Dear History List Subscribers:

I hope I am not imposing, but I have another question
which I hope someone can help me with.  Does anyone
have knowledge about the English guilds?  Or can
someone suggest books or articles about them which might
enlighten me?

Philip Alexander Bruce states on page 84 of SOCIAL LIFE
OF VIRGINIA IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY:

“. . . it was usual, in the seventeenth century, to keep
the eldest at home if he was to inherit the whole  of
the landed estates; the second was sent to one of the
great universities, in order to prepare himself to enter
a learned profession, such as law, physic, or divinity;
the third was apprenticed to a local solicitor, apothecary,
or surgeon; the fourth to a pewterer or watch-maker,
or the like.  It will be observed that the employments
selected were graduated in social importance according
to the relative ages of the sons; the youngest fared the
worst in the dignity of the calling chosen for him, but
in order that he might acquire the highest skill in his
mechanical craft, it was customary for him to be
dispatched to London . . . the membership of the
guilds themselves was confned to men who had enjoyed
a long and careful training.”

Other questions:

1.  Has anyone found the above rather rigid formula
     to be true?  Or untrue?  Or partially true?

2.  How did one become part of a guild?   Were you
     invited?  Did you take a test?  Did you apply and
     were voted on?  Etc.

3.  Was a guild more like a present-day union?  Or
     was it a fraternity made up of buddies?  Or just
     what?  If the guild was—as stated above—open
     only to men who had a long and careful training,
     did this limit the members to families who had
     the money to provide this training?  Or was an
     apprenticeship free to any who wanted it?

4.  What were the advantages/disadvantages of
     belonging to a guild?

5.  Are there any records which give names of members
    of the guilds going back to the 17th century?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Netti Schreiner-Yantis

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