Excerpt from Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, Vol. 2: Being Gleanings From Their Records Between the Years 1335 and 1815, With an Introduction and Notes Although the period covered by the following pages - viz., from 1651 to 1815 - is not perhaps so historically important as that dealt with in the first volume, the records are, nevertheless, replete with interest. The early poverty of the Company, and its gradual growth of prosperity, may be clearly traced. It will be seen that in 1651 the Court appointed "a Committee of Surveyors" to value the Company's property, and that upon receipt of the Committee's report various expedients for raising money were discussed. It is stated that "the great engagements of the Company" were "chiefly occasioned by borrowing money for the service of the State, and continuing the same at interest, and not receiving it again"; and in the following year (1652) a detailed account of "Money lent to the State" and 44 Moneys receaved of the State " is given. This is followed in 1654 by further entries respecting the "Public Faith debts," as they were then called. Again in 1667, after the havoc wrought by the Great Fire, "consideration is taken of the many urgent and pressing occasions of the Company for the payment of money for their present service, and more especially for that of repairing their Hall," and the Court are compelled to sell much of the Com: pany's plate, and also "certain of their houses not subject to charges for Charitable purposes"; while in 1670 the usual searches for defective wares were omitted "in regard to the great charge that doth attend the same." It will be noted that at this time various members of the Court voluntarily offered loans of money for the Company's public services. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Memorials of the Goldsmiths' Company, Vol. 1: Being Gleanings From Their Records Between the Years 1335 and 1815; With an Introduction and Notes Before proceeding to examine the records I have thought it well, for the sake of those to whom other works may not be accessible, to give' a brief account of the Company, and in this sketch I have made use of the Report, with Appendices, of the Royal Commission of 1880, and I have also quoted freely from Mr. Dibdin's article in the Quarterly Revzew on the Report of the Commissioners; Strype's Stow; and Herbert's History of the Twelve Great Companies, to which works I here acknowledge my obligations. It is but right to add, however, that I have found Herbert's history untrustworthy, and that many of his statements have required verification and correction. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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