Schaw Statute 1598

At Edinburgh the xxviij day of December, The zeir of God V’ four scoir awchtene zeiris.

The statutis ordinance is to be obseruit be all the maister maissounis within this realme, Sett doun be Williame Schaw, Maister of Wark, to his maiestie And generall Wardene of the said craft, with the consent of the maisteris efter specifeit.

Item, first that they obserue and keip all the gude ordinanceis sett doun of befoir concernyng the priviligeis of thair Craft be thair predicesso” of gude memorie, And specialie

That thay be trew ane to ane vther and leve cheritablie togidder as becumis sworne brether and companzeounis of craft.

Item, that thay be obedient to thair wardenis, dekynis, and maisteris in all thingis concernyng thair craft.

Item, that thay be honest, faithfull, and diligent in thair calling, and deill uprichtlie w’ the maisteris or awnaris of the warkis that they sail tak vpoun hand, be it in task, meit, & fie, or owlklie wage.

Item, that name tak vpoun hand ony wark gritt or small quhilk he is no’ abill to performe qualifeitlie vnder the pane of fourtie pundis money or ellis the fourt pairt of the worth and valor of the said wark, and that by and attor ane condigne amendis and satisfactioun to be maid to the awnaris of the wark at the sycht and discretioun of the generall Wardene, or in his absence at the sycht of the wardeneis, dekynis, and maisteris of the shrefdome quhair the said wark is interprisit and wrocht.

Item, that na maister sail tak ane vther maisteris wark over his heid, efter that the first maister hes aggreit w’ the awnar of the wark ather be contract, arlis, or verball conditioun, vnder the paine of fourtie punds.

Item, that na maister sall tak the wirking of ony wark that vther maisteris hes wrocht at of befoir, vnto the tyme that the first wirkaris be satisfeit for the wark quhilk thay haif wrocht, vnder the pane foirsaid.

Item, that thair be ane wardene chosin and electit Ilk zeir to haif the charge over everie ludge, as thay are devidit particularlie, and that be the voitis of the maisteris of the saids ludgeis, and consent of thair Wardene generall gif he happynis to be pn’, And vtherwyis that he be aduerteist that sic ane wardene is chosin for sic ane zeir, to the effect that the Wardene generall may send sic directionis to that wardene electit, as effeiris.

Item, that na maister sall tak ony ma prenteissis nor thre during his lyfetyme w’out ane speciall consent of the haill wardeneis, dekynis, and maisteris of the schirefdome quhair the said prenteiss that is to be ressauit dwellis and remanis.

Item, that na maister ressaue ony prenteiss bund for fewar zeiris nor sevin at the leist, and siclyke it sail no’ be lesum to mak the said prenteiss brother and fallow in craft vnto the tyme that he haif seruit the space of vther sevin zeiris efter the ische of his said prenteischip w’out ane speciall licenc granttit be the wardeneis, dekynis, and maisteris assemblit for the caus, and that sufficient tryall be tane of thair worthynes, qualificatioun, and skill of the persone that desyirs to be maid fallow in craft, and that vnder the pane of fourtie punds to be upliftit as ane pecuniall penaltie fra the persone that is maid fallow in craft aganis this ord’, besyde the penalteis to be set doun aganis his persone, accordyng to the ord’ of the ludge quhair he remanis.

Item, it sail no’ be lesum to na maister to sell his prenteiss to ony vther maister nor zit to dispens w’ the zeiris of his prenteischip be selling y’ of to the prenteisses self, vnder the pane of fourtie punds.

Item, that na maister ressaue ony prenteiss w’out he signifie the samyn to the wardene of the ludge quhair he dwellis, to the effect that the said prenteissis name and the day of his ressauyng may be ordlie buikit.

Item, that na prenteiss be enterit bot be the samyn ord’, that the day of thair enteres may be buikit.

Item, that na maister or fallow of craft be ressauit nor admittit w’out the numer of sex maisteris and twa enterit prenteissis, the wardene of that ludge being ane of the said sex, and that the day of the ressauyng of the said fallow of craft or maister be ord’lie buikit and his name and mark insert in the said buik w’ the names of his sex admitteris and enterit prenteissis, and the names of the intendaris that salbe chosin to everie persone to be alsua insert in thair buik. Providing alwayis that na man be admittit w’out ane assay and sufficient tryall of his skill and worthynes in his vocatioun and craft.

Item, that na maister wirk ony maissoun wark vnder charge or command of ony vther craftisman that takis vpoun hand or vpoun him the wirking of ony maissoun wark.

Item, that na maister or fallow of craft ressaue ony cowanis to wirk in his societie or cumpanye, nor send nane of his servands to wirk w’ cowanis, under the pane of twentie punds sa oft as ony persone offendis heirintill.

Item, it sall no’ be lesum to na enterit prenteiss to tak ony gritter task or wark vpon hand fra a awnar nor will extend to the soume of ten punds vnder the pane foirsaid, to wit xx libs, and that task being done they sail Interpryiss na mair w’out licence of the maisteris or warden q’thay dwell.

Item, gif ony questioun, stryfe, or varianc salt fall out amang ony of the maisteris, servands, or entert prenteissis, that the parteis that fallis in questioun or debait, sail signifie the causis of thair querrell to he perticular wardeneis or dekynis of thair ludge w’in the space of xxiiij ho’ vnder the pane of ten pnds, to the effect that thay may be reconcilit and aggreit and their variance removit be thair said wardeneis, dekynis, and maisteris; and gif ony of the saids parteis salhappin to remane wilfull or obstinat that they salbe deprivit of the privilege of thair ludge and no’ permittit to wirk y’at vnto the tyme that thay submit thame selffis to ressoun at the sycht of thair wardenis, dekynis, and maisteris, as said is.

Item, that all maisteris, Inte priseris of wirkis, be verray cairfull to sie thair skaffellis and futegangis surelie sett and placeit, to the effect that throw thair negligence and siewth na hurt or skaith cum vnto ony personis that wirkis at the said wark, vnder pain of dischargeing of thaim y’efter to wirk as maisteris havand charge of ane wark, bot sail ever be subiect all the rest of thair dayis to wirk vnder or w ane other principall maister havand charge of the wark.

Item, that na maister ressaue or ressett ane vther maisteris prenteiss or servand that salhappin to ryn away fra his maisteris seruice, nor interteine him in his cumpanye efter that he hes gottin knawledge yrof, vnder the paine of fourtie punds.

Item, that all personis of the maissoun craft conuene in tyme and place being lawchfullie warnit, vnder the pane of ten punds.

Item, that all the maisteris that salhappin to be send for to ony assemblie or meitting sall be sworne be thair grit aith that thay sail hyde nor coneill na fawltis nor wrangis done be ane to ane vther, nor zit the faultis or wrangis that ony man hes done to the awnaris of the warkis that they haif had in hand safer as they knaw, and that vnder the pane of ten punds to be takin vp frae the conceillairs of the saidis faultis.

Item, it is ordanit that all thir foirsaids penalteis salbe liftit and tane vp fra the offendaris and brekaris of thir ordinances be the wardeneis, dekynis, and maisteris of the ludgeis quhair the offendaris dwellis, and to be distributit ad pion vsus according to gud conscience be the advyis of the foirsaidis.

And for fulfilling and observing of thir ordinances, sett doun as said is, The haill maisteris conuenit the foirsaid day binds and oblisses thaim heirto faithfullie. And thairfore hes requeistit thair said Wardene generall to subscriue thir presentis w’ his awn hand, to the effect that ane autentik copy heirof may be send to euerie particular ludge win this realme.

WILLIAM SCHAW,

Maistir of Wark.