Prologue [1418]

This prologue is written in English for everyone to understand on folio 189 of this book

In this present book are contained each and all the charters, grants, deeds, and royal confirmations made and granted before this time to the goldsmiths of London, and the company of the same mistery, and also various letters, charters, deeds of the aforesaid mistery of goldsmiths, relating to all lands, tenements and rents in the city of London and its suburbs concerning and belonging to the wardens and company of the aforesaid mistery and their successors up to the present, separately and distinctly, i.e. each tenement by itself with its written deeds, as appears clearly in the list of contents. This book was started for two reasons that arose: the first was that in times gone by many written documents have been lost and dispersed due to minimal proper and careful safeguarding of them, and no transcripts or records remain in the hands of goldsmiths, to the great prejudice and detriment of the community of the said mistery. Therefore, lest such things should happen in future times, and in order to provide a suitable remedy for those misfortunes, all and every kind of written documents and muniments which at the time of making this book are in the hands of the wardens of the said mistery are to be entered into this volume, along with others found elsewhere under their guardianship. The other reason is evident and manifest, lest such deeds, charters and muniments which are sealed or have seals impressed upon them should by frequent and repeated handling be in danger or suffer deterioration, as in losing their seals or tearing of the documents, therefore here all the aforesaid charters, deeds and muniments are written out here so that whenever it is needed or necessary for the wardens of the time to inspect any of these it may be done more easily and clearly, and that they may better be found and may appear to the eye and be read more easily. Thus here the acts are collected, written out, given headings, read and examined in the time of William Fitz Hugh, John Hillys, Richard Wydihale and John Walsshe, wardens of the said Goldsmiths’ Mistery, by their good and provident ordainment and praiseworthy perception, in the year 1418 and the fifth year of the reign of King Henry V.