City Livery Companies

city livery companies The history Origins 3 Apprentice and freeman 4 Organisation and traditions 4 Growth, decline and rebirth 5 The modern companies Strength to survive 9 A continuing role in commerce and trade 9 Modern trade – traditional support 10 Supporting education 11 Charity and the community 13 The social dimension 14 The future 14 The City of London links The links with the City of London 17 Committee liaison 17 The City of London 17 The Lord Mayor 18 The role of the mayoralty 19 The Sheriffs 19 Appendices Forming a livery company 22 Some events and ceremonies The Silent Ceremony 23 The Lord Mayor’s Show and Banquet 23 The freedom of the City 24 Common Hall 25 Livery ceremonies 25 United Guilds’ Service 25 Cart Marking 26 Swan Upping 26 Companies in order of precedence 27 Alphabetical list and description of companies 29 Schools connected with livery companies and the City of London 38 Further reading 39 Map of the halls 40 The fascinating history of livery companies reaches back many centuries. al y Livery companies have their roots in the medieval trades and crafts and yet, with their ability to grow and adapt to meet new needs, their work is as relevant today as ever. Livery companies continue to do what they have done for most of their history. They support, and in some cases still regulate, their trades. They help to educate and train young people and they spend their income to help people all over the world. As a liveryman myself, I have had the privilege of seeing this work firsthand. Individual companies vary significantly in their age, beginnings, size, wealth and approach to the modern world. Some have origins which date back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, whilst others have been founded in the past twenty years. Some are still active in their original trades, others less so or HRH The Princess Ro HRH not at all. Some are wealthy, most are not. Some have names that most people may recognise: Bakers, Carpenters, Goldsmiths and Plumbers; some not easily recognised: Loriners, Paviors, Cordwainers and Curriers. Within this diversity livery companies are bound together by their timeless ethos which has, at its core, fellowship, welfare, education, supporting trade and at all times working in the best interests of the communities in which they operate. It is a testimony to the enduring value of these common objectives and to the ability of those who have guided livery companies in recent times that new livery companies have continued to be established at a steady rate. Many of these have contemporary titles that reflect our modern trades such as Information Technologists, Management Consultants and Security Professionals and more may be established in years to come. This introduction to the livery companies of London gives a real flavour of their rich heritage and demonstrates how that supports their role today and their value to the trades and their city. 1 Tallow Chandlers’ Grant of Arms 2 Origins Whilst their origins are ancient, the underlying purpose and the driving forces that have sustained livery companies for so many centuries are timeless. The nature of the companies gives them huge flexibility, diversity and capacity for innovation. Their work today is as relevant to the good The history health of the City as it has always been. Their principles – energy and purpose through shared philosophies, integrity through shared values and excellence through shared example – characterised their earliest activities and will continue to define their role in times yet to come. The livery companies probably had their origins in this country before 1066 and are similar to the fraternities and guilds (or mysteries) that flourished throughout Europe for many centuries. The development of guilds and their continuing existence was not confined to London. Many major cities throughout Britain had craft guilds, some of which still exist, including the Cutlers of Hallamshire in Sheffield, the Merchant Venturers of Bristol, and the Fellmongers of Richmond in Yorkshire. Both Scotland and Ireland have a strong guild tradition which is still very active, while similar guilds also exist in many countries in continental Europe, where Switzerland, France and Germany have particularly strong and active guild organisations. Their functions vary considerably but are all based on trade, craft and professional support. To this day in the City of London names such as Milk Street, Bread Street, Ironmonger Lane, Poultry, Cloth Fair and Mason’s Avenue mark the sites where it all began. People following the same craft or trade tended to live and work near each other and they began to make informal arrangements amongst themselves for regulating competition and keeping professional standards high for mutual benefit. The earliest reliable historical record in England is probably the Royal Charter granted to the Weavers’ Company in 1155. By this time it is believed that many guilds were already organised and active in the support and regulation of their trade or craft. Members paid to belong and the word guild derives from the Saxon “gildan”, meaning “to pay”. To a greater or lesser extent, these early guilds controlled the provision of services and manufacture and selling of goods and food in the City of London. This prevented unlimited competition and helped to keep wages and working conditions steady in extremely unstable times. The guilds protected their customers, employers and employees by checking for inferior work that did not meet their standards, was of bad quality or underweight. The 13 loaves of the “Baker’s Dozen” originated in these early days of strict regulations. Fines and other penalties for selling bad food or shoddy goods could be severe, culminating in expulsion and so the loss of livelihood. Trade and domestic disputes were settled by arbitration at their halls, which also served as a meeting place for their trade. The welfare of members, both spiritual and material, has always been a major concern for the guilds. Members received help in sickness and in many cases almshouses were established. 3 There was also a strong religious connection, with each guild having a Patron Saint and a link with a church or monastery, where regular guild services would be held and prayers said for departed members. Funerals were particularly important occasions, attended by all members of the company, when the coffin would be covered by fine cloths, a few of which are preserved to this day. The Fishmongers, Saddlers, Pewterers, Brewers, Girdlers, Parish Clerks, Vintners and Merchant Taylors each have an excellent example. In medieval times “livery” was the term used for the clothing, food and drink provided to the officers and retainers of great households, such as those of barons, bishops, colleges or guilds. The term became restricted to the distinctive clothing and badges which were symbols of privilege and protection. Since the members of each guild were distinguished from other people in this way, the guilds gradually became known as livery companies and also denoted a strong link with the City of London. It is still the custom to wear ceremonial dress on official occasions. Apprentice and freeman The usual entry to trade and craft guilds was by apprenticeship. Apprentices would be indentured to serve their master, a member of the guild or livery, normally for a period of seven years, in order to learn their trade. During this time apprentices were often required to live under a strict set of rules within their master’s household. At the end of the apprenticeship they claimed their freedom, which entitled them to serve under any master, or to set up on their own. For centuries the privilege of the freedom was eagerly sought by all who wished to prosper in the City of London. Before the 19th century it was an essential pre-requisite for everyone who wanted to keep a shop or exercise a trade or craft within the City. The freedom brought the holder many advantages including immunity from tolls at markets and fairs throughout England, freedom from impressment into the armed forces by press gangs and the right to vote at ward and parliamentary elections. In other words, a non-freeman had no trading rights and no voice in the government of the City. The first sign of a qualification for the freedom occurs between 1175 and 1180 and by 1274/75 there was a register in which the names of apprentices and those who had purchased the freedom were recorded. The records held by the Chamberlain of London are virtually complete from 1681. The whole municipal structure of London was built on the status of the freeman, and to this day freedom is still a necessary qualification for the holding of civic City office, such as Lord Mayor, Alderman, Sheriff or Common Councilman, and the freedom of the City remains a pre-requisite for admission to the livery of a company. Organisation and traditions Whilst each guild could organise itself in its own way, using different titles and language, the general structure was common to most. Each was usually regulated by a governing body, which evolved into the Court composed of a Master (in most companies, in others of a Prime Warden, 4 or Upper Bailiff), usually elected for one year at a time, one to four Wardens, from whom the Master would normally be elected, and a number of Assistants, including Past Masters as permanent members. In addition, each company would have a Clerk to keep the records and organise meetings, and a Beadle who assisted the Clerk, led processions, and acted as a type of constable. Today, members of livery companies are either liverymen, or freemen who may have the opportunity to be admitted to the livery of their company in due course.

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