SCHAW STATUTE OF 1598

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

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

        Item, first that they obserue and keip all the gude ordinanceis
sell doun of befoir concernyng the priviligeis of thair Craft be thair
predicessors 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 wt 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 wt the awnar of the wark
ather be contract, arlis, or verball conditioun, vnder the paine of
fourtie punds.

        Item, that na maister sail 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 pnt, 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 saIl tak ony ma prenteissis nor thre
during his lyfetyme wout 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 sall not be lesum to mak
the said prenteiss brother and fallow in craft vnto the tyme that he
haif seruit the space ofvther sevin zeiris efter the ische of his said
prenteisehip wtout 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 ordr, besyde the
penalteis to be set doun aganis his persone, accordyng to the ordr of
the ludge quhair he remanis.

        Item, it sall not be lesum to na maister to sell his prenteiss
to ony vther maister nor zit to dispens wt the zeiris of his
prenteischip be selling yr of to the prenteisses self, vnder the pane of
fourtie punds.

        Item, that na maister ressaue ony prenteiss wtout 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 ordrlie
buikit.

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

        Item, that na maister or fallow of craft be ressauit nor
admittit wtout 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 ordrlie buikit
and his name and mark insert in the said buik wt 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 wtout 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
wt cowanis, under the pane of twentie punds sa oft as ony persone
offendis heirintill.

        Item, it sall not be lesum to na enterit prenteiss to tak ony
gritter task or wark vpon hand fra a awnar nor will extend to the soume
often punds vnder the pane foirsaid, to wit xx libs, and that task being
done they sall Interpryiss na mair wtout licence of the maisteris or
warden qr thay dwell.

        Item, gif ony questioun, stryfe, or varianc sall fall out amang
ony of the maisteris, servands, or entert prenteissis, that the parteis
that fallis in questioun or debait, sall signifie the causis of thair
querrell to he perticular wardeneis or dekynis of thair ludge wtin the
space of xxiiij hors 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 not permittit to wirk yrat vnto the tyme
that thay submit thame seiffis to ressoun at the sycht of thair wardenis,
dekynis, and maisteris, as said is.

        Item, that all maisteris, Inte priseris of warkis, be verray
cairfull to sie thair skaffellis and futegangis surelie sett and
placeit, to the effect that throw thair negligence and slewth na hurt or
skaith cum vnto ony personis that wirkis at the said wark, vnder pain of
dischargeing of thaim yrefter to wirk as maisteris havand charge of ane
wark, bot sall ever be subiect all the rest of thair dayis to wirk vuder
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 often punds.

        Item, that all the maisteris that salhappin to be send for to
ony assemblie or meitting sail 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
ofthe warkis that they haif had in hand sa fer 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 pios 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 wt his awn hand, to
the effect that ane autentik copy heirof may be send to euerie
particular ludge wtin this realme.

WILLIAM SCHAW,
Maistir of Wark.

