“ This “Composition” is of so interesting a nature that it is here given in full, as extracted from the fine old Book of Ordinances at the Hall; it did not unite the two bodies in any way beyond this, that they agreed to follow the same rules and practice with regard to the government of all Surgeons; that each guild was to choose two Wardens, and that the four so chosen were to act in a conjoint capacity as rulers or masters in matters surgical, and thus comprehend all Surgeons, whether of the Barbers’ Company, the Surgeons’ Guild, or “foreyns.” ”

“ Mr Serjt Dickins the Master of the Company informing the Court, That he having the honour to be acquainted with the Right Honourable The Earl of Burlington and with his Lordships most extraordinary genius and superior judgment in Architecture, had taken the liberty to address himself to the said noble Earl, and to make it his humble request to his Lordship that he would be pleased to favour the Company with his opinion, in what manner it would be safest and best to repair the anatomical Theatre built by the celebrated Inigo Jones about one hundred years ago. ”

“ All freemen practising as journeymen or assistants, if Barbers, Surgeons, or Barber-Surgeons were “sessed at the Hall,” that is, their wages were settled for them by the Court, and entered in a book, together with the period for which they agreed to serve, the period being never less than one year nor more than three. These men were often called “covenant servants,” but they paid quarterage, and were entitled to all the privileges of freedom, excepting that they could not take apprentices. ”

“ Four very handsomely chased and wrought silver garlands or wreaths for crowning the Master and Wardens on Election Day, and which are still used and worn by them on Court days in receiving guests. These are the finest in the City of London; each has the Company’s arms and the badges of the rose and crown, with other devices artistically set forth, and are mounted with silk velvet, the Renter Warden’s being green, and the others red. ”

“ There is a wide-spread impression that the Livery Guilds exist principally for the purpose of feasting, and there are unscrupulous persons who do not hesitate to affirm that the Courts of the Companies act as fraudulent trustees, and are consenting parties to the malversation of trust and charity property, eating up money which it is audaciously pretended belongs to the “people of London.” ”

“ Jealousies arose in the Company in consequence of the more frequent election of Surgeons than Barbers, as Governors. The By-Laws required that every year there should be two Barbers and two Surgeons chosen (a Barber being defined to be any member who did not practise Surgery) . The Surgeons disregarding the law and the old custom, seem to have been able to procure the election of an undue number of members of their own craft to the offices of Master and Wardens, whereupon certain of the Company filed an information in the King’s Bench against the Masters or Governors ”

“ Of these two fraternities, the Barbers by the regular and every day nature of their calling, as shavers and hair cutters, together with the practice of Surgery combined by so many of them, were the most likely to become the more popular Company; their fees would surely be on a lower scale than those of the more aristocratic Surgeons, and their numbers and constant intercourse with the citizens, in their capacity as Barbers, enabled them easily to extend their connection as Surgeons. ”

“ Surgeons in the City and suburbs, as also the oversight of all their instruments and medicines, etc., and to have the power of inflicting punishment, by fine or imprisonment, on offenders. None were to practise Surgery until examined and approved by the Masters and presented to the Mayor, and authority was given for the freemen of the Company to be admitted into the freedom of the City. ”

“ Firstly to the honour of God and all his Saints, and to stir up the Commons of the people to do well, and to have perseverance in well doing, it is ordained that if any brother of this Fraternity who has been of this Fraternity for seven years by chance fall into trouble or into poverty, and if he have nothing of his own by which he may be able to live, and it be not through his own folly, that then he shall have each week from their common box tenpence half penny for his sustenance. ”

“ An ample fine, suited to the period, has always been taken from the Liverymen who were, in the days of the Tudors and Stuarts a comparatively small section of the Company, and rarely exceeded fifty in number; they were always chosen from the more substantial of the Yeomanry, and if on election they refused “to take the clothing,” as was frequently the case, a heavy penalty was imposed, which, if not paid, the unhappy yeoman was forthwith committed to the Compter, where, upon reflection, he generally came to the conclusion to submit. ”

“ Previous to the separation in 1745, the office of Master was supposed to be, and generally was, held by a Barber and a Surgeon alternately, the Wardens being chosen in like manner, any member not practising as a Surgeon being accounted a Barber, whatever his trade or occupation might be.
Great importance has at all times been attached to the question of precedence in sitting at table and in speaking in Court, and many have been the rules enacted, and the disputes and jealousies which have arisen between members of the Court on this question. ”

“ The Court of the Company framed the Ordinances for the Yeomanry, and whilst delegating to them many of their own privileges, as, for instance, the power to levy fines, and to summarily commit offenders to prison, they always seem to have retained a very tight and jealous hand over them, and were constantly interfering with the Wardens of the Yeomanry. ”

“ As will be seen elsewhere, there have been frequent disturbances at the Courts, and there are numerous entries of Assistants, Wardens, and Past Masters having been expelled the Court and sometimes dismissed from the Livery as well, for their misconduct or quarrelsome behaviour. Instances of impertinence and abuse by freemen and liverymen before the Court, are also by no means rare, and in these cases condign punishment by imprisonment or fine was invariably meted out. ”

“ The ancient practice was for the whole body of the livery to be summoned to the Hall in their livery gowns, hoods and caps on the Monday at 8 o’clock in the morning “at the furthest” to whom the Masters, sitting in Court, declared the cause of their assembling; this done, the Masters retired, and the livery, sitting there, chose twelve of their number to be “Electors,” of whom six were to be “expert Surgeons,” and four at least must never have served the office of Master or Governor. ”

“ As already said, the Clergy very frequently employed the Barbers as their assistants, and committed to them the preparation of the medicated baths and the performance of sundry minor surgical operations. No doubt the Edict of Tours was hailed with joy by the Barbers, who thus found a lucrative practice thrown in their way, and seized the opportunity of practising as Surgeons “on their own account,” calling themselves Barber-Surgeons, and practising both Barbery and Surgery. ”

“ Edward by the grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, To all to whom these present letters shall come, health. Know ye, that we considering how our beloved, honest, and free men of the Mystery of Barbers of our City of London, exercising the Mystery or Art of Surgery, as well respecting wounds, bruises, hurts, and other infirmities of our liegemen, and healing and curing the same, as in letting blood, and drawing the teeth of our liege men, have for a long time undergone and supported, and daily do undergo and support, great and manifold applications and labours ”

“ If a freemen desired to start in business, the By-laws of 1530 required that he should prove to the Court as an act precedent to his so doing, that he was possessed of goods to the value of ten marks.
A certain class of members called “Foreign Brothers” are very frequently alluded to in the Books, and it has been a matter of some difficulty to ascertain what their status exactly was, but by collation of numerous entries I have come to the conclusion that, with very few exceptions, they were all of them practising Surgeons, and that they had not been apprenticed to freemen of the Company. ”

“ That the Barbers are generally present at the four public lectures of Anatomy, two of which are at the expense of the Company, the other two being at the expense of the Surgeons. That the Demonstrators of Anatomy and Osteology are chosen by the whole Court of Assistants (fifteen of whom are Barbers, and fifteen Surgeons) . That he apprehends the present union is the reason why so many persons do not bind their sons apprentice at the Hall. ”

“ It was ordered that no Barber should take a “foreigner” as journeyman and set him to work, before presenting him to the Master and Wardens, under a penalty of 3s. 4d. per week.
This order was made because many foreigners (i.e., non-freemen) who were inexpert had lately come into the City, and the Court directed that each foreigner should give proof of his skill, and then that he should remain for one year only and in one service, and no Barber was to pay a foreigner higher wages than the Masters should from time to time “sess” or determine under a penalty of 13s. ”

“ In this year a curious episode occurred, which showed that the Court were not unwilling to shield their freemen when offending, if the party taking action against the offender did not belong to the Company. Four freemen (one being an Assistant) had been “put into” the Court of Exchequer by “one Holmes an Informer for using both Barbery and Chirurgery against the Statute,” and the Court, without troubling to enquire if the offence had been committed or not, ordered that £10 should be lent the parties to assist them in defending the suit. ”

“ Upon which pretence, they did not hesitate daily to take sick persons, in peril of death and of maiming, under their care, without shewing such sick persons, or such infirmities and perils, unto the same Masters inspecting; by reason of which presumption or unskilfulness, such sick persons were exposed to the greatest peril, either of maiming or of death. Wherefore, the said Mayor and Aldermen were prayed that, for the common advantage of the whole realm, and the especial honour of the said city, they would deign to provide some sure remedy for the same. ”

“ Reverting now from individuals to the Company, we find that the Barbers existed as a Trade Guild, but unincorporated certainly from the year 1308, and that they were at first ruled by one Master, and later on (in 1376) by two Masters, appointed annually. This Company of Barbers was composed of two classes of Members—viz., those who practised Barbery proper (perhaps including phlebotomy and tooth drawing) , and those who practised Surgery, and who were, for distinction sake, called Barber-Surgeons (in the City books they are spoken of as “Barbers exercising the faculty of Surgery”) . ”

“ The root of the mandrake is said to bear a resemblance to the human form, and the “poore souldier” was not disappointed when he thought that by laying such a professional curiosity before the Barber-Surgeons, he would receive a benevolence.
James I in 1617 borrowed this picture, his letter demanding it is still at Barbers’ Hall, and it would appear by this entry that his son Charles did the same; the wonder is that we have still got it, after running two such risks.
These Garlands, the most elegant in the City, are still worn by the Master and Wardens on Court days. ”

“ All sea surgeons were “Foreign Brothers” and paid a fine (generally seven guineas) on admission, they also paid quarterage as freemen, and when they resided within the jurisdiction were subject to all the rules and ordinances of the Company as other freemen, being frequently fined and imprisoned for malpractice, etc., though they were not entitled to the benefit of the charities, to come to the dinners, or to confer the right of admission by patrimony upon their sons, nor do they seem to have been necessarily free of the City. ”

“ In 1557 at one of the Courts twenty-one Assistants and four Masters attended, and at a Court held 19th July, 1595, the names of twenty-five Assistants are recorded. The number seems to have varied with the times, the full Court, however, never exceeding four Masters and thirty-two Assistants. The Assistants have always been elected by the Court, and the custom became in time to choose the senior liveryman whenever a vacancy occurred, though there does not appear to have been at any time a by-law to that effect, and indeed this practice has been departed from on very many occasions. ”