In the threefold division of Guild members, the Journeyman was aptly named because he moved around working for different Masters. There was a prescribed way that he identified himself when he applied for work with a new Master. Among the ways used to identify himself as a Journeyman in the Guild, he had a letter from his former Master when he left his Apprenticeship, and he was taught a password and given the society’s badge.
If the Journeyman was taken on, he often lived and worked in the house of the Master. This brought the Journeyman into close contact with others who might be in the same position as himself, and who, from their experience, could help and protect him. It often brought him into close contact with the Master’s family. (A daughter of a Master should expect to have many suitors.) The Master was obligated to see that the Apprentices and Journeymen under his supervision attended church regularly.
A Journeyman was not to marry. Doing so would result in a loss of his status. The time that a man had to spend as a Journeyman could run to years. Henry Hofmann of Germanna seems to have been about 28 before he became a Master (of Carpentry). Jacob Richter of Germanna was about 38 before he was admitted to the Guild of Tool Makers. When the economic conditions were poor and the supply of Masters was more than adequate to meet the needs of the craft, there was a reluctance to admit new members.
So far the discussion has been about the craft Guilds. There existed also the merchant Guilds, which shared many of the same goals as the craft Guilds. They differed in their concept of the nature of trade. The craft Guilds sought to even out the opportunities for all members. No one Master was to gain the upper hand.
The merchant Guilds sought to secure commercial advantages for their members, even to the gaining of the monopoly of a particular trade or product. Not all merchants were members of a Guild, but such non-Guild merchants were permitted only to sell at wholesale. They were subject to restrictions which did not apply to members. For example, nonmembers were forced to pay special dues to the feudal lord or to the city, but the Guild members paid, as a Guild, not individually. The Guild members were free from municipal taxes.
The German merchant Guilds (Hansa) became very powerful. The members combined together as a larger association and often obtained a monopoly, even in foreign countries. In London, the merchants from Cologne, Hamberg, Lübeck, and other cities formed an association of German merchants with special rights.
(28 Sep 02)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.