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by any of his predecessors or progenitors, kings or queens of this realm of England. And whereas King Henry the 2nd, by his noble charter, did constitute this town. of Preston to be a free borough; and his son King John, by his royal charter, did confirm the same; which King Henry the 3rd, by inspeximus, doth confirm and likewise ratify, in the 11th year of his reign; and by another charter of King Henry the 3rd, in the 37th year of his reign, did grant to his burgesses of Preston, all the liberties and free customs, which he had given and granted to his burgesses of Newcastle-under-Line. And now the burgesses of the borough of Preston in Amounderness, have had full liberty and freedom to enjoy these privileges, immunities, and franchises aforesaid, and have used and enjoyed the same in a plenary way. They have also kept many guild merchants' jubilees within this borough, every twentieth year, as may and do appear from the records and various guild books that are now extant."*

* A Guild merchant was omitted in the time of Henry 6th, perhaps owing to the various civil wars which took place between the Houses of Lancaster and York; also in the time of Henry the 8th, when the reformation began in church affairs; and in King Edward the 3rd's reign, when the Scottish army, under Bruce, King of Scotland, razed Preston to the ground.

We shall insert a List of Names, shewing who filled the office of aldermen and grand seneschal, the following guild years, held at Preston:

1397.-John Haconsall, Richard Blundell, Henry le Counter, Simon de Preston, John Marshall, Richard de Bretherton, William de Cane, John Alston, William de Walton, mercer, William Grimbaldestone, John Lambert.

1418.-William Ergham, John Blundell, Roger Whichcotte, John de Walton, Joseph de Alston, William de Greenhill, John de More, Thomas de Bretherton, Robert Albyn, Joseph Lambert, William Grimbaldestone, John Breton, Adam de Marshall, William Blundell.

1429.-Richard Watey, Joseph Botiler, Thomas Blundell, Gilbert Hudson, Robert Blundell, Robert Taylor, Richard Johnson, William Cook, Joseph Whalley, Robert Cooke, Joseph Halliwell, William Walton.

1501.-Law. Hoghton, Richard Ainsworth, William Tipping, Law. Whalley, Richard Tipping, William Sadler, Richard Arrowsmith, Thomas Allcock, Thomas Davell, Gilbert Arrowsmith, William Bank, Thomas Wainwright, Richard Walton.

1543.-Radcliffe Dawson, Oliver Breres, James Walton, Alexander Clayton, William Ergham, Henry Preston,

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James Walton, Thomas Camerale, Thomas Sadler, William Walton.

1562.-William Banester, Christopher Haydoke, Oliver Breres, Radcliffe Dawson, William Bostock, William Preston, Evan Hodgkinson, sen. John Werden, Joseph Banester, Radcliffe Camerale, Lawrence Wall.

1582.-Henry Preston, Roger Hodginson, Robert France, Thomas Couper, sen. Richard Kuerdale, James Helm, James Dyke, Roger Jellibrand.

1602.-Edmund Lemon, Thomas Wall, James Hodgkinson, Richard Kuerdale, Richard Hodgkinson, John Chorley, Roger Langton, William Garstang, Joseph Hynde, James Werden, Nicholas Sudall, John Breres.

1622.-Henry Breres, Thomas Banester, Joseph Crook, John Hynde, William Walton, Henry Sudall, Seth Bushell, William Lemon, Richard Shawe, George Hodgkinson, sen. William Wall, George Hodgkinson, jun.

1642.-Henry Blundell, Henry Sudall, James Wall, George Addison, James Archer, Adam Mort, William Cottom, Thomas Sumner, Thomas Bickerstaffe, Matthew Addison, William Shawe, Christopher Banester, Esq.

1662.-Seth Blackhurst, William Banester, William Turner, Luke Hodgkinson, Thomas Marten, Sylvester Ingham, Thomas Walmsley, Law. Weal, William Hodg

kinson, Thomas Werden, Thomas Rishton, Edward Rigby, Esq.

1682.-John Walmsley, Josiah Rishton.

There is generally in the afternoon of the first day, great preparation made previous to the evening coming on, for the ladies to honour the guild mayor with their presence, where they are nobly treated, in the great diningroom, with a splendid supper. Where afterwards mellifluous sounds are heard, and the mazy dance is tripped with light fantastic toe, to the great pleasure and admiration of all present. The second day of the Guild.-The guild mayor, attended by his retinue, walks in procession to the Parish church, where his chaplain performs divine service and sermon; afterwards returning in the same order to the Moot-hall, with all the pageantry and ceremony mentioned heretofore, where they dine in their usual style. The first week of the guild is attended with feasting foreign burgesses, being men of good report. Each company of the various trades, hang out of the windows daily, at their respective rendezvous, the flags with their coat armour emblazoned thereon, in vivid colours, during the whole time of this jubilee. When the wardens of any company are to dine publicly at any dinner given upon this occasion within the borough, by any resident gentleman, he is

attended to the place in due order, by the flag and a band of music; which has continued in former times for the space of six weeks.

Guild orders agreed upon after the Restoration of Charles the Second, 1660.

"It was ordered, established, and enacted, by plenary assent, and consent, of the mayor, aldermen, bailiffs, and others appertaining to the corporation of the borough of Preston, of this present guild merchant.-That all the various books containing guild orders, be surveyed, examined, and assorted together, according to each subject contained within them, in their respective order, according to the respective reign of each king of England. · And that such things as appertain to the observation of the sabbath-day.-Matter in itself purely pointed, concerning the marsh land, the moor, and common belonging to this borough. The revenues, rents, toll, &c. &c. as do in anywise belong to this our ancient borough.-Also what may relate to the trade and traffic, together with householding, innkeepers, taverns, and so forth.-Also the method of electing officers, and their several duties. Also concerning foreign burgesses, and how far they differ in the quality of freedom from those who are inhabitant burgesses.

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