The constitution of the governing body of the Company has grown up in the course of time from one Prime Master or Ruler to a Master with three Wardens and twenty Assistants, forming a Court of twenty-four members.

We gather from the earliest records, that the business of the Company was then transacted by the meeting together in Common Hall, of the whole fraternity (which probably included both freemen and liverymen), under the presidency of a single Master, who, as in the case of Richard le Barber in 1308, was invested with the supervision of the craft, and power to make search and scrutiny, and to punish offenders.

In 1376 two Masters were appointed to rule the craft, while in 1388 we find that two Masters and two “Surveyors” formed the governing body.

In 1416 is recorded the admission of five Masters, three of whom are described as “Barbitonsores” (i.e., Barbers proper) and two as “Masters of the Barbers exercising the faculty of Surgery.” In 1428 there were four Masters, two of each class, and this number was the governing body at the time of Edward IV’s Charter of Incorporation, in 1462.

As has been elsewhere remarked, this Charter provides for the appointment of two Masters only, and they to be skilled in Surgery, to be chosen by twelve Electors taken from the Commonalty; but as our records preserve the names of four Masters elected in that year, and so on ever since in unbroken succession, there cannot be any doubt but that (the Charter dealing almost entirely with the regulation of matters surgical) the two Masters of the “Barbers side” were left to be elected in accordance with old custom, or under the By-laws which the Company were, by their Charter, empowered to make.

At what period a Court of Assistants was created in our Company is unknown, but I am inclined to think the date is about 1480 to 1500. The four “Masters or Governors” (answering to our “Master and three Wardens”) were chosen out of the Commonalty by twelve electors yearly, and do not, as seems by the lists preserved, appear to have gone up annually by seniority as now they do, i.e., from third Warden to second, and so on. Those who had served as second, third, or fourth Governors, if not chosen to higher office the next year, as a general rule took their places again as simple liverymen; whilst those who had served as Prime or Chief Governor were, at the expiry of their term of office, designated “Ancient Masters,” and these, with some past Wardens, having become qualified by experience in the affairs of the Company would naturally be consulted by the ruling Governors who sought their “assistance” and advice, and thus grow up into a Court of Assistants168 (nearly always in early time spelt “Assistance”) and be recognised to a great extent as a power in the direction of the Company’s business.

The earliest mention of Assistants is in the By-laws settled by Sir Thomas More in 1530, though throughout these By-laws the actual ruling power was evidently in the four Masters or Governors. The Assistants are here twice referred to, in one case where it is enacted that the Masters shall not admit a “fforen” to the freedom without the assent of the “xxiiij^ti assistentes,” and in another place they are to have, with the Masters, the election of the Livery.

The Act 32 Henry VIII is silent as to Assistants, vesting all power in the Masters or Governors. In 1557 at one of the Courts twenty-one Assistants and four Masters attended, and at a Court held 19th July, 1595, the names of twenty-five Assistants are recorded. The number seems to have varied with the times, the full Court, however, never exceeding four Masters and thirty-two Assistants. The Assistants have always been elected by the Court, and the custom became in time to choose the senior liveryman whenever a vacancy occurred, though there does not appear to have been at any time a by-law to that effect, and indeed this practice has been departed from on very many occasions.

The Election of Masters prior to the year 1633 was on the Monday next before the feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle (Aug. 24); from 1633 to 1745 it was held on the third Thursday in August, and since 1745 it has been held on the second Thursday in August.

The ancient practice was for the whole body of the livery to be summoned to the Hall in their livery gowns, hoods and caps on the Monday at 8 o’clock in the morning “at the furthest” to whom the Masters, sitting in Court, declared the cause of their assembling; this done, the Masters retired, and the livery, sitting there, chose twelve of their number to be “Electors,” of whom six were to be “expert Surgeons,” and four at least must never have served the office of Master or Governor. The Clerk then called the twelve Electors out (the rest of the livery remaining in the Hall). The Masters then delivered to the Electors the “Bills of Election,” each Master nominating two Barbers and two Surgeons, so that sixteen in all were nominated, and, after administering to them the oath prescribed, the Electors retired to a private room apart to make their choice. Should the Electors deem that one or more of themselves ought to have been put in nomination, they were to send for the Masters who were bound to withdraw such person or persons, and choose others in their place. The Bills were to be made out in accordance with seniority, but the Electors were not bound to choose by seniority. Having made their choice, the Electors sent for the Masters and delivered to them a Bill with the names of the four persons selected, and these names were (under a heavy penalty) to be kept secret until after the “dener.”

The whole Company then proceeded in state to the Church of St. Olave, Silver Street (after the Great Fire to St. Alban, Wood Street), maids strewing the way with flowers. At Church there was a “goodly masse” celebrated, and in later times a “devyne s?rvice,” which, being ended, the parson and some of the church officials had customary fees and returned with the Company to the Hall to celebrate the Election dinner. The feast over, the outgoing Masters, according to “auncient order,” walked about the table, each bearing a garland and placing it on the head of the member who had been chosen to fill his place in the year ensuing. If anyone elected happened to be absent, his garland was placed on the head of one of the Ancient Masters as proxy, and the newly-elected Masters were sworn on the Holy Evangelists to the due execution of their offices, absentees being sworn at the next Court.

The Election dinners were held at any early hour in the afternoon (1 or 2p.m.) and were generally followed by a play or a dance, sometimes both; the wives of the livery and Assistants were present at the dinner, and the latter had their apprentices in attendance waiting at table.

In 1633 the mode of choosing the Electors was varied as follows: a “fair ballating box” with two cells therein, one labelled “Surgeons” and the other “Barbers” was placed upon the table,

The twelve so drawn constituted the Electors, and the proceedings were then much the same as has been before described.

The new Masters or Governors commenced their duties immediately upon being sworn.

From the earliest period the custom has been to hold the monthly and ordinary Courts on Tuesdays, but the meetings do not seem to have taken place on any definite or fixed days, numerous Courts being held at irregular intervals and frequently on Mondays. “Courts of Assistants,” as distinguished from Monthly and special Courts, were, in early times, for some reason or other, particularly prohibited from being held on Tuesdays, there being several orders and by-laws to this effect, but why, I do not know.

In the year 1557 twenty Courts were held. In 1572 forty-one Courts, the average attendance at which was twelve. In 1599 forty-six Courts assembled. At the intermediate Courts a great deal of important as well as minor business was transacted, including the admissions and presentations of freemen and apprentices, the examination of Surgeons and Sea Surgeons, and a great variety of business connected with the medical service of the army and navy.

Previous to the separation in 1745, the office of Master was supposed to be, and generally was, held by a Barber and a Surgeon alternately, the Wardens being chosen in like manner, any member not practising as a Surgeon being accounted a Barber, whatever his trade or occupation might be.

Great importance has at all times been attached to the question of precedence in sitting at table and in speaking in Court, and many have been the rules enacted, and the disputes and jealousies which have arisen between members of the Court on this question.

Some of the powers executed by the Masters of old and by the Court of Assistants in later times have been those which now are peculiar to Courts of Law, e.g., the settlement of disputes upon every conceivable question, the imposition of fines, and their recovery by distress levied by the Beadle, the summary committal of offenders to gaol, and the issuing of orders for their release, the prohibition of actions and suits at common law (if commenced by a freeman without leave of the Court), the inhibition of members from practising their profession, and the infliction of corporal punishment upon unruly freemen and apprentices.

The Court as now existing, consists of four Masters or Governors and twenty Assistants, appointed under the provisions of the Act 18 George II, cap. xv. By this Act the election of the Masters or Governors is in the Court and takes place on the second Thursday in August, but alas! without the ancient ceremonies of attending Church, crowning with garlands, and—may I add?—the Election dinner for the Livery.

As will be seen elsewhere, there have been frequent disturbances at the Courts, and there are numerous entries of Assistants, Wardens, and Past Masters having been expelled the Court and sometimes dismissed from the Livery as well, for their misconduct or quarrelsome behaviour. Instances of impertinence and abuse by freemen and liverymen before the Court, are also by no means rare, and in these cases condign punishment by imprisonment or fine was invariably meted out.

21st August, 1626. Serjeant Clowes was elected Master, but it seems his election was called in question, as it was the turn for a Barber this year, and it was moved that the electors should be fined for breach of the ordinance in choosing a Surgeon, but the Court decided not to do so. There was evidently a dislike to Mr. Clowes on the part of some of the Company, as the Wardens of the Yeomanry were on the 20th September, fined 40s. for refusing, or neglecting to carry the Standing Cups before him and the Wardens of the Livery on the Election day.

1638. Serjeant Clowes was again elected Master.

Mr. Cotton subsequently made his peace, was reinstated and served the office of Master, 1645!