Page 30 - 10052 WORSH Marketor Issue 79.indd

Livery company hatches, Liveryman Debra Marmor
with City Guide Herb Danner
matches & dispatches City & Mayoralty Committee

2U LQ WKH SDUODQFH RI EXVLQHVV VWDUW XSV VSLQ RIIV PHUJHUV
acquisitions and dissolutions

The history of the City of London’s linen to include silk weaving. the Pouchmakers followed in 1517. It
livery companies, from the early days Nevertheless, it was such a broad UHÁHFWHG D EDWWOH RYHU PDUNHW
of guilds and fraternities to the church it was bound to splinter. access and control.
SUHVHQW GD\ ÁRZV DORQJ WKH OLQHV RI Hence, the Fullers and Shearmen left, In the same way, the Armourers
PRQH\ SRZHU DQG LQÁXHQFH as did the Drapers and Dyers and absorbed the Bladesmiths and then
possibly the Merchant Taylors. All of the Brasiers; the Spurriers were united
The number of crafts who loosely or these became wealthier and more with the Blacksmiths; the Hatters and
formally organised was far greater powerful than the Weavers, such Cappers fell under the control of the
WKDQ H[SHFWHG ZKHQ ZH ÀUVW VHW RXW that by the time the order of Haberdashers. The Pinners and
to research this topic. For example, in precedence was settled in 1515, all Wiresellers, after vainly uniting their
1422, the Brewers listed 111 crafts WKHVH VSLQ RIIV SUHFHGHG WKH forces, became subordinate
DOORZHG WR ¶SURÀW WKH KDOO DQG Weavers who were in last place – members of the Girdlers. In other
Company of Brewers’. Today, there embittered and impoverished. Today cases, the amalgamation was on
are 112 companies (with and without they are number 42. more equal terms. In the case of the
livery) and a further four guilds MATCHES Clothworkers, the Fullers and the
striving for livery status – 81 of these Shearmen had each contrived, in
SRVW GDWH WKH %UHZHUV· OLVW :KDW Mergers also have spite of strong opposition from the
happened? been a practice in the Drapers and the Tailors, to obtain
livery. Some of these
HATCHES were a matter of separate grants of incorporation, yet
While the majority of survival, others a they still found their wealthier
‘hatches’ amongst means to eliminate members being drawn away by the
today’s companies competition. The superior attractions of the Drapers.
took place in the Leathersellers’ Consequently, they joined forces,
Medieval and by a stroke managed to retain
modern era, new Flesher or Tawyer Company (today 15 in
formations and (Source: http:// precedence) were the Shearmen’s last place amongst
VSLQ RIIV ZHUH FRPPRQ mittelzeit.blogspot. probably amongst the the Great Twelve – much to the
in times past too. Some FR XN PRVW SUROLÀF LQ WKH chagrin of the Dyers at 13!
leather-tan-
were the result of new M&A game. Looking In some cases, these unions are
Medieval Weaver ning-medie- captured to this day in the
(Source: https:// crafts emerging in val-to-edwardian. again at the Brewers’
en.wikipedia.org/ changing times. Others html) list, no fewer than 14 company’s name: Tobacco Pipe
wiki/Weaving - in ZHUH GXH WR D ¶VXE entries specialised in Makers and Tobacco Blenders, Tylers
public domain) craft’ feeling leathercrafts. DQG %ULFNOD\HUV 3DLQWHU 6WDLQHUV
QHJOHFWHG WKHLU LQWHUHVWV LQVXIÀFLHQWO\ The mediaeval leatherseller’s Glaziers and Painters of Glass,
looked after or abused by the mainstay was the manufacture and Armourers and Brasiers, etc.
mother company. Setting up a sale of ‘points’ (leather laces used to DISPATCHES
separate company was perceived fasten armour or clothing together). Some of the more
as a path to greater control and Following amalgamations, the peculiar craft names
riches. Thus, the Apothecaries and Leathersellers’ 1635 ordinances state on the Brewers’ list
Distillers came out of the Grocers; that ‘the Fellowship hath since include Corsours,
Clockmakers and Gunmakers out of distributed themselves into distinct Chapemakers,
the Blacksmiths. The Feltmakers parts… some using pulling and Orglemakers,
came out of the Haberdashers; Gold tawing, called fellmongers; others Fourbours, Lateners,
and Silver Wyre Drawers from the dressing, washing, painting, Hurers and Leches.
*ROGVPLWKV 7LQSODWH ZRUNHUV IURP WKH colouring and dyeing of leather, Medieval Long Many of these simply
,URQPRQJHUV $QG ÀQDOO\ WKH *ORYHUV FDOOHG OHDWKHU GUHVVHUV RWKHUV Bowman (Source: ceased being
UH HPHUJHG IURP WKH /HDWKHUVHOOHUV making of vellum and parchment WKH 6PLWKÀHOG 'H- practised. But, as
cretals manuscript
The oldest livery company, the called parchmentmakers; others RI KWWS demonstrated by
:HDYHUV ÀUVW FKDUWHUHG LQ KDV selling, sorting, whiting and staking of some of today’s
www.bowyers.
probably given birth to more leather, now most usually called com/bowyery_ ancient liveries (see
companies than most others. The leathersellers; yet all branches of the longbowOrigins. Marketor, Issue 78),
original textile guild, the Weavers said Fellowship’. By 1747 a php) that was not
became extremely wealthy and leatherseller was described as ‘he necessarily a reason to be dissolved.
powerful, as the cloth trade was the who deals in hides and skins of all Rather, membership drastically
basis of England’s economy sorts, ready tanned and dressed for declined because businesses were
throughout the Middle Ages. Over the consumer’. The Whittawyers moving outside the City’s remit or
time, they were able to absorb (by were absorbed by the Leathersellers ‘trading up’ to more prestigious livery
hook or by crook) alien weavers in 1479. The Pursers joined with the companies. Consequently, these
(Flemish and Huguenot), expanding Glovers in 1501, only to be folded crafts fell on such hard times they
their remit from the original wool and into the Leathersellers in 1502; and were no longer able to pay their

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