The of the are a chevron between cloves , , and . A camel , bridled gu. on his back a bale corded . griffins per fesse and or. .

God grant grace.

This company was incorporated by Edward the , in the year , under the title of

The Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of the Grocery of the City of London.

A pepperer was still, however, not unfrequently a distinct business; and continued so till as late a period as . In that year a quantity of pepper, having been taken in a Spanish carrack, was purchased from the queen at a good price by certain exclusive dealers in that article. The grocers, however, endeavoured to undersell the pepperers by making other importations of their own, which caused the latter to petition her majesty, that no pepper might be imported for years, which would enable them to keep their engagement with her majesty; and to induce her to do so, they promised not to raises the price of pepper above in the pound.

Starch was sold by this company, which Stow says came into fashion about the latter end of the reign of Elizabeth.

The charter granted by Edward has been several times confirmed, with additional privileges; particularly by Henry VI. and Charles . Among their other privileges was the management of the king's beam, an office which appears to have been vested in the company time immemorially; they

having had all along,

the naming of the weight-master, and the naming, placing, removing, and governing, of the

four

porters attending that office, all to be elected out of their own company, and to be sworn at their own hall, a privilege allowed to them, as their undoubted and inseparable right, as ancient as that office itself used in the city. Amongst other privileges and ancient usages of this company, I find recorded also, that even as high as Edward the

fourth

's days, they had the power of inspection and correction of abuses and irregularities of all persons in the city or suburbs, any way using or exercising any kind of grocery, and also to assay the weights they bought or sold by; and to take notice of all defaults, and to return such to be fined at the discretion of this fellowship; and to take

4d.

of every person for their labour herein: which usage was always continued; and, in the charter renewed to the company, the

15th

of Charles I. this privilege is confirmed and expressed to extend to the distance of

three

miles from the city, as well within the liberties as without.

This company has had the honour to enrol in its fraternity no fewer than monarchs, besides many princes, dukes, earls, viscounts, and barons; and so highly was it once regarded in the estimation of the citizens, that in the reign of Henry IV. aldermen were members at the same time. It consists of a master, wardens, assistants, and an extensive livery; formerly the master was always an alderman. Stow says, that about the year , this company had licence to purchase lands to the value of .

Though the committee of parliament fixed upon Grocers' Hall for their place of sitting at the commencement of the unhappy disputes with Charles I. the company itself was distinguished for its steady attachment to that unfortunate sovereign; and it was probably on this account that Charles II. his profligate successor, became a member of it, when he accepted the freedom of the city in the year , after having been sumptuously banquetted in at the inauguration feast of sir Robert Vyner, goldsmith. In the preceding years also, the civic dinner was honoured by the presence of the king; in , when sir Robert Hanson, grocer, and in , when sir William Hooker, grocer, took possession of the

Various free schools, alms-houses, exhibitions, &c. are supported by this company in different parts of England, and their expenditure for charitable purposes is upwards of yearly.

The hall of this company is situated on the north side of the Poultry, within an inclosed court. The site of this edifice with the

building thereupon,

[] Granted 23 Hen. viii.

[] Who published an account of this company in 1689, in which he refers the origin of the society of grocers to Romans!

[] Brayley's London, ii. p. 359.