ble to trace guilds to their origin, although Brentano seeks
to fix England as their birthplace. This is possible, however, only by
narrowing the definition of a guild to fit the English type.

The earliest unmistakable mention of the merchant guild is at the end
of the eleventh or the beginning of the twelfth century. Under Henry
I., grants of merchant guilds appear in royal town charters, and are
frequently met with during succeeding reigns. By such charters the
original voluntary associations became exclusive bodies, to which
trade was confined. The retail trade of the town was restricted to
members of the guild individually, while the trade coming to the town
was shared by them all collectively. The burgesses generally found it
to their interest to become members of the guild, and all townsmen
of importance were traders. Ecclesiastics and women might also be
members of the guild, but they were, of course, debarred from becoming
burgesses.

The exclusive tendencies which the merchant guild developed made
it really an oligarchy, and so there grew up in the towns an ever
increasing population that did not share the guild privileges. As the
town and its trade developed, the complexity of trade regulations made
it a convenience to have guilds with specialized functions, to which
the merchant guild might deputize its powers. It was quite natural,
too, that men working at the same trade, and having social and
neighborhood association, should desire to have a guild which would
represent their distinctive interests. Thus the craft guild arose, not
in antagonism to the merchant guild, but as a special agent of it.
So, in the reign of Henry I., there came about the associations of
the weavers, cordwainers, and fullers. By the end of the fourteenth
century craft guilds were numerous, and in some places the merchant
guild was superseded by them. In their composition the guilds were
made up of masters, journeymen, and apprentices, from whom were
elected the officers and assistances. Women were members of these
craft guilds, although they do not appear to have taken part in
the business administration. "The charter of the Drapers speaks of
both brethren and sistren, and the list of members, as given on
the occasions of 'cessments' shows women-members, both wives of
corn-brethren, independent tradeswomen, and widows of deceased
brothers."

The relation of the women to some of the guilds seems to have been
largely a social one.