Trade Incorporation ceremonial chairs

This paper examines in detail a number of 18th-and early 19th-century ceremonial chairs in the context of the material culture and social position of the trade incorporation in the Scottish town.The golden age for Scotland's trade incorporations was the period before 1700 yet the trades, or craft guilds, continued to regulate trade matters well into the 18th century and even when they lost these privileges under an Act of 1846 and ceased to exercise meaningful authority in either civic life or trade, they remained important landowners and charitable institutions.It was common for each trade in a large burgh to have, among other movable property, a Deacon's chair which was a physical symbol of the authority, permanency and, by the 18th century, gentility of the organization.Groups of tradesmen analogous to the existing merchant guilds began to obtain charters in the 15th century and became junior partners in the system of urban government.The councillors who elected a town's bailies were drawn in most cases by 1600 from the merchant guild and the several trade incorporations.The main purpose of these organizations, however, was to regulate trade and provide support for members at times of need.The restrictive practices indulged in by the masters of a trade through its incorporation included the fixing of wage rates and prices and the regulation of entry into the workforce.Those who attempted to undercut a fixed price were fined, as were those who took on more apprentices than was allowed.The incorporations also examined apprentices in their work.Outsiders who attempted to trade or manufacture within the incorporations' jurisdiction were prosecuted.Fines were also paid on starting and finishing an apprenticeship, on marriage and death, and for producing poor-quality goods or mistreating an apprentice.The few journeymen who became masters paid large freedom fines.Of course, evasion and outright disregard were common and the system failed to cope with market movements even before the acceleration of industrial production and the building of factories outwith the burghs in the late 18th century (Smout 1969,160-6; Smith 1995, 26-38).As Smout (1969, 163) notes, however, the trades were ultimately most concerned with defence 'against the horrors of pauperism'.Common funds were available for the sick, the aged and those who lost tools, wares and workshop in a fire.A decent funeral was assured, for masters at least, and orphans might be educated and taken into apprenticeship.Benefits did not necessarily flow freely but a degree of collective security was pursued.Journeymen, at least nominally, were members of the incorporations, but did not participate in decision-making, and their claim on charitable benefits might vary.The trade incorporations' prime 'enemy' in the later Middle Ages had been the merchant class.During the Early Modern period the enemy became

Economics · Historical Art and Culture Studies · Scottish History and National Identity

• Scottish Post-Reformation Church Furniture

  George Hay, George A Hay•Proceedings of the Society of…•1956

  Add to list