Carpenters' Company , Worshipful Company of Carpenters

The first mention of a Clerk to the Company appears in the records in 1483, and the appointment of a Clerk first appears in 1487, at an annual fee of 33s 4d in order to deal with the increasing administration of the Company. Aided by the Beadle, the Clerk supervised the day-to-day running of the Company, as is still the case today.

In 1751 the duties of the Clerk were clearly set out in the Court minutes. He was responsible for taking Court and committee minutes, attend the Master and Wardens when they collected rents, keep the Wardens' accounts, to go on the annual visit to Godalming, make out bonds and rentals for the Renter Warden and pay an assistant on Court days to fill up indentures. He was also required to write up annually the names of the Master and Wardens on vellum to be put up in the Hall. For this he received a salary of £40 a year, lodgings at the Hall and a Christmas gift of £10.