EARLY HISTORY

1258-1625

Members of the craft are mentioned at very early dates during the Plantagenets "Henry le Uphelder (1258), Godwyn le Upheldre (1294), John Pope (1309) ....." (Origins, p2). There is a reference to "Augustin le Upholdere" conspiring with others in [Bury] St. Edmunds in 1304. (Patent i).

In 1346 the Patent Rolls show the following entry for 17 May :

"Whereas the upholsterers of the realm, by petition before the King and council in the Parliament lately held in Westminster, have shewn that certain of the realm of France and many others from beyond the seas bring within the realm and expose for sale fraudulent imitations of good works of their mistery with hair of oxen, swine and other animals cunningly woven in with the wool, to the great damage and deception of the people, the king has appointed John de Bromholm, William le Palmere, Geoffrey de Everdon, John Padegris, Nicholas alte Ford and John Wodegate to make scrutiny of such fraudulent work when necessary and to make inquisition by men of the mistery and others touching all such frauds and the names of those who bring this false work within the realm and expose it for sale, to seize the same into the King's hands as forfeit, answering for all forfeited work at the exchequer, and to certify him of the said names, the value of the goods forfeited and all that they do by virtue of this commission." (Patent ii).

An inventory of 1356 of an upholder, Stephen le Northerne, shows the extent of his trade interests as his stock ranged from armour to pick-axes and pitch- forks and from sledge hammers to feather beds and shoe horns. (Blackham, p313), (Hazlitt, p654).

In the reign of Edward III the Upholders obtained ordinances and recognition as a separate mistery in 1360. (Unwin, p88). On the Saturday after the Feast of St. Matthias (24 February) 35 Edward III (1360) Robert Gyle, Thomas alte Noket, Peter Warysonn, and John of Norhampton, "upholdes", were elected by the good men of the mistery to survey and govern the mistery so that they sell nothing but good wares, and they were sworn before the Mayor and Aldermen to bring before the same any false goods they found. (Calendar G). In 1377, less well off Goldsmiths sought the protection of Parliament against the great and rich Goldsmiths of their Company selling to any mercer, cutler, jeweller, upholder, etc., any of their work unless the price was set at a certain level. (Unwin, p78). The great John de Northamptone, Upholder and Draper, and one of the most impressive figures in the history of London, was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1381-82. (Origins, p2).

Transfers in to and out of the Company did occur from time to time. On 1 August 1418 "came Richard Frepors, ‘upholdere’, formerly apprentice to Thomas Baldok, ‘upholder’, before Richard Merlawe, the Mayor, and the Aldermen, and prayed to be translated from the mistery of Upholders to that of Taylors, and not that of Upholders. His prayer was granted." (Calendar I). On 16 February 1439 "came Nicholas Gille, of co. Lincoln, upholder, before Robert Large, the Mayor, and the Aldermen, in the Chamber of the Guildhall, and showed that whereas he had been admitted into the freedom of the City in the Art of Upholder, William Sevenoke, Mayor, and John Hille, Chamberlain, viz, on the 4th Oct, anno 7 Henry VI [1428], he had long used, and was still using, the mistery of ‘Peautrers’, and not the mistery of Upholder. He prayed, therefore, to be admitted into the freedom in the Art of ‘Peautrers’, and not the mistery of Upholder. He prayed, therefore, to be admitted into the freedom in the Art of ‘Peautrers’. His prayer was granted at the instance of the Masters and good men [not named] of the said Mistery. (Calendar K).

The Brewers Company prepared in 1421 a "list of all the crafts exercised in London from of old, and still continuing in the ninth year of King Henry V and here set down in case it may in any wise profit the hall and Company of Brewers". This list covers 111 trades including the Upholders as well as the Curriers and other Companies which exist today and the Cornmongers and Potters who no longer exist as Companies. (Unwin, p370).

In 1425 [reign of Henry VI] members of the mystery of upholders were accused of being habitual receivers of stolen goods. Whether or not this charge was true their establishments certainly had the reputation of making only cursory enquiries into the provenance of goods offered for purchase. At this time Upholders bought for re-sale cast off clothing, accepted (as did the Goldsmiths on a different scale) goods on pledge, and hired out clothing. Other Companies could buy livery gowns from Upholders and sell to them the gowns of any members who were in default of quarterage. (Blackham, p313). "This [Birchin] lane and the high street near adjoining [Cornhill] have been inhabited for the most part with wealthy drapers; from Birchovers [Birchin] lane on that side of the street down to the Stocks in the reign of Henry VI [1422-1461] had ye for the most part dwelling fripperers and upholders that sold old apparel and household stuff". (Stow, p178). "Cornhill was the original home of the upholder, or fripperer, as he was sometimes called, and he used to deal in old clothes, old beds, old armour, old combs, and his shop must have been a combination of old curiosity shop and store-dealer's warehouse. Later on, he concentrated his attention on furniture, his status improved, and his Guild became an important association .....". (Ditchfield, p284/285).

Simon Eyre, a Draper Lord Mayor in 1445-6, was an upholder before he was a draper. (Thornley, p242). Having served seven years as an apprentice he discovered his master was not a Draper but an Upholder. After considerable expense and difficulty he found a new master and served seven more years before becoming a journeyman draper. (Milford, p58). The registers of the church of St. Mary Woolnoth describe him as Sir Simon Eyre, upholsterer and founder of Leaden Hall. (Heal, p54). Eyre died in 1459.

The account books of the Carpenters' Company for the year 1449 show that the Upholders' paid rent to the Carpenters' for the, presumably, occasional use of the latter's Hall. The amount quoted is: iij(s) iij(d). (Jupp, p243).

The Company received its grant of arms from the College of Arms in 1465 in the reign of Edward IV. The design of the Coat of Arms depicts what have been variously described as pavilions, spasvers or spervers all of which are best defined as the framed canopy over a bed. (Origins, p3). It was one of the earliest grants of arms to a City company. The modern exemplifications are annexed. The colours of the Company are white and black. (Blackham, p37). These colours are shared with a number of other Companies including the Bowyers, Carpenters, Clothworkers, Dyers, Masons and Vintners. (mELLING, P40, 45, 48, 54,79 and 102).

In 1469 the Company contributed twenty-four men to the City Watch. (Hazlitt, p655).

Amongst its former members the Company includes Sir Bartholomew James (Lord Mayor in 1479) who with his brother Aldermen in 1471 led the City Levies against the Bastard of Falconbridge, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Kent. Sir Bartholomew and eleven of his Aldermanic colleagues were knighted on the battlefield for gallantry in action. (Blackham, p314) (Herbert, p436, vol. 1).

In 1474, on 27 July, in the reign of Edward IV the good men of the Mistery of Upholders presented to the Mayor and Aldermen the following petition:

"To the right honorable lord the Maire and his right workshipful brethern the Aldremen of the Citee of London

Shewen unto your goode lordshippe and Maistershippes the Wardeins and the good Folkes of the Craft of Upholders of the said Citee That were as divers enfraunchesed in the said Citee daily usen to utter and sell divers and many wares and m'chaundises belongyng to the said Craft as Federbeddes pylowes matrasses Quysshens Quyltes and suche oth'e which the Bier seeth wtoute and knoweth not the stuf wtin Whereof the bier is gretely and many tymes decieved as it hath bene in tymes passed sufficiently proved before the said Wardeins and also many persones daily bene decieved of thassise of beddes as in Celers Curteins Sparvers and oth'e and also of Cov'lettes of Englissh makyng which been thynne drevyn and in sondry weyes deceivably made which is not oonely to the grete hurt of the Bier theof but also to the Rebuke of the said Craft and grete diswirship of the said Citee And in tyme commyng to the utter distruccion of the said Craft wtoute a Resonable and a convenient Remedie the rather by your goode lordshippe and Maistershippes be provided in that behalff

And for asmoche as Fetherbeddes and bolsters stuffed wt thistill downe and Cattes Tailles Materas stuffed wt here and Flokkes and sold for Flokkes Materasse of netis here and hors here which is called Tanners here Jakkes made with Roten Cloth and paynted clothes of old wollen cloth Quysshens stufed wt here and sold for Flokkes which been deceivably made to the hurt of the Kynges liege people

Pleas it therefore your said lordshippe and Maistershippes to graunte and enacte that from hensforth the Wardeins of the said Craft for the tyme being may have power and auctorite wt a Sergeaunt assigned unto theym by your said lordshippe and Maistershippes to over see and serche wtin the said Citee all suche wares and m'chaundises as been perteynyng to the said Craft and as been aboverehersed and shewed and offerd to be sold and all suche wares and m'chaundises as been in their said serche found not sufficiently nor truely made nor wrought to take and sease and theym to the Chamb'leyn of the said Citee for the tyme being to present and bryng accordyng to their Othes yeerly made before your said lordshippe and Maistershippes That oone halff of all suche forfeites to be applied to the use of the Chambre of this Citee and that othere halff to the said Crafte And this for the love of God and in wey of Charitee."

This petition was granted. (Calendar L.)

On 24 February 1480 Richard Morley, citizen and tallowchandler, and Joan his wife, relict of John Emlyn, [variously spelled "Emelyn" or "Emlyn" in the original] citizen and upholder, and executrix of his will, appeared before the mayor and aldermen in the chamber and exhibited the will of the said John Emlyn, with the seal of the said John and the seal of the official of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The will (Plea, p132-135) gives an insight into the wealth and status of this particular member of the craft and the text is annexed. The Upholders’ Company is mentioned a number of times in the will and is the subject of a bequest.

From time-to-time Companies were required to make loans to the Crown and in 1488 the Upholders' were assessed as being liable to make a loan of £8 to Henry VII. Other Companies assessed at the same level were the Blacksmiths', the Carpenters', and the Joiners'. (Acts, p187-189).

"In 1489, certain persons described as Upholders (i.e. Upholsterers, who seem to have been chiefly bedding makers) were translated to the [Skinners'] Company by an indenture made on 4th October of that year. There were fifteen of them. The company covenanted that of the whole of the Craft of Upholders or any persons of the same Craft, at any time thereafter, should sue, vex, or trouble the persons translated or any of them, that then the Master and Wardens of the whole body of Skinners should aid, help and assist the person or persons so sued in as large wise and form as they would have done to any person enfranchised of the Craft of Skinners". (Lambert, p118).

In 1494 (reign of Henry VII) the Company petitioned for an Act of Parliament:

"To the right worshipfull Comons in this present Parliament assembled, sheweth unto youre discrete Wisdomes the Wardeyns of the Feliship of the Crafte of Upholders within the Citie of London; That where as divs psones within the Realme of England oute of the seid Citie maketh and doth to be made unlaufull and fals Wares and Marchaundises, to the grete rebuke and disclaunder of the seid Crafte and also greate jopdie losse and disceite to the Kingis Subgettis, Wherfor ther is noe sufficient remedy purveied, for so moch as the same Wardeynes have noe power nor auctorite to make due serch of suche fals disceyvable Wares and Marchaundises putte to sale oute of the seid Citie, as they have power and auctorite within the same Citie, as in federbeddes bolsters and pillows made of ij man of corrupte stuffes, that is to sey of scalded feders and drie pulled feders to gedre and of flokkis and feders togidre, which is contagious for mannys body to lye on; and also in quyltes mattres and cussions stuffed with horse here, fen downe, neetis here, deris here, and gotis here, which is wrought in lyme fattes, and by the hete of mannys body the savour and taste is so abhomynable and contagious that many of the Kingis Subgettis therby been destroied, which disceytfull making of the forseid corrupt and unlaufull stuffe is to the great losse and empovysshing of the Kingis liege people, and also greate rebuke and disclaunder to the seid Crafte of Upholders: Therfor it may pleas the Kingis Highnes and by thadvyse of his lordes spuall and tempall and his Comons in this psent parliament assembled and by auctorite of the same, to establish ordeyne and enacte, that from hensfourth noe psone ne psons shall make utter ne putte to sale, in feiers ner in markettis within this his seid realme, any federbeddes bolsters or pillows, except they be stuffed wt oone man of stuffe that is to sey, with drie pulled feders or ellis clene downe allone, and with no scalded fethers nor fen downe none other unlawfull and corrupte stuffes as is afore reherced, but utterly to be dampned for er; excepte if any psone or psones for ther owne ppre use in their howses make or do to be made any of the forseid corrupte and unlawfull Stuffe and Wares, so they be not offred to be sold in feiers nor markettis, upon payne of forfeiture; And also in like wise Quyltes Mattrasses and Cusshons be stuffed with one man of Stuffe, that is to sey with clene wolle or clene flockes alone and with none suche unlaufull Stuff afore reherced, upon payne of losse and forfeiture of all suche unlawfull Wares and Marchaundises." (PRO).

These efforts to secure legislation were successful with the Act being passed in 1495 as 11 Hen.7 chapter 19.

In 1498 [reign of Henry VII], the guild organisation of Upholders became a matter of civic ordinance (Unwin, p171) with "certain powers of regulation and supervision" laid on them by Act of Parliament and expanded in ordinances approved by the Court of Aldermen. (Blackham, p313). The 1498 ordinances provide for the craft to be governed by three wardens (there is no mention of a Master at this stage) assisted by four other "honest psones" to "helpe and Counceill". Two wardens were to be chosen by the existing wardens and the third to be elected by the fellowship of the craft. Provision is made for an annual mass to be celebrated at the church of the Austin Friars. Annual quarterage payments of one shilling (or three pence a quarter) are specified principally for the keeping of the mass, paying for the lights (candles) and alms. The employment of aliens and foreigners is prohibited and the requirement is laid down for apprentices to become Freemen of the City on completing their apprenticeships. A dinner is to be provided every second year following the election of the new wardens. The fellowship was to assemble every quarter on being summoned by the beadle to consider business relating to the craft. The whole fellowship was required to attend a requiem mass to pray for the souls of their departed bretheren. The annual salary of the beadle was set at 6s. 8d. (Letter Book M).

The Field of the Cloth of Gold, 1520, the major diplomatic meeting between King Henry VIII and Francis I, King of France, took place near Calais. Given that it was principally based on a luxuriously furnished tented city the involvement of the Upholders’ Company might reasonably be expected. Unfortunately, none of the pre-Great Fire archives of the Company have survived and so it has not proved possible, so far, to establish a firm link although research on this aspect continues. A letter from Nicholas Vaux to Cardinal Wolsey on the laste day of Marche 1520 states:

"Richarde Gibson .. [who] .shuld cover the rofes with seared canvas ys not yet commen...yt is highe tyme hys warkes wer in hande, for yt muste be paynted on the owte syde, and aftir...be garnisshed under with knottis and batons guyltt and other devises, whiche busyness is committed to John Rastel, Clement Urmeston and other..." (Nichols).

John Stow the historian gives a table of precedence for a Mayorial feast at about 1530 whereby the Upholders were shown as being without Livery at that time and between the Barbers (at no. 32) and the Broderers (at no. 34). At that period the order of precedence among the guilds was, with a few exceptions, still in a fluctuating state and it was not finally settled until comparatively modern times. In fact, among the Minor Companies only the Butchers hold the same precedence today that they did in 1530. The Company was subsequently fifty-second in order of precedence as shown in one of the municipal lists (Hazlitt, p655) but later rose to forty-ninth in order which is the present status.

"Cornhill was the original home of the upholder, or fripperer, as he was sometimes called, and he used to deal in old clothes, old beds, old armour, old combs, and his shop must have been a combination of old curiosity shop and store-dealer's warehouse. Later on, he concentrated his attention on furniture, his status improved, and his Guild became an important association .....".

(Ditchfield, p284/285).

In 1552 (reign of Edward VI) an Acte for the true stuffynge of Featherbedds Mattresses and Quyssheons was passed with the following terms :

"For the avoydinge of the great deceipte used and practised in stuffynge of Featherbedds Bolsters Pillows Matresses Cusshions and Quylts; Be it enacted by thauctorite of this psent Parliament, That from and after the last day of June next comgnge noe pson or psons whatsoever shall make, to thintent to sell or offer to be solde, any Featherbedd Bolster or Pillowe excepte the same shall be stuffed with drie pulled feathers or clene Downe onely, without mynglinge of scalded Feathers fen downe thislledowne sand lyme gravell heare or any other unlaufull or corrupte stuffe; upon payne of forfeyture of all such Fetherbedde Bolsters & Pillowes and everie of them so offered to be solde or the value thereof. And Be it further enacted by the same aucthorite, That from and after the saide daye, no pson or psons shall make, to thintent to sell or offer to putt to sale, any Quylte Matresse or Cusshens whiche shalbe stuffed withe any other Stuffe then Fethers Wooll or Flocke alone, upon payne of forfeyture of all and everie suche Quylte Matresses or Cushens so solde or the value thereof: The moytie of all whiche forfeytures shalbe to the Kinge our Soveraigne Lorde his heires and successors, and the other moytie thereof to any suche pson or psons as will sue for the same in any of the Kings Courts of Recorde or in anye other Courte, wherein noe Wager of lawe essoyne or pteccon shalle allowed for the Defendaunte or Defendaunts." (PRO).

The use of clean filling materials in upholstered articles continues to be regulated into the present century. The Rag Flock and Other Filling Materials Act 1951 covers the ancient materials of hair, feathers, down, seaweed, seagrass, Spanish moss and etc. as well as modern materials, e.g., synthetic fibre flock. (Halsbury’s Laws of England).

A petition of fourteen crafts (ranging from old incorporations such as the Girdlers, recent incorporations like the Blacksmiths, and those like the Painters, Glaziers and Upholders who were to receive charters from Elizabeth or the Stuarts) was presented to the Court of Aldermen in 1571 [reign of Elizabeth I]. This petition prayed for a return to the condition of ancient times when each company had the sole exercise of its art or handicraft and things were "truly, substantially, and workmanly made". (Unwin, p262).

The linkage with the Skinners’ is evidenced by a 1559 reference in the Patent Rolls to "Philip Gunter of the parish of St. Michael in Cornhill, London, 'skynner', alias citizen and 'upholster' of London". (Patent iii).

The will book of the Skinners Company records the following bequest for the year 1574 :

"One hundred pounds bequethed by George Forman, to the master and wardens of the Skinners Company, to be delivered out in free loan, without interest, to five poor beginners of the said company, using the trade of upholders within the said city, 20 l. a piece; and for want of such beginners using the trade of upholders meet for the purpose, then the said 100 l. to be divided as aforesaid among five poor beginners using the trade of skinners". (Herbert, p373 vol. 2)

It is particularly interesting that a Skinner (Master of that Company 1571-72) should provide in this fashion for those entering the trade of upholder. (Correspondence (ii) 14.7.92)

"The Company of Upholsters and Upholders were of elder times a brotherhood and fellowship among themselves of good esteem. In the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and perhaps before, great was the deceit by these tradesmen, used in their feathers, in their quilts and coverlids, in their cushions for chairs and stools; and in 1578 and forwards most feathers that were in sacks came out of the low countries, so packed up out of the spoil of houses with lime, dirt, dust, stones, and all heavy rubbish to make them weight, that when they did drive a sack to make beds of them they did garboil out of every hundred the half of such baggage and refuse stuff; and yet the feathers still remained unmade clean, for the purpose the lime would cleave so fast to them. A better sort of sacks of feathers came out of Eastland, but near hand as faulty, which in driving fell out a little better, but not much." (A Survey).

A projector named Cordel petitioned Burleigh for a patent in 1585 to inspect the feathers, down, etc. used by the Upholders which were said to be deceitfully mixed with various substances including "naughty flocks that would breed worms" as well as with "lime, dirt, dust, stones, and other rubbish". Burleigh sent his secretary to sound out the feelings of the trade and learned that it was the middlemen belonging to the Drapers', the Merchant Tailors', the Skinners' and Clothworkers' Companies who were principally to blame. The Upholders believed the powers of search accompanying incorporation by charter would be impractical as the tradesman in the craft would not be able to afford the cost of a charter. There were sharp divisions within the Company; some favoured collecting what money they could and looking to the patentee to find the rest on condition of receiving half the search fees so that a charter might be obtained, whilst others saw clearly that even a Government searcher and a charter would not protect them from the merchant middlemen. The scheme was apparently allowed to drop and the Upholders were not incorporated until the Stuarts. (Unwin, p296/7).

"5th February 1594: At this [Skinners’ Company] Court, my Masters of the Assistants, having received divers complaints by those of the Art and requests at the hands of the whole Livery because they were greatly oppressed by payments of the quarterage money; Now their Worships have ordered that now for avoiding of all complaints and the reuniting of all the Company into one good order for payment of the said quarterage, that after the next audit, every man that is free of the Company, whether Skinner, Upholder, or Tawyer, being of the Assistants and Livery, shall pay for his year's quarterage only 2s .....". (Lambert, p264). From an entry in the Skinners' books (February - March, 1605-6), an indenture tripartite was made between the Master and Wardens of the Skinners of the first part, the Upholders of the second part, and the Chamberlain of London of the third part, whereby the Upholders were admitted into the Skinners' Fraternity. This was probably a temporary or special agreement regarding a particular aspect of the peltry industry, for it certainly had no effect on the independence of the Upholders.

The City records show the Upholders’ Company as being required to supply in 1602-3 a quota of 11 quarters of corn. Other Companies assessed at the same level were the Painter Stainers and the Curriers. (Joiners, p64).

In 1606 the Company of Adventurers and Planters for the Colony of Virginia, otherwise known as the Virginia Company, was founded and in 1608 James I indicated to the Lord Mayor that a precept should be issued to the City Companies of London in order to finance the colonisation of Virginia. Citizens were reminded that the plantation would reduce the risk of pestilence (there had been outbreaks of plague in 1593 and 1603) and famine in the City by removing some of the surplus population and would also generate profits for the adventurers. Following this pressing appeal 56 Companies including the "Upholsters" became shareholders or adventurers in the Virginia Company. It is not known how much the Upholders invested. Interestingly, the Virginia Company set out in 1611 the various classes of emigrants sought and these included "Uphoulsters of feathers" (Brown, p227 & 470). Unfortunately, troubles and factions in the colony led to the eventual revocation of the Virginia Company's charter, so little profit was created for any of the City Companies. Two centuries after the 1776 Independence of the USA the Upholders and the other City Companies involved contributed to the purchase and presentation of a commemorative portrait in oils of Bishop Henry Compton, Bishop of London in 1776 - the colony being under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the See of London. The Upholders' Arms along with those of the other City Companies are said to be exhibited within the State to this day.

James I's Privy Council decided in 1609 to develop Ulster by the establishment of towns, schools and churches. The Corporation of the City of London was designated as the body to achieve this aim. The City undertook to raise £20,000 for this task and established a Company - The Society of the Governor and Assistants of London of the New Plantation of Ulster, or the Irish Society. Initially, the Common Council issued a precept to 50 City Companies calling on them to contribute to the first £5,000 to be raised. By 1613 the City Companies were divided into twelve groups each headed by one of the Great Companies. The group led by the Clothworkers raised the following amounts :

More than 200 years later this led to an exchange of correspondence between the Clothworkers and the Upholders and legal action. In March 1835 the Clerk of the Clothworkers reported to his Court a letter received from Mr. Timothy Tyrrell, Clerk of the Upholders’ Company, concerning the Fletchers' £20 share in the Irish estates. The Clothworkers agreed to sell to the Upholders the Fletchers £20 share "with all interest in the matter" provided the Upholders indemnified the Clothworkers against all future liabilities in the suit. Subsequently, the Clothworkers' Clerk reported to his Court that he had paid the Renter Warden £20 received from the Upholders. Meanwhile the Upholders had discovered that the Fletchers had sold their share in 1617 to the Ironmongers. Eventually, it was agreed the £20 paid by the Upholders for the non-existent Irish share should be returned to them. (Oxley, p100/102)

In 1836 a £500 dividend declared payable by the Irish Society to each of the Great Twelve Companies was withheld from the Clothworkers on account of claims to a share in it by the Butchers' and by the Upholders'. It would appear the Companies concerned sought information from the Clothworkers to sustain their case but the Clerk to the Clothworkers claimed the account books for the period had been destroyed by the 1666 Great Fire. The Butchers' and the Upholders' were disinclined to believe this and attached [i.e. seized] the dividend. In due course the Clothworkers discovered that they had, in fact, purchased the interest of the Butchers' in 1675 for £130 and the interest of the Upholders' in 1680 for £40 - both dates falling after the Great Fire. (Girtin, p214/215).

"Another notable feature is, that many men who were elected Aldermen of Cripplegate Ward, paid a fine rather than serve the office. The first case was that of John Hudson, "Upholder" (i.e. Upholsterer), 6 April, 1624, followed a week later by Thomas Overman, Leatherseller; the first paid a fine of £500, and the second, one of £700 ....... and it is probable that both Hudson and Overman were nominated at the instigation of the Court party, and elected by the same party in the Court of Aldermen for the special purpose of punishing them for some public action of theirs". (Baddeley, p3). It is reasonable to suppose the John Hudson, "Upholder" mentioned here is one and the same as the John Hudson (aka Hodgson) listed at Annex D as a Liveryman of the Upholders Company who had been elected an Alderman of Cripplegate Ward in 1624, who served as Master in 1626 (see Annex A) and who died in 1628.

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