Gild

In Saxon law. A tax or tribute.

Spelman.

A fine, mulct, or amerciament; a satisfaction or compensation for an injury. A fraternity, society, or company of persens combined together, under certain regulations, and with the king's license, and so called because its expenses were defrayed by the contributions (geld, gild) of its members.

Spelman.

In other words, a corporation; called, In Latin, "societas," "collegium," "fratria," "fraternitas," "sodalitium," "adu-natio;" and, in foreign law, "gildonia."

Spelman.

There were various kinds of these gilds, as merchant or commercial gilds, religious gilds, and others.

3 Turn. Anglo Sax. 98; 3 Steph. Comm. 173, note u.

See Gilda Mercatoria. A friborg, or deconnary; called, by the Saxons, "gyldscipes," and its members, "gil-dones" and "congildones."

Spelman.