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The 108 Livery Companies are trade associations based in the City of London
City of London

The City of London is a geographically small city status in the United Kingdom within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which, along with Westminster, the modern conurbation grew....
, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade or profession. The Livery Companies originally developed as guild
Guild

File:Windsorguildhall.jpgA guild is an association of artisan in a particular trade. The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers....
s and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling, for instance, wages and labour conditions. Some Livery Companies (for example, the Scriveners
Worshipful Company of Scriveners

The Worshipful Company of Scriveners of the City of London is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It is also known as the Mysterie of Writers of the Court Letter....
) continue to have a regulatory role today, and some (for example, the Longbow Makers
Worshipful Company of Bowyers

The Worshipful Company of Bowyers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England....
) have become inoperative except as charitable foundations
Charitable organization

The definition of charitable organization, and of charity, varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates....
.






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The 108 Livery Companies are trade associations based in the City of London
City of London

The City of London is a geographically small city status in the United Kingdom within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which, along with Westminster, the modern conurbation grew....
, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade or profession. The Livery Companies originally developed as guild
Guild

File:Windsorguildhall.jpgA guild is an association of artisan in a particular trade. The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers....
s and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling, for instance, wages and labour conditions. Some Livery Companies (for example, the Scriveners
Worshipful Company of Scriveners

The Worshipful Company of Scriveners of the City of London is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It is also known as the Mysterie of Writers of the Court Letter....
) continue to have a regulatory role today, and some (for example, the Longbow Makers
Worshipful Company of Bowyers

The Worshipful Company of Bowyers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England....
) have become inoperative except as charitable foundations
Charitable organization

The definition of charitable organization, and of charity, varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates....
. Most Livery Companies, particularly those formed in recent years, are primarily charitable organizations. The active Livery Companies also play an important part in social life and networking in the City of London. They have a long history of cultural patronage.

After the Fan Makers
Worshipful Company of Fanmakers

The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1709....
 were established in 1709 (and later granted Livery
Livery

A livery is a uniform or other insignia or symbol worn in a non-military context on a person or object to denote a relationship with a person or corporate body, often by using elements of the heraldry relating to that person or body, or a personal emblem, and normally given by them....
 in 1809), no new companies were formed for almost 200 years until the Master Mariners
Honourable Company of Master Mariners

The Honourable Company of Master Mariners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was formed in 1926; it was made a Livery Company by the City of London in 1932, making it the first new Livery Company to be formed in over two centuries....
 in 1926 (Livery in 1932). Post-1926 companies are called Modern livery companies. Formed in 1999, The Company of Security Professionals became the 108th Livery Company on 19 February 2008 when the Court of Aldermen
Court of Aldermen

The Court of Aldermen is an elected body forming part of the City of London Corporation. The Court of Aldermen is made up of the twenty five Alderman of the City of London, presided over by the Lord Mayor of the City of London....
 of the City of London Corporation approved the Petition for Livery. In recent years, many professions (such as Solicitors and Chartered Accountants) have established new guilds with the aim of being granted Livery, the most recent being the Tax Advisers (formed as a Guild in 1995 and granted Livery in 2005). As of 2008 there are two old bodies which, for historical reasons, are recognized as City Companies without Livery; three further guilds (Educators, Public Relations Practitioners and Arts Scholars, Dealers and Collectors) aim to obtain a grant of Livery.

Governance

Livery Companies are governed by a Master (known in some Companies as the Prime Warden), a number of Wardens (who may be known as the Upper, Middle, Lower, or Renter Wardens), and a Court of Assistants, which elects the Master and Wardens. The chief executive officer of the Company is known as the Clerk.

Members generally fall into two categories: freemen and liverymen. One may become a freeman, or acquire the "Freedom of the Company", upon fulfilling the Company's criteria; traditionally, one may be admitted by "patrimony" if either parent was a liverymen of the company, by "servitude" if one has served as an apprentice in the trade for the requisite number of years, or by "redemption" if one pays a fee. (The Company may also vote to admit individuals as honorary freemen.) Freemen generally advance to becoming liverymen by a vote of the Court of the Company. Historically, only liverymen could take part in the election of the Lord Mayor of the City of London the Sheriffs and some other traditional officers of the City .

Livery halls

Many companies still have a hall, where members and their guests can be entertained and company business transacted. Among the earliest companies known to have possessed halls were the Merchant Taylors and Goldsmiths in the 14th century, but neither their nor other companies' original halls remain; the few survivors of the Great Fire
Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of London, England, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666....
 were destroyed, along with many reconstructed ones, during the Blitz
The Blitz

The Blitz was the sustained bombing of United Kingdom by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, in World War II. While the "Blitz" hit many towns and cities across the country, it began with the bombing of London for 57 consecutive nights ....
. Today, only 40 companies have halls in London. Companies that do not have their own hall usually borrow one of the other companies' premises for social occasions.

Precedence

In 1515, the Court of Aldermen of the City of London settled an order of precedence for the forty-eight Livery Companies then in existence, which was based on the Companies' economic or political power. The first 12 Livery Companies are known as the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. There are now one hundred and eight Livery Companies, some of recent formation, so the Order of Precedence is sometimes reviewed. However, the Merchant Taylors
Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors

The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company, originally known as the Guild and Fraternity of St John the Baptist in the City of London, was first incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1327; the charter was confirmed by later charters in 1503 and 1719....
 and the Skinners
Worshipful Company of Skinners

The Worshipful Company of Skinners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It was originally an association of furriers respectively skinners....
 have always disputed their precedence, so once a year (at Easter) they exchange sixth and seventh place. This is one of the theories for the origin of the phrase "at sixes and sevens
At sixes and sevens

To be "at sixes and sevens" is an English language phrase and idiom, common in the United Kingdom. It is used to describe a state of confusion or disarray....
", as the master of the Merchant Taylors has asserted a number of times, although the first use of the phrase may have been before the Taylors and the Skinners decided to alternate their position . Both companies had been founded before the birth of Chaucer, who was one of the first people to use the phrase, so this may have dated from before him.

List of Livery Companies, in order of precedence

  1. The Worshipful Company of Mercers
    Worshipful Company of Mercers

    The Worshipful Company of Mercers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1394. Its aim was to act as a trade association for general merchants, and especially for exporters of wool and importers of velvet, silk and other luxurious fabrics ....
     (General Merchants)
  2. The Worshipful Company of Grocers
    Worshipful Company of Grocers

    The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London....
  3. The Worshipful Company of Drapers
    Worshipful Company of Drapers

    The Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London; it has the formal name of The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Mary, the mother of Jesus of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London but is more usually known as the Drapers' Company....
     (Wool and cloth merchants)
  4. The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers
    Worshipful Company of Fishmongers

    The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company ranks fourth in the order of precedence of the Livery Company, making it one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies....
  5. The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
    Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths

    The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company, which has origins in the twelfth century, received a Royal Charter in 1327....
  6. The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors
    Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors

    The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company, originally known as the Guild and Fraternity of St John the Baptist in the City of London, was first incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1327; the charter was confirmed by later charters in 1503 and 1719....
     (Tailors) (alternates with the Skinners)
  7. The Worshipful Company of Skinners
    Worshipful Company of Skinners

    The Worshipful Company of Skinners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It was originally an association of furriers respectively skinners....
     (Fur Traders) (alternates with the Merchant Taylors)
  8. The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
    Worshipful Company of Haberdashers

    File:Haberdashers' Company plaque London.jpgThe Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation, which developed from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdashery, received a Royal Charter in 1448....
  9. The Worshipful Company of Salters
    Worshipful Company of Salters

    The Worshipful Company of Salters is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company originated as the Guild of Corpus Christi, which was granted a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1559....
  10. The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers
    Worshipful Company of Ironmongers

    The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Ironmongers, who were originally known as the Ferroners, were incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1463....
  11. The Worshipful Company of Vintners
    Worshipful Company of Vintners

    The Worshipful Company of Vintners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England....
     (Wine merchants)
  12. The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
    Worshipful Company of Clothworkers

    The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528, formed by the amalgamation of its two predecessor Companies, the Fullers and the Shearmen ....
  13. The Worshipful Company of Dyers
    Worshipful Company of Dyers

    The Worshipful Company of Dyers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Dyers' Guild existed in the twelfth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1471....
  14. The Worshipful Company of Brewers
    Worshipful Company of Brewers

    The Worshipful Company of Brewers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. London brewers are known to have organised as a group in the 13th century....
  15. The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers
    Worshipful Company of Leathersellers

    The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation originated in the latter part of the fourteenth century and received a Royal Charter in 1444....
  16. The Worshipful Company of Pewterers
    Worshipful Company of Pewterers

    The Worshipful Company of Pewterers is a livery company of the United Kingdom. It is 16th in the order of precedence of livery companies....
  17. The Worshipful Company of Barbers
    Worshipful Company of Barbers

    The Worshipful Company of Barbers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation's records date as early as 1308, recording Richard le Barber as the first to hold the office of Master....
     (Barbers, Surgeons, and Dentists)
  18. The Worshipful Company of Cutlers
    Worshipful Company of Cutlers

    The Worshipful Company of Cutlers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The trade of knife making and repairing was organised in the thirteenth century; the organisation received a Royal Charter later in 1416....
  19. The Worshipful Company of Bakers
    Worshipful Company of Bakers

    The Worshipful Company of Bakers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Bakers' Guild is known to have existed in the twelfth century....
  20. The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers
    Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers

    The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was established in 1358 by the granting of by-laws and ordinances by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen....
  21. The Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers
    Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers

    The Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation, which engaged in not only tallow candle making but also in the trade of oils, received a Royal Charter in 1462....
  22. The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers
    Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers

    The Worshipful Company of Armourers and brass is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Armourers' Guild was established in 1322; it received a Royal Charter in 1453....
     (Armour Makers and Brass Workers)
  23. The Worshipful Company of Girdlers
    Worshipful Company of Girdlers

    The Worshipful Company of Girdlers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was awarded the right to regulate Girdlers in 1327; it was granted a Royal Charter in 1449....
     (Sword Belt and Dress Belt Makers)
  24. The Worshipful Company of Butchers
    Worshipful Company of Butchers

    The Worshipful Company of Butchers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England. Records indicate that an organization of Butchers existed as early as 975; the Butchers' Guild, the direct predecessor of the present company, received the right to regulate the trade in 1331....
  25. The Worshipful Company of Saddlers
    Worshipful Company of Saddlers

    The Worshipful Company of Saddlers is one of the most ancient of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Guild of Saddlers, the Company's predecessor, is thought to have been an Anglo-Saxon Craft Guild ? it certainly existed at some point in the eleventh century....
  26. The Worshipful Company of Carpenters
    Worshipful Company of Carpenters

    The Worshipful Company of Carpenters is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Carpenters were traditionally different from a fellow wood-crafting company, the Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers, in that the Carpenters utilised nails while the Joiners used adhesives to attach wood....
  27. The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
    Worshipful Company of Cordwainers

    The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Cordwainers were workers in fine leather; the Company gets its name from "cordwain", the white leather produced from goatskin in Cordoba, Spain....
     (Fine Leather Workers)
  28. The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers
    Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers

    The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. An organisation of wood stainers, or painters of metals and wood, is known to have existed as early as 1268....
  29. The Worshipful Company of Curriers
    Worshipful Company of Curriers

    The Worshipful Company of Curriers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Curriers, or curers of leather, first formed an organization in 1272....
     (Tanned Leather Dressers)
  30. The Worshipful Company of Masons
    Worshipful Company of Masons

    The Worshipful Company of Masons is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Masons were formed in medi?val times to regulate stonemasons....
  31. The Worshipful Company of Plumbers
    Worshipful Company of Plumbers

    The Worshipful Company of Plumbers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation received the right to regulate medi?val plumbers, who were, among other things, responsible for fashioning cisterns, in 1365....
  32. The Worshipful Company of Innholders
    Worshipful Company of Innholders

    The Worshipful Company of Innholders is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Innholders were originally known as Hostellers, but their name had changed by the time it was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1514....
  33. The Worshipful Company of Founders
    Worshipful Company of Founders

    The Worshipful Company of Founders is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England. The Founders, or workers in brass and bronze, were incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1614....
     (Metalworkers)
  34. The Worshipful Company of Poulters
    Worshipful Company of Poulters

    File:Poulter's Hall plaque London.jpgThe Worshipful Company of Poulters is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. In 1368, the organisation received the power to regulate the sale of poultry, swans, pigeons, rabbits and small game....
  35. The Worshipful Company of Cooks
    Worshipful Company of Cooks

    The is the smallest of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company traces its origins back to the 12th Century, founded from two guilds of cooks in medieval London - the Cooks of Eastcheap and the Cooks of Bread Street....
  36. The Worshipful Company of Coopers
    Worshipful Company of Coopers

    The Worshipful Company of Coopers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation of Coopers existed in 1422; it received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1501....
     (Barrel Makers)
  37. The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers
    Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers

    The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation of Tylers and Bricklayers existed in 1416; it was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1568....
  38. The Worshipful Company of Bowyers
    Worshipful Company of Bowyers

    The Worshipful Company of Bowyers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England....
     (Longbow Makers)
  39. The Worshipful Company of Fletchers
    Worshipful Company of Fletchers

    The Worshipful Company of Fletchers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England. Originally, the Worshipful Company of Bowyers and Fletchers formed one organisation....
     (Arrow Makers)
  40. The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths
    Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths

    The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was recognised as a Company "by prescription," i.e., by established usage of the title for several years, in 1325....
  41. The Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers
    Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers

    The Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers is one of the Livery Company in the City of London. The Guild of St James, the Company's predecessor, was formed in 1375....
     (Wood Craftsmen)
  42. The Worshipful Company of Weavers
    Worshipful Company of Weavers

    The Worshipful Company of Weavers is the most ancient of the Livery Company in the City of London. It existed in the year 1130, and was perhaps formed earlier....
  43. The Worshipful Company of Woolmen
    Worshipful Company of Woolmen

    The Worshipful Company of Woolmen is one of the Livery Company in the City of London. It is known to have existed in 1180, making it one of the older Livery Companies of the City....
  44. The Worshipful Company of Scriveners
    Worshipful Company of Scriveners

    The Worshipful Company of Scriveners of the City of London is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It is also known as the Mysterie of Writers of the Court Letter....
     (Court Document Writers and Notaries Public)
  45. The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers
    Worshipful Company of Fruiterers

    The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London originally and presently concerned with the fruit trade, and a notable charitable institution....
  46. The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers
    Worshipful Company of Plaisterers

    The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers is one of the Livery Company in the City of London. It was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1501. The spelling used in the charter was "plaisterer," and, though a future charters uses the spelling "plasterer", the original spelling is retained....
     (Plasterers)
  47. The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers
    Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers

    The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Stationers' Company was founded in 1403; it received a Royal Charter in 1557....
  48. The Worshipful Company of Broderers
    Worshipful Company of Broderers

    The Worshipful Company of Broderers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. Broderers were workers in embroidery; the organization of Broderers existed in at least 1376, and was officially incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1561....
     (Embroiders)
  49. The Worshipful Company of Upholders
    Worshipful Company of Upholders

    The Worshipful Company of Upholders is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. Upholders were upholsterers; the organisation was officially incorporated by a Royal Charter in the year 1626 AD....
     (Upholsterers)
  50. The Worshipful Company of Musicians
    Worshipful Company of Musicians

    The Worshipful Company of Musicians is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. In 1500, the Fellowship of Minstrels was granted incorporation as the Musicians' Company by the Lord Mayor of the City of London; the Company was given the right to regulate all musicians within the City....
  51. The Worshipful Company of Turners
    Worshipful Company of Turners

    The Worshipful Company of Turners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Guild of Turners, or operators of the Lathe , the predecessor of the Company, existed in 1310....
     (Lathe Operators)
  52. The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers
    Worshipful Company of Basketmakers

    The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was constituted in 1569. It was recognised as a Livery Company in 1825, and received a Royal Charter in 1937....
  53. The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass
    Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass

    The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Guild of Glaziers, or makers of Glass, the Company's forerunner, existed as early as 1328....
  54. The Worshipful Company of Horners
    Worshipful Company of Horners

    The Worshipful Company of Horners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It existed in at least 1284. In 1475, the Leather Bottlemakers merged with the Horners....
  55. The Worshipful Company of Farriers
    Worshipful Company of Farriers

    The Worshipful Company of Farriers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Farriers, or horseshoe makers, organised in 1356. It received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1674....
     (Horseshoe Makers and Veterinarians for Horses)
  56. The Worshipful Company of Paviors
    Worshipful Company of Paviors

    The Worshipful Company of Paviors is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Paviors were formed at some point prior to 1276; they were responsible for the paving and maintenance of London's streets....
     (Road and Highway Pavers)
  57. The Worshipful Company of Loriners
    Worshipful Company of Loriners

    The Worshipful Company of Loriners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was originally a trade association for makers of metal parts for harnesses, bridles, spurs, and other horse apparel; hence the company's name, which comes from the Latin word lorum, through the French word lormier....
     (Harness Makers)
  58. The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
    Worshipful Society of Apothecaries

    The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. Originally, apothecaries, or Pharmacys, were members of the Grocers' Company....
     (Medical Practitioners and Pharmacists)
  59. The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
    Worshipful Company of Shipwrights

    The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Shipwrights have not, unlike other Livery Companies, ever received a Royal Charter....
  60. The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers
    Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers

    The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, UK.The Company was founded by a Royal Charter of Charles I of England in 1629; it was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1809....
  61. The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
    Worshipful Company of Clockmakers

    The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Clockmakers were formed by a Royal Charter in 1631....
  62. The Worshipful Company of Glovers
    Worshipful Company of Glovers

    The Worshipful Company of Glovers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. Glovers were originally classified as Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, but eventually separated to form their own organization in 1349....
  63. The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers
    Worshipful Company of Feltmakers

    The is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Feltmakers, or makers of felt hats, were incorporated by Letters patent in 1604. They received a Royal Charter in 1667....
     (Hat Makers)
  64. The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters
    Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters

    The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It was incorporated by a Royal Charter of 1657 and was granted livery status in 1713....
  65. The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers
    Worshipful Company of Needlemakers

    The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Needlemakers received a Royal Charter in 1656. The Company gradually lost its role as a trade association, now acting as a supporter of the needle industry instead....
  66. The Worshipful Company of Gardeners
    Worshipful Company of Gardeners

    The Worshipful Company of Gardeners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. An organisation of Gardeners existed in the middle of the fourteenth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1605....
  67. The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers
    Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers

    The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. Tin craftsmen were originally part of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, while the wire workers, who made wire objects such as cages, animal traps and fishhooks, were part of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers....
  68. The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights
    Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights

    The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights is one of the Livery Company of the City of London, England. An organisation of Wheelwrights and Coachmakers' and Coach Harness Makers' Company petitioned for incorporation in 1630....
  69. The Worshipful Company of Distillers
    Worshipful Company of Distillers

    The Worshipful Company of Distillers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Distillers were incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1638....
  70. The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers
    Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers

    The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Pattenmakers, who were incorporated by Royal Charter in 1670, were makers of wooden-soled overshoes....
     (Wooden Shoe Makers)
  71. The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers
    Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers

    The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Glass Sellers received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1664....
  72. The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers
    Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers

    The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. An organisation of Coachmakers and Wheelwrights' Company petitioned for incorporation in 1630....
  73. The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers
    Worshipful Company of Gunmakers

    The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Gunmakers' Company received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1637....
  74. The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers
    Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers

    The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers were incorporated by Royal Charter in 1693; the City granted it the status of a Livery Company in 1780....
  75. The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards
    Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards

    The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1628; the City granted it the status of a Livery Company in 1792....
  76. The Worshipful Company of Fanmakers
    Worshipful Company of Fanmakers

    The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1709....
  77. The Worshipful Company of Carmen
    Worshipful Company of Carmen

    The Worshipful Company of Carmen is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. Carmen, or drivers of carts, organised into a fraternity in 1517....
    The Modern Livery Companies ...
  78. The Honourable Company of Master Mariners
    Honourable Company of Master Mariners

    The Honourable Company of Master Mariners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was formed in 1926; it was made a Livery Company by the City of London in 1932, making it the first new Livery Company to be formed in over two centuries....
  79. The City of London Solicitors' Company
    City of London Solicitors' Company

    The City of London Solicitors' Company is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was formed in 1908; the City granted it Livery status in 1944....
  80. The Worshipful Company of Farmers
    Worshipful Company of Farmers

    The Worshipful Company of Farmers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company became a Livery Company in 1952, and was granted a Royal Charter three years later....
  81. The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
    Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators

    The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Guild was established in 1929 and was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1956....
  82. The Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders
    Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders

    The Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was at first incorporated by a Royal Charter in 1619....
  83. The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
    Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers

    The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was formed in 1951, and the City granted it Livery status in 1963....
  84. The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers
    Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers

    The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was formed in 1956, and the City granted it Livery status in 1964....
  85. The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors
    Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors

    The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation was granted Letters Patent in May 1977....
  86. The Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
    Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

    The Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation became a Livery Company in 1977....
  87. The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
    Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

    The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation became a Livery Company in 1977....
  88. The Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants
    Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants

    The Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation, founded in 1961, became a Livery Company in 1977....
  89. The Worshipful Company of Launderers
    Worshipful Company of Launderers

    The Worshipful Company of Launderers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation, founded in 1960, became a Livery Company in 1977....
  90. The Worshipful Company of Marketors
    Worshipful Company of Marketors

    The Worshipful Company of Marketors is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was founded in 1975. It became a Livery Company in 1978....
  91. The Worshipful Company of Actuaries
    Worshipful Company of Actuaries

    The Worshipful Company of Actuaries is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was founded and became a Livery Company in 1979, on the same day as the Insurers' Company....
  92. The Worshipful Company of Insurers
    Worshipful Company of Insurers

    The Worshipful Company of Insurers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was formed and became a Livery Company in 1979, on the same day as the Actuaries' Company....
  93. The Worshipful Company of Arbitrators
    Worshipful Company of Arbitrators

    The Worshipful Company of Arbitrators is the 93rd Livery Company of the City of London. The organisation became a Livery Company on 17 March 1981....
  94. The Worshipful Company of Engineers
    Worshipful Company of Engineers

    The Worshipful Company of Engineers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was founded and became a Livery Company in 1983 and was incorporated by Royal Charter in 2004....
  95. The Worshipful Company of Fuellers
    Worshipful Company of Fuellers

    The Worshipful Company of Fuellers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It is now associated with the whole energy sector, but has its roots in coal : The Fuellers, or coal traders, were originally members of the Woodmongers' Company, which became defunct in the eighteenth century....
  96. The Worshipful Company of Lightmongers
    Worshipful Company of Lightmongers

    The Worshipful Company of Lightmongers is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Lightmongers, or sellers of electric lights, were organised into the Guild of Lightmongers in 1967....
  97. The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners
    Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners

    The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It was stablished in 1972 as the Guild of Cleaners, and was later known as the Guild of Master Cleaners....
  98. The Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects
    Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects

    The Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was established in 1984 and was granted Livery status in 1988....
  99. The Worshipful Company of Constructors
    Worshipful Company of Constructors

    The Worshipful Company of Constructors is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company aims to bring together those professionally qualified individuals concerned with aspects of building design, execution, management, vision and economic appraisal....
  100. The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists
    Worshipful Company of Information Technologists

    The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists is the 100th Livery Company of the City of London. The Company was granted Livery status by the Court of Aldermen in 1992 and has over 650 members ? all currently or formerly senior practitioners in the Information Technology profession, who have joined the Company in order to give somethin...
  101. The Worshipful Company of World Traders
    Worshipful Company of World Traders

    The Worshipful Company of World Traders is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. The Guild of World Traders was founded in 1985, became a Company in 1993, and was granted Livery status by the Court of Aldermen with effect from 2000....
  102. The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators
    Worshipful Company of Water Conservators

    The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. In 1988, some members of the Institution of Water and Environmental Management decided to found the Guild of Water Conservators; it was recognised as a Company in 1994....
  103. The Worshipful Company of Firefighters
    Worshipful Company of Firefighters

    The Worshipful Company of Firefighters is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company aims to promote the development and advancement of the science, art and the practice of firefighting, fire prevention and life safety....
  104. The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers
    Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers

    The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Fellowship of Hackney Carriage Drivers was recognised by the City of London Corporation in 1990, and became a Livery Company in 2004....
  105. The Worshipful Company of Management Consultants
    Worshipful Company of Management Consultants

    The Worshipful Company of Management Consultants is one of the Livery Company of the City of London. It started as a Guild of the City of London in 1993 and became a Company without Livery in 1999....
  106. The Worshipful Company of International Bankers
  107. The Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers
    Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers

    The Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers is a Livery Company of the City of London. It was started as a Guild of the City of London by some members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation in 1995 and became a Company without Livery in 2000....
  108. The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals
    Worshipful Company of Security Professionals

    The 'Worshipful Company of Security Professionals' is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The company is a charitable organization providing education and health services to members of the security professional community....


City Companies Without Grant of Livery


  • The Company of Parish Clerks
    Parish Clerks Company

    The Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks is one of the Livery company of the City of London. For historical reasons it has no livery, originally because Parish Clerks were Minor clerics, that is, in Holy Orders....
  • The Company of Watermen and Lightermen
Both of these are never intending to apply for Livery due to ancient status and custom.

A guild which is recognised by the Court of Aldermen as a 'London Guild' applies to the Court to become 'A Company without Livery'. After a term of years the Company applies to the Court for Livery status, at which point it adopts the style 'Worshipful Company of ... '.

Other guilds aiming to obtain a Grant of Livery

  • The Guild of Educators
  • The Guild of Public Relations Practitioners
    Guild of Public Relations Practitioners

    The Guild of Public Relations Practitioners is a guild in the City of London. The Guild was formed in 2000 to represent the public relations profession and for Charity purposes....
  • The Guild of Arts Scholars, Dealers & Collectors


See also


  • Liveryman
    Liveryman

    In Livery Company within the City of London, a liveryman is a full member of the Company.Livery Company members fall into two categories: freemen and liverymen....
  • Mottos of the Livery Companies of the City of London
    Mottos of the Livery Companies of the City of London

    The Livery Companies are listed in alphabetical order, rather than by precedence. Note that most are double entendres or puns about their Company's purpose....
  • City and Guilds of London Institute
    City and Guilds of London Institute

    The City and Guilds of London Institute is a United Kingdom examining and accreditation body for vocational, managerial and engineering training, offering over 500 qualifications in 28 industry areas, spanning from entry level to the equivalent of a Postgraduate education....


NB Neither the 'City Livery Club' and 'The Guild of Freemen of the City of London' are recognised as a 'guild' by the City, they are merely social clubs.

External links