Name Index

To

The Barnstaple goldsmiths' guild, with some notes on the early history of the town

Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol. 49, (1917) pp. 163-189.

by

J.F. Chanter

Prepared by Michael Steer

The guilds were an important part of city and town life. There were two types; merchant and craft. Merchant guilds were probably the first to appear and constituted the nucleus for civic organisation. Craft guilds were the product of increased specialisation of industry. A Gild Merchant was established in Barnstaple in 1303. This was later transformed into a socio-religious gild. There was a Guild of St. Nicholas in Barnstaple that brought all those who were interested in the woollen trade, in the town itself and in the country districts around, into a common organisation for the promotion and protection of their mutual interests. A Goldsmiths' Guild existed in Barnstaple from the 16th century until the 18th century, and a guild, that included the goldsmiths and pewterers, may also have existed there. This rare book was produced from a copy held by the Princeton University Library, and is available from the Internet Archive.