implied the exclusive privilege of
exercising their craft within the burgh; that being a member of the
Guildry did not warrant an infringement of any of the privileges of the
crafts any more than a member of one craft would therefore be entitled
to exercise another craft; and they therefore found that Mowat & Company
were not entitled to employ persons as tailors in the burgh who were not
members of the Tailor Incorporation. The defenders were found liable in
expenses, amounting to £143 1s. 11d.
There are remarkably few
convictions recorded in the books of the Tailor Trade as compared to
some of the other crafts, the principal offences being the opening of
"slop" shops, working to unfreemen, and working in private houses. Their
charity also took some peculiar forms, as, for instance, on 26th May,
1798, the Trade granted warrant to the box-master to lend Alexander
Thomson £3 sterling on his bill to enable him to make a voyage to London
for the benefit of his health; and another instance is recorded of a
widow being presented with a mangle, " said mangle to remain the
property of the Trade."
An additional fund was
established in 1756 for increasing the stock of the incorporation, to
which a certain proportion of the entry money was allocated; and in 1785
a daughters' fund was also established, both of which have proved of
great benefit. In 1832 Alexander Watson left £100 to establish a
mortification for the purpose of educating sons of freeman tailors from
eight to eleven years of age.
What is known as Milne's
Mortification, founded in 1736 for the education and fitting out of
tailors' sons, was originally under the management of the Patron,
Convener, Master of Hospital, seven Deacons, and seven members of the
Tailor Trade, but in 1765 a decreet arbitral was pronounced, whereby a
sum of £300 was paid to the Master of Hospital, to be divided among the
other six Trades, as a consideration to them for renouncing and
conveying from themselves and their successors, in favour of the Tailor
Trade, all right and title to the balance of the mortification.
The Tailor Trade obtained
a private Act of Parliament in 1853 "to confirm the titles and
conveyances, and to amend and regulate the affairs of the said craft."
The ground and properties purchased from time to time by this Trade
include the Sillyward Croft, near Schoolhill ; Craigmill Croft,
Gallowhill Croft, Coul's Croft, Summer's Croft, two rigs at Sandy-lands,
northmnost half of Symon Croft, pieces of land at Ferryhill and
Cooperstown, six lots of the land at Pitmuxton, Combs Croft, now called
the lands of Newbridge; ground in the neighbourhood of the harbour, &c.,
&c.
Whether it was the case
that the tailors of the olden days were not poetically inclined, or had
more practical matters to attend to, it is hard to say, but their "brod"
containing their coat of arms is not—like those of the other
Trades—adorned with any poetic eulogy of the craft. |
