the Goldsmiths' parish church), St. Peter-le-Chepe,
St. Matthew, Friday Street, St. Vedast, Foster Lane, and others.

About the reign of Henry VI. the records grow more interesting, and
reflect more strongly the social life of the times they note. In 1443 we
find the Company received a special letter from Henry VI., desiring
them, as a craft which had at all times "notably acquitted themselves,"
more especially at the king's return from his coronation in Paris, to
meet his queen, Margaret of Anjou, on her arrival, in company with the
Mayor, aldermen, and the other London crafts. On this occasion the
goldsmiths wore "bawderykes of gold, short jagged scarlet hoods," and
each past Warden or renter had his follower clothed in white, with a
black hood and black felt hat. In this reign John Chest, a goldsmith of
Chepe, for slanderous words against the Company, was condemned to come
to Goldsmiths' Hall, and on his knees ask all the Company forgiveness
for what he had myssayde; and was also forbidden to wear the livery of
the Company for a whole month. Later still, in this reign, a goldsmith
named German Lyas, for selling a tablet of adulterated gold, was
compelled to give to the fraternity a gilt cup, weighing twenty-four
ounces, and to implore pardon on his knees. In 1458 (Henry VI.), a
goldsmith was fined for giving a false return of broken gold to a
servant of the Earl of Wiltshire, who had brought it to be sold.

In the fourth year of King Edward IV. a very curious trial of skill
between the jealous English goldsmiths and their foreign rivals took
place at the "Pope's Head" tavern (now Pope's Head Alley), Cornhill. The
contending craftsmen had to engrave four puncheons of steel (the breadth
of a penny sterling) with cat's heads and naked figures in high relief
and low relief; Oliver Davy, the Englishman, won, and White Johnson, the
Alicant goldsmith, lost his wager of a crown and a dinner to the
Company. In this reign there were 137 native goldsmiths in London, and
41 foreigners--total, 178. The foreigners lived chiefly in Westminster,
Southwark, St. Clement's Lane, Abchurch Lane, Brick Lane, and Bearbinder
Lane.

In 1511 (Henry VIII.) the Company agreed to send twelve men to attend
the City Night-watch, on the vigils of St. John Baptist, and St. Peter
and Paul. The men were to be cleanly harnessed, to carry bows and
arrows, and to be arrayed in jackets of white, with the City arms. In
1540 the Company sent six of their