Weavers Company, 1490

To all true Cristen people thies presentes lettres Reading, Hearing or Seeing: Thomas Clarensew, herald, and kyng of Armys of the Sowth partyes of this realm of Inglond otherwise callyd Thomas Holme, knight sende dew and humble recomendacyon and gretyng as it apperteyneth in Our Lord God everlastyng. For so moche as I understond ffor certeyn that every crafte and fraternyte within the kynges most Royall Cite of London called his Chamber, Compace, stody, devyse and Inmagyne with theyre besy curys and undelayd devoyres and delegencys and suche personys namely as be lynyally descendyd ffrom noble blode compellyd therunto by verry course of nature the most convenyent and most honowrable weyes and meanys to them possyble ffor to exalte and prefferre theyr Craftes and Fraternyteys to honeur and noble and to as excellent laude and Recomendacyon as by theyr mendys canne be thought or contryvyd to thentent that eny persone entryng or comyng into their Craftes and Fraternytes beryng of theyr sadde and laudable vertuoux and comendable disposiscyons and opynyons shuld Rather enforce and aplye themselfe effectuelly with all possyble delyngce towardes the maytenance and supportacyon and longe contenewaunce of the same to the laude and prersyng of God, thenour of the kyng our sovereynge lord of this his Realme and Cite aforsaid and of the sayd Crafte and fraternyte. Amonge whom, I, the sayd kyng of Armes note and Apoynte at this tyme specyally the good, sadde, worshypfull and well dessposyd persones, the Wardens of the full honorable Crafte and fraternyte of Wevars of the sayd Cite, that is to say Wyllyam Porlyngton and Rychard Smythe Citezens, Wevars and Wardens of the same Crafte for the tyme beyng with all the hole body of the same. I, the sayd kyng of armes, for the tendre zele and inward affeccyon that I bere toward the sayd Crafte and fraternyte, for the presservyng and encresse therof to honour and nobles have yeven and granted unto them the Armeys hereaffter Folowyng as in the mergene depykt more pleynly apperyth: that is to saye they bere asur uppon A chevron sylvere thre Roses goulys betwne thre leopardes heddys holding in their mowthys thre shetylles gold garneshed: the Crest upon the helme a leopardes hed holdyng in ys mouthe a shetyll gold garneshed sett withyne a wreth sylver and goulys: the mantyll azur furred with Ermeyn: which armys by thactoryte and poure of myn offyce annexed and attrybutyed, I, the sayd kyng have devysed and ordeyned to and for the said Crafte and fraternyte of Wevars to them that now be and to them that herafter shalbe and theyre successoures in synge and token of nobles, ffor evermore to have and to hold, occupy and Reioyce withoute any Inpedyment, Interupcion, lette or enpechement by vertue of my sayd graunte for evermore. In wytnesse wherof I, the sayd kyng of Armes to thies presentes synged with my hand have putte my selle of armes of auctoryte yovyn at London the iiij day of August in the vthe yere of our sovereygne lord, Kyng Herry the vijthe.

The London Weavers’ Company by Frances Consitt (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1933)

[Source: Fifteenth Century Patents of Arms]