now that I have conceded to the
Weavers of London to hold their guild in London with all the
liberties and customs which they had in the time of King Henry
[I], my grandfather; and that none may intermeddle with the craft
within the city, nor in Southwark, nor in other places pertaining
to London except through them and except he be in their guild,
otherwise than was accustomed to be done in the time of King
Henry, my grandfather ...So that each year they render thence to
me two marks [26s.8d.] of gold at the feast of St. Michael. And I
forbid that any shall do injury or contumely to them on this
account under penalty of 10 pounds [200s.]. Witness T[homas],
Chancellor, and Warinus, son of Gerard, Chamberlain, at
Winchester." The liberties obtained were: 1) The weavers may elect
bailiffs to supervise the work of the craft, to punish defaulters,
and to collect the ferm [amount owed to the King]. The bailiffs
were chosen from year to year and swore before the mayor of London
to do and keep their office well and truly. 2) The bailiffs may
hold court from week to week on pleas of debt, agreements,
covenants [promises for certain performance], and minor
trespasses. 3) If any of the guild members are sued in any other
court on any of the above pleas, the guild may challenge that plea
to bring it to the guild court. 4) If any member is behind in his
share of the payment to the King, the bailiffs may distrain his
loom until he has paid this.

Paying an annual payment freed the weavers from liability to
inconsequent royal fines. Failure to make this payment promptly
might have led to loss of the right, hence the rigorous penalty of
distraint upon the looms of individual weavers who fell into
arrears.

The weavers' guild punished members who used bad thread in their
weaving or did defective weaving by showing the default to the
mayor, with opportunity for the workman to make entreaty, and the
mayor and twelve members of the guild then made a verdict of
amercement of 1/2 mark [6s.8d.] and the workman of the cloth was
also punished by the guild bailiffs according to guild custom.

The weavers' guild tradition of brotherliness among members meant
that injury to a fellow weaver incurred a severe penalty. If a
weaver stole or eloigned [removed them to a distance where they
were unreachable] any other weaver's goods falsely and
maliciously, then he was dismissed from the guild and his loom was
taken by the guild to fulfill his por