V.
THE TOWN HALLS.
I.
VERY little is known about the first house occupied by the Guild Merchant of Leicester. It was situated in the Parish of St. Nicholas, and "with the unanimous consent of the community" it was conveyed away to one William Emery by Walter le Bron, who was Mayor of Leicester in 1275-6.
In the year 1257, Isolda the Turner was paid is. 7d. "for arrears of the service of the messuage belonging to the community of the Guild." In 1258, a like sum was paid to Philip the Turner, "for rent of the land of the Guild." In 1260 Philip, son of Philip the Turner, received 1s. 7d. "of his annual rent from the messuage of the Guild in the Parish of St. Nicholas." Further payments of "the Guild house rent" were made to Philip the Turner in 1261, 1262 and 1264.
That these payments represented a rent issuing out of the first house belonging to the Guild is rendered practically certain by an entry made in the Pleas of the Guild Merchant for 1335-6, wherein, after a note declaring that "Walter Brown, formerly Mayor of Leicester," conveyed away "veteram aulam Gylde," it is further stated that William the Turner then claimed to have "1s. 6d. and two capons from the old Guildhall — de vetere Guildhall." Hence it appears that the rent paid to the Turner family was a charge upon the old house of the Guild that was conveyed away about 1275. The Turners' claim is not again referred to in the Records of the Guild.
II.
Some years before parting with their first hall, the Guild Merchants had been anxious to obtain better accommodation. They were, however, very poor, and quite unable to establish any precedent of lavish expenditure upon municipal buildings. On the contrary, they appear to have looked round for some
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