bridgeshire and Oxfordshire, chiefly among the villani, cotarii, and the like. The name is found also more than once in the Rent-roll of the Abbey of Malmesbury, of the 12th Edward I., printed in the Archæologia, XXXVII. p. 273; in one place (p. 283) Akermanni denotes a class of inferior tenants, and in another (p. 294) some persons are so called without any land or rent being mentioned in connexion with them. The name is found most commonly on lands held under religious houses of Anglo-Saxon or, at least, of very early foundation. Many of the tenants employed in cultivating the soil held their pieces of land and cottages at the will of the lord; and these became the copyholders of later times. Long before the date of this grant, as is well known, surnames had, with few exceptions, ceased to be any indications of the social positions of those who bore them; and, doubtless, Richard Acreman occupied a place in society to which his ancestors who acquired the surname never aspired.
The Armourers were one of the smaller companies of the city of London, yet the above-mentioned guild was not, I conceive, a trade guild. Most of those associations of artisans combined with the regulations respecting their craft or mystery others that made them partake also of the nature of the religious guilds which were then so numerous, and resembled benefit clubs in modern times;[1] but I think we shall see reason to believe, that this fraternity or guild of St. George was in reality a religious guild, though there may be some obscurity about the matter.
Such guilds had for their objects to promote peace and goodwill among the members, to assist the sick and unfortunate among them, to provide for the attendance of and offerings by the members at the funerals of those who died, and, what was then esteemed of far more importance, to secure perpetual masses and prayers for the repose of their souls. Many guilds of this class admitted women, and others allowed the widows of brethren to share in the benefits; which accounts for the mention of sisters as belonging to the guild of the men of the mystery of armourers. We may presume that the especial object of the guild in purchasing the above-mentioned advowson was to secure permanent means of obtaining such masses and prayers for the souls of deceased brothers and sisters; for that had then become a matter of some little difficulty. A few observations, explanatory of this state of things, may not be thought irrelevant, as they will render the purpose of the deed exhibited more intelligible.
After the doctrine of purgatory and the efficacy of prayers and masses for the dead had taken possession of the public mind, it had great influence in divers
- ↑ Similar fraternities are still common in Roman Catholic countries.
