London in 1839
Part Four - The Guilds
In the City of London there are 89 companies or guilds, eight of which are practically extinct ; and one other, that of parish clerks, is not connected with the municipal institutions of the city. Except in cases where the honorary freedom of the City is presented by a formal vote of the corporation, no person could, until recently, become a freeman who had not been admitted into one of these companies ; but when by birth, apprenticeship, purchase, or gift, a person has become a member of a company, he has (by virtue of an existing bye-law) an inchoate right to the freedom of the corporation, and is admitted on proving his qualification and on payment of certain fees. Within the last few years however the ancient practice has been resumed of admitting to the freedom all resident householders who may apply, by vote of common-council, without being members of any company. Most of the companies possess what is called a livery, that is, a part of their body, under the name of liverymen, if they be freemen of the corporation, enjoy privileges which other freemen do not possess : such as voting for mayor, sheriffs, chamberlain, &c., a right limited to them exclusively by an act of George II. The following list exhibits the names of the companies, stated in their order of precedence. The first twelve are called the Twelve Great Companies. The names in Italics are those of extinct companies :-
1. Mercers |
24. Butchers |
47. Stationers |
70. Gardeners |
2. Grocers |
25. Saddlers |
48. Broderers |
71. Soap-makers |
3. Drapers |
26. Carpenters |
49. Upholders |
72. Tin-plate workers |
4. Fishmongers |
27. Cordwainers |
50. Musicians |
73. Wheelwrights |
5. Goldsmiths |
28. Painter-stainers |
51. Turners |
74. Distillers |
6. Skinners |
29. Curriers |
52. Basket-makers |
75. Hat-band-makers |
7. Merchant Tailors |
30. Masons |
53. Glaziers |
76. Patten-makers |
8. Haberdashers |
31. Plumbers |
54. Horners |
77. Glass-sellers |
9. Salters |
32. Innholders |
55. Farriers |
78. Tobacco-pipe-makers |
10. Ironmongers |
33. Founders |
56. Paviers |
79. Coach and harness makers |
11. Vintners |
34. Poulterers |
57. Loriners |
80. Gun-makers |
12. Cloth-workers |
35. Cooks |
58. Apothecaries |
81. Wire-drawers |
13. Dyers |
36. Coopers |
59. Shipwrights |
82. Long bowstring-makers |
14. Brewers |
37. Bricklayers |
60. Spectacle-makers |
83. Playing-card-makers |
15. Leather-sellers |
38. Bowyer's |
61. Clock-makers |
84. Fan-makers |
16. Pewterers |
39. Fletchers |
62. Glovers |
85. Woodmongers |
17. Barbers |
40. Blacksmiths |
63. Comb-makers |
86. Starch-makers |
18. Cutlers |
41. Joiners |
64. Felt-makers |
87. Fishermen |
19. Bakers |
42. Weavers |
65. Frame-work knitters |
88. Parish Clerks |
20. Wax-chandlers |
43. Woolmen |
66. Silk-throwers |
89. Carmen |
21. Tallow-chandlers |
44. Scriviners |
67. Silkmen |
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22. Armourers and Braziers |
45. Fruiterers |
68. Pin-makers |
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23. Girdlers |
46. Plasterers |
69. Needle-makers |
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No company on the foregoing list, with the exception of the Carmen, is now exclusively composed of persons from whom it takes its name. The greater part of the Apothecaries company are in some way connected with the sale of drugs or the practice of medicine ; and the greater part of the Stationers company in the trade connected with the sale of books. The livery was in former times granted only to the more wealthy citizens. An order of the court of aldermen, passed in 1697, directs that no person should be allowed to take upon himself the clothing (or livery) of any of the twelve companies, those which stand at the head of the foregoing list, unless he have an estate of £1,000 ; nor of the inferior companies unless he have an estate of £500. In more modern times not only has this restriction been relaxed, but it has frequently been made imperative upon many freemen of the City to take up their livery in one of the companies. The terms of admission vary with regard to different companies ; but, with some few exceptions, it is open to any freeman to take up the livery of any company upon payment of its regular fees or fines. When the freedom is claimed on the ground of patrimony or servitude, the fines are usually limited to a few pounds ; in other cases they vary from a few pounds to 200 guineas. These trading companies may be divided into three classes :-
1. Those which exercise an efficient control over their trade, in which class there are now only two companies, the Goldsmiths the Apothecaries.
2. Those which have power to search for defective wares, or to prove or mark the article, or to execute any legislative enactment passed for regulating the trade. In this class there are now only the Apothecaries, Stationers, Gun-makers, and Founders, which last has the privilege of testing and marking weights.
3. Those into which persons carrying on certain occupations in the City are compelled to enter, which class includes all not enumerated in the first and second class.
The management of the affairs of these companies is entrusted to certain senior members of the livery, who form what is commonly called 'The Court of Assistants,' and which usually consists of a master, a senior warden, a junior warden, and of indefinite number of assistants, who succeed in due rotation to the higher offices of the court. Many of the companies possess extensive estates and other property, which is applied in part to the relief of decayed members of their own body and their families, and in part to more general objects of charity. Many of them are also trustees of lands and money, which have been appropriated by the donors to specific charitable objects, and, among such objects, to education. These companies are however no part of the corporation of London, but have many of them their own charters of incorporation.
The City returns four members to the House of Commons. The right of election is in the freemen, being liverymen, and the inhabitant householders occupying dwellings of £10 yearly value. The numbers of electors registered in these two classes in 1836 and 1837 were as follows :-
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1836 |
1837 |
Number of householders |
10,322 |
10,675 |
Freemen, being liverymen |
9,134 |
9,005 |
Together |
19,456 |
19,678 |
It is probable that some of the above are registered in their double capacity, and thus swell the apparent number of electors. The number that polled at the general election (on which occasion the same individual can appear in one character only) of 1837, which was severely contested, was :-
Householders : 5,799
Freemen, being liverymen : 5,778
Total : 11,577
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