BEST OF BRITAIN
CITY GUILDS AND LIVERY COMPANIES
Deep within the City of London, or the Square Mile, lies what at first sight seems a peculiar bunch of people dressed in odd clothing gathering behind some- thing called Halls. They are in fact the City Livery Companies, which date back to the 12th century in their earliest in- ceptions. The present roll call lists 110 livery companies and they range from painters and decorators to goldsmiths and watermen. Even black taxi drivers, the Hackney Carriages, are represented. These livery companies are known as “The Worshipful Companies of…” whatever their particular trade is. The purpose of their creation was to protect their relevant trades, meaning tradesmen worked and operated under a guild and to a standard that could be relied on. The word livery derives from the dress that nobleman would have worn, and still do, each different from other com- panies. During the medieval period be- coming a Freeman of the City was the goal of a tradesman – it meant you had
12 FOCUS The Magazine September/October 2018
completed your apprenticeship in a par- ticular guild and could freely trade your goods or skills. It could take up to 10 years, or less if your Master felt you had learned the skills sufficiently well. Once a Freeman, your livery company’s Master and Wardens allowed you to take on an apprentice of your own. Fast forward to the 21st century and the Freedom is a social apprenticeship.
These companies helped to underpin the City of London as a centre for trade and commerce thus establishing and promot- ing the Square Mile. The companies also provided loans to the monarchy for wars and commercial endeavours all over the globe. The British Empire was built with help from the guilds, which in Anglo- Saxon means to gild or to pay. In fact, the Guildhall in the City is where citi- zens would pay their taxes. Today the liv- ery companies elect the City of London Sheriffs, endorse the election of the Lord Mayor, who must be a member of a livery company, and are involved in many other major events in the city.
The 110 livery companies in existence today can be divided into three cate- gories: the senior, the middle and the modern companies. The senior, or the Great Twelve, are what might be consid- ered the twelve most important livery companies. They are the oldest with sig- nificant assets including a Hall and their members enjoy considerable privileges. They are:
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