Charter

Guild Charter. Photo by THL Eirik Andersen.

Siegfried, by the Grace of Lady Ealdormere, King of Ealdormere, and Ragni, Queen by inspiration, to all to whom these presents shall come greeting.

Know ye that amongst other things ordained in the last Parliament it was for certain causes and purposes in the same Parliament ordained that in Ealdormere it would be good and just for there to exist a righteous company of mapmakers within the kingdom, known as the Ealdormerean Guild of Cartographers, and now it is shown unto us and to our council that the demand for maps of various kinds is extreme and for that the people of the kingdom will be enriched by such a company of the mistery of cartography, we, understanding the aforesaid things, have, by the assent of the Commons and others our council towards maintaining and preserving the said ordinances, ordained the Cartographers who will be enfranchised to draft maps of the baronies, cantons, shires, cities, boroughs and towns of the kingdom, being as accurate to their boundaries and borders as it is possible to be.

We likewise will that no strangers and foreigners shall bring into Ealdormere their own maps of our realm, unless they be a friend of our kingdom and of the Guild Cartographers and that the said artisans of the said mistery of Cartographers shall chuse every year a person most sufficient, most expert and most knowing in the same mistery and present them to us or our heirs, or to the baron and baroness of any barony where such mistery of Cartographers is used, and that the said person be sworn in the presence of us, our heirs, or our barons and baronesses, to survey that all manner of maps whatsoever drawn within the realm be accurate and true, and likewise that the same person do correct and amend all defaults found in the exercise of the said mistery, and that they will act as the kingdom’s cartographer, and the head of the Ealdormerean Guild of Cartographers, for no more than one year, unless they be chosen again to be sworn in before us, our heirs, or our barons and baronesses to continue in their task. This choosing shall be done by the members of the said mistery of cartography at the turning of the society year to match the founding of the Guild, and the choosing shall be done by a simple majority vote.

We will and give licence to the said Artisan Cartographers of Ealdormere that they may buy vellum and parchment, and inks and quills, and travel our lands without let or hindrance in the pursuit of their duty, art and mistry so long as they not impede any subjects of this our kingdom in their own duties.

And we will that the ordinances and subsidies of maps and mapping supplies of all kinds, in all cities, boroughs and towns enfranchised within this realm be firmly kept and preserved in all points to the said Cartographers and their successors always in the form.

In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents. Given at der Welfengau, the twenty-fourth day of May in the forty-ninth year of our society.

Wording by Maister Colyne Stewart, founder of the Ealdormerean Cartographers Guild, based on PATENT 37th Edward III, dated 15th July 1363, for the Vintners' Company of London.

Calligraphy by Magista Nicolaa de Bracton.