MONITOR
Clerk’s Letter
WCIT Selfie at the United Guilds Service!
From left: Master Michael Webster, Court
Liveryman Gus Machado, Panels Warden Chris
Histed, and Senior Warden, Nicholas Birtles
T
he United Guilds Service (UGS)
sees all Livery Companies
coming together in fellowship
and colour at St Paul’s Cathedral. There
were two new additions at the last UGS
with the Art Scholars becoming the 110th
Livery Company only just after the
Educators became the 109th. The order
of precedence of Livery Companies has
many great stories attached to it that I
thought in this letter I would cover some
of the history of the order of precedence.
The first mention of London Guilds
occurs in the Pipe Roll of 1130, referring
to dues owed to the crown by the
Weavers who were granted their first
Charter by Henry II in 1155. In the same
Century the 'Goldsmiths of London' are
referred to as though they were already
an organised body. Other associations
mentioned are:- Bakers, Pepperers
(afterwards a branch of the Grocers'
Company), Butchers, Turners, Cooks and
Coopers.
would fight with one another. The Lord
Mayor’s Show became a focus for this
rivalry and it reached a point where the
Lord Mayor had to intervene.
In 1515 an order of precedence for
Livery Companies was finally settled on,
the 48 Companies were put in order
starting with Mercers. The decision was
made on the economic and political
power of the Company at that time so the
Weavers ended up being number 42. As
the Merchant Taylors and the Skinners
Throughout the years certain of the
had received Royal Charters in the same
Livery Companies have become defunct, year they did not agree with the ordering
for example; the Silk-throwers, Silkmen, and change places every year (this gave
Pinmakers, Soapmakers, Hatbandmakers, rise to the saying "at sixes and sevens").
Long-bow Stringmakers, Woodmongers,
The first 12 are the known as the Great
Starchmakers and Fishermen. Others
Twelve. Those over 78 are known as the
have amalgamated; the Clothworkers
Company is one example of this being an modern companies. Most Companies are
referred to as Worshipful but two, the
amalgamation of the Fullers and
Master Mariners and the Air Pilots, are
Shearmen.
Honourable. There are two Companies
The Companies were not always on the
that do not have Livery but are treated as
best of terms and frequently apprentices if they did - the Watermen and
Lightermen and the Parish Clerks.