Motley Talk about the Livery Companies
What do Companies who wear uniforms have to do with the City of London?
Dear Motley Officers, Crew and Friends, while talking about the City of London (the ‘City’) and the Lord Mayor, I must mention the City Livery Companies.
From medieval times in England, and in the rest of Europe, craftspeople & traders organised themselves into guilds for people who traded in the same goods e.g. bakers. Usually, only guild members were allowed to sell their goods or practise their trade within a city. Guilds could set prices, hours of trading, numbers of apprentices and guidelines for their training. Guilds reduced free competition, but they usually maintained a reliable, good quality of work.
Guilds became the City of London Livery Companies. Livery Companies derive their name from a ‘livery’ or uniform. This started during the medieval feudal system when employees of a Lord received a livery, that is an allowance of food and clothing. It later came to mean just the clothing allowance, and eventually a uniform by which employees, or members of a Livery Company might be recognised.
In Motley Talk about the City, I mention the City of London Corporation, which has run the City since at least the 13th Century; it remains the municipal governing body of the City. The Corporation's structure includes the Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen1, the Court of Common Council, and the Freemen & Livery of the City.
Residents of the City vote for representatives to sit on the City Common Council. This is the only council in the UK that also allows non-residential votes. These are people who work in the City, especially in the large financial district, who are directly impacted by the work of the council. The number of business voters is greater than the number of residential voters.
All Aldermen and most Councilmen2 are members of a Livery Company. The Livery Companies elect the Lord Mayor from their members, so they are integral to the working of the City.
While originally the two sheriffs and the mayor had a role in maintaining law and order, and collecting taxes in the City, this is no longer the case. The Lord Mayor is now ‘an international ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services sector, …and heads the City of London Corporation’3. The two sheriffs support the mayor.
There are 110 Livery Companies in the City. Guilds receive a charter from the monarch and a ‘grant of livery’ from the Court of Aldermen. The antiquity of the Livery Company is very important – to the Livery Companies. The claim to be the oldest company is not easily proved, since many guilds operated for sometimes hundreds of years before receiving a charter.
One claimant to be the first is the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers’4, who say a needle was used to sew Adam & Eve's fig leaves together, while the Worshipful Company of Drapers, say they provided clothing to Adam & Eve when their fig leaves fell apart. But the Worshipful Company of Cutlers claim that their founder (master) was Adam himself.
But Eve soon grew tir’d of Diet so spare A Plum soon abhorr’d and detested a Pear Declar’d without Flesh, no joy was in life Of Flesh they had plenty, yet wanted a Knife. To please his fair Bride (tho’ young in the Trade) Our Ancestor Adam a knife quickly made Tho’ rough and unpolished yet all must agree He was the first Master of this Company.
Verses from the Cutlers Company song.
The Worshipful Company of Weavers were the first to receive a charter in 1155, so they are officially the oldest.
Livery Companies differ in the way they are administered but most have a Master, two Wardens and a Court of Assistants. Except the Cooks Company, who have two masters. Apparently in the 15th Century the Master of the Cooks Company was summoned to the King and to the Lord Mayor at the same time. This embarrassing double booking was prevented from happening again by electing two masters. Though it is also suggested that it is to allow for a second Master if the first is poisoned!
Members of a Livery Company would live and work near each other. They would worship at a local church, which then became associated with the Company. As the Companies became more established, many set up their headquarters in large houses or Halls. These were used for the business of the Company and for entertaining.
There are fewer Livery Company Halls nowadays. During the Great Fire of London 44 of the 51 halls were burnt down, and more were destroyed in World War II. In many cases the Company could not afford to replace them, and they share a hall. The halls are often magnificent – beautifully decorated and with wonderful art & treasures.
There are three ways to become a member of a Livery Company (called being a Freeman or Freewoman of a City Guild).
Patrimony. An ancient system of hereditary privilege, given to any child who is born after his father’s admission to the company.
Servitude. Completing an apprenticeship, usually of between four and seven years. This was the usual way when most Companies practiced their craft, but it is rare nowadays.
Redemption. One or two liverymen of the company propose a new member. But you can apply by yourself, and will then be interviewed. Not everyone is accepted. You then pay a sum of money, and all companies have an annual membership fee.
Although the antiquity of the Company is important, precedence is everything in their world. At the top are The Great Twelve Companies. In order of precedence, they are:
The Mercers Company, who received their royal charter in 1394 and were general merchants. They exported wool, and imported velvet, silk and other luxurious fabrics. Like many of the Livery Companies over the last few hundred years they have become rich, and now only serve as a ceremonial institution for the profession. They spend their money5 on philanthropic work.
The Grocers Company were originally known as the pepperers, as they cleaned, purified and sold pepper & spices. They prepared and sold medicines, until that role was given to the Apothecaries Company in 1617. Grocers were also in charge of the King’s Beam, which was the scale used to weigh all heavy goods in the Port of London.
The Drapers Company traded in wool, a big business in England since medieval times, both for home use but also exported. Queen Elizabeth II was a freewoman of the Draper’s Company, because her father was a Draper before she was born.
The Fishmongers Company were known throughout the City as ‘petermen’, due to their devotion to St Peter, the Patron Saint of Fishermen. Fishmongers organise the Doggett's Coat and Badge Race every year. This is the world's longest continuously running sporting event, as well as being the longest river boat race in the world - 4 miles (7,400 m). Their hall overlooks the river, by London Bridge.
The Goldsmiths Company continue to administer hallmarks on all gold, silver and platinum pieces created in the UK. They also run apprenticeships. Their 19th Century hall is predictably magnificent, the design based on an opulent Italian palazzo. Disputes about precedence and importance were common between Companies, and the Goldsmiths quarrelled with the Fishmongers. For many centuries the Fishmongers would wear a hood in the colour of the Goldsmiths livery, and the Goldsmiths would wear hoods in the colour of the Fishmongers livery, just to annoy each other. Click here for a virtual tour of the Goldsmiths Hall.
The Merchant Taylors Company were once the regulator & trade body of tailoring and its related industries within medieval London. Precedence was such a serious issue for them, that in 1226 armed men from the Merchant Taylors and the Goldsmiths fought a pitched battle, during which many men were injured, and some killed. Obviously, the Goldsmiths (no 5) won.
The Skinners Company were originally an association of those engaged in the trade of skins & furs. They had a long standing quarrel with the Merchant Taylors, over precedence of course. In 1484, the exasperated Lord Mayor said they had to take turns. The Skinners change position with the Merchant Taylors every Easter. The Skinners Company have a beautiful panelled hall.
The Haberdashers Company became rich because they sourced and sold the humble pin. Before zips, pins were essential to a woman’s dress. In a six-month period Queen Elizabeth I ordered 60,000 pins!
The Salters Company provided salt, when it was the only way to preserve fish & meat. Many of the livery companies have treasures and predictably the Salters have a collection of ceremonial salt cellars. Salt was expensive in medieval England, so noble houses kept it in a ceremonial salt cellar, which was placed on the table at banquets. If you sat ‘above the salt’ you were higher in the social hierarchy than if you were sitting ‘below the salt’. Someone of high rank sent to sit below the salt would regard it as an insult. Often those above the salt received better food.
The Ironmongers Company hall was destroyed by a bomb in World War I, so the present hall dates from 1925. At one time all the Companies (and the Lord Mayor) had large ceremonial barges, since everybody travelled on the Thames. But by the 19th Century the river was polluted and full of merchant ships, while the roads were in much better condition, so the Companies gave up their barges. There is a rumour that Oxford and Cambridge Universities bought half the barges each, to make into boat houses. Any unusual boathouse in Oxford may be made of parts of an old ceremonial barge. However, the Cambridge barges sank on their journey around the coast. The Ironmongers have a snuff box made out of the old timbers of their last barge.
The Vintners Company retained the right to sell wine without a licence in certain areas, such as the City of London or along the route of the old Great North Road, until 2006. This right has now been abolished, but limited privileges remain. Their motto is ‘Vinum Exhilarat Animum’ (Wine Cheers the Spirit). The Vintners Company, along with the Dyers Company and the Crown, ‘own’ all the mute swans on the River Thames. Nowadays this means that every July representatives of the owners board river skiffs and catch the swans, ring them, check their health, and then release them. But in the past a number of swans, which were a luxury meat, would make their way to the Vintners’ table. I don’t know what wine goes with swan.
The Clothworkers Company have very few members actively making cloth, though they continue to support textiles through various charitable causes, including the conservation of textiles heritage. They have some extraordinary 18th Century tapestries in their Hall.
Over the centuries many small Livery Companies disappeared. For instance, the Fourbers (who repaired armour), Heumers (helmet makers), Salfishmongers and Stockfishmongers were amongst many who merged into larger Companies. The other companies include the Makers of Playing Cards, Glovers and Spectacle Makers. Also modern companies such as the Management Consultants, the International Bankers and the Air Pilots Livery Company.
To find out more about the Livery Companies, or perhaps join one yourself, click here.
As always, any links are provided to give the reader more information. I do not make any money from these links. Where possible permissions have been sought for the use of images and text, unless they are in the Public Domain. If there is an issue with copyright, please contact me. I am an amateur historian covering a wide range of subjects. I do careful research using secondary sources (books, articles, videos and a little bit of Wikipedia). If there are any mistakes I apologise, and please let me know.
The Court of Aldermen has responsibility for operational and financial matters in relation to the Mansion House and the Central Criminal Court; appointments to committees and outside bodies; and oversees the Lord Mayor's programme of engagements and City-related promotion.
For the sake of simplicity I will use ‘he’. However, even from the beginning there have been women Livery Company members because they ran their own businesses.
For more information about the Mayor and the City Corporation, click here.
All Livery Companies are known as ‘The Worshipful Company of …’ because there was a strong religious element to the Company and each had a church where they worshiped.
The Livery Companies have the right to hold land and property in perpetuity. This means they have valuable real estate in the City, which along with mature investments, generates a considerable income.