Gild Merchant
The Gild Merchant and Hanse (old German for band or troop) Although gilds in various forms existed during the Anglo-Saxon period it was not until the Norman Conquest that the Gild Merchant came into operation. It formed the reorganisation of the old fraternal and craft gilds into an early form of local government. Newly begotten trade interests and connections were established with Normandy. Reorganisation of trading methods were adopted to suit a similar form of Gild Merchant in existence in…