Worshipful Company of Drapers

Last updated

Drapers' Company
Worshipful Company of Drapers coat of arms.svg
MottoUnto God Only be Honour and Glory
LocationDrapers' Hall, Throgmorton Avenue, London EC2
Date of formation1361;663 years ago (1361)
Order of precedence3rd
Master of companyThomas Harris
Website www.thedrapers.co.uk

The Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London. It has the formal name The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London. More usually known simply as the Drapers' Company, it is one of the historic Great Twelve Livery Companies and was founded during the Middle Ages. [1]

Contents

History

Drapers' Hall Garden, 1860 ONL (1887) 1.517 - Drapers' Hall Garden, 1860.jpg
Drapers' Hall Garden, 1860

An informal association of drapers had organized as early as 1180, and the first (Lord) Mayor of London in 1189, Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone, was believed to have been a Draper. The guild was formally founded in 1361; it received a Royal Charter three years later. It was incorporated as a company under a Royal Charter in 1438 and was the first corporate body to be granted a coat of arms. The charter gave the company perpetual succession and a common seal. Over the centuries the original privileges granted by Royal Charter have been confirmed and amended by successive monarchs. The acting charter of today is that granted by James I in 1607, amended by four supplemental charters, most recently in 2008.

The brotherhood of drapers, a religious fraternity attached to the Church of St Mary Bethlehem in Bishopsgate, was founded in honour of the Virgin Mary by "good people Drapers of Cornhill and other good men and women" for the amendment of their lives. [2] The majority of drapers lived in and around Cornhill, Candlewick Street (now Cannon Street) and Chepe (Cheapside). Possibly it was for this reason that their allegiance was transferred to St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside and later to St Michael, Cornhill, where the company continues to worship today. Despite these changes, the drapers retain the Blessed Virgin Mary as their patron saint.

Originally, the organisation was a trade association of wool and cloth merchants. It has been one of the most powerful companies in London civic politics. Over one hundred Lord Mayors have been members of the company; the first, Henry Fitz-Ailwyn, progenitor of the Earls of Arundel, was a draper. During the Plantation of Ulster, the company held land around Moneymore and Draperstown in County Londonderry.

Amongst the royalty who have been members of the company, four had not been expected to become a monarch at the time of their birth but were later crowned:

Other well-known members have included Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (aka The Grand Old Duke of York), Sir Francis Drake, Admiral the Viscount Nelson, The Marquess of Ripon and Grinling Gibbons.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (who was elected to the Court of Assistants in 2017, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of her membership of the Company), King Harald V of Norway, King Charles III, The Duchess of Gloucester, Admiral the Lord Boyce, and Lady Victoria Leatham (elected as the first female Master of the Company in 2012) are among the many distinguished current members of the company.

Thomas Harris serves as Master Draper for 2023–24.

Present

Queen Elizabeth's College (almshouses) Queen Elizabeth's College and Lambard House - geograph.org.uk - 1342768.jpg
Queen Elizabeth's College (almshouses)

Today, the company operates as a charitable, ceremonial and educational institution. This has included providing the site and some of the buildings of Queen Mary University of London, the library at Bangor University, the Radcliffe Science Library and Townsend Building in Oxford, the Science Library at Cardiff University, and the site and the original nineteenth-century buildings of Bancroft's School. It also administers three almshouses: Queen Elizabeth College Greenwich, Edmanson's Close Tottenham and Walter's Close Southwark. It provides the chairman and four other governors of Bancroft's School, who display the Drapers' coat of arms and motto. It is the co-sponsor of Drapers' Academy in Harold Hill, which uses a similar logo.

It has maintained long-standing close ties with Kirkham Grammar School near Preston, Lancashire, founded in Tudor times.

The Company founded two girls' schools: in Llandaff and Denbigh, Wales, using the endowment of Welsh merchant Thomas Howell, who bequeathed a sum of money to the foundation. Both schools were independent and separate institutions but the Company still has a representative in the governing body of the former. The company also has close links with some eighteen other educational establishments, ranging from Oxbridge colleges to a primary school. It administers charitable trusts relating to relief of need, education and almshouses; it provides banqueting and catering services; and it fosters its heritage and traditions of good fellowship. The Court of Assistants is its governing body. [3]

The Drapers' Company continues to play a role in the life of the City. Its liverymen carry out important functions in the elections of the governance of the City and its civic offices.

Livery hall

Administration entrance to Drapers' Hall pictured in 2012. Drapers' Hall.jpg
Administration entrance to Drapers' Hall pictured in 2012.

The Drapers' Company is based at Drapers' Hall located in Throgmorton Street, near London Wall. The company has owned the site since 1543, when it purchased the London mansion of Thomas Cromwell, of Austin Friars, from King Henry VIII. Cromwell had been attainted and executed in 1540.

The building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and rebuilt to designs by Edward Jarman. After another fire in 1772, it was rebuilt again. This time the architect was John Gorham. Further extensive alterations were made in the 19th century. The Hall survived the Blitz during the Second World War.

The Hall includes four finely decorated main rooms used for the company's functions. The largest room is the Livery Hall, which can accommodate up to 276 guests for dinner. [4] These rooms are also available for hire [5] and have often been used for film locations, including for The King's Speech , GoldenEye , The Lost Prince and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London . [6] [7] Groups may book a guided tour of Drapers' Hall; a donation to the company's charitable work is requested.

Guild Church

Collections

The company's archives, works of art, silver and artefacts are in the care of its archivist. The document collection has items dating to the 13th century, including charters and coats of arms, charity records and records of the company's landholdings, including the Londonderry estates. The silver collection includes an ancient Celtic decorative collar found on the Londonderry estate and pieces of the company's own silverware from the 16th century onwards. There is also a collection of paintings, mostly of former members. Researchers may view its collections by appointment.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Grocers</span> Livery Company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London, ranking second in order of precedence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mercers' Company</span> Livery Company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier livery company of the City of London and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. It is the first of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Fishmongers</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is one of the 111 Livery Companies of the City of London, being an incorporated guild of sellers of fish and seafood in the City. The Company ranks fourth in the order of precedence of City Livery Companies, thereby making it one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Dyers</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Dyers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Dyers' Guild existed in the twelfth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1471. It originated as a trade association for members of the dyeing industry but is now mainly a charitable institution. Each year the company participates in the ceremony of Swan Upping along the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Pewterers</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Pewterers is one of the 111 Livery Companies of the City of London. It ranks 16th in the order of precedence of City Livery Companies and has existed since at least 1348. Like all the other City Livery Companies, the Worshipful Company of Pewterers has four main pillars of activity: Charitable endeavour, assistance to education, support for its trade and profession, and being a convivial and caring social community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Leathersellers</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The organisation originates from the latter part of the fourteenth century and received its Royal Charter in 1444, and is therefore the senior leather industry-related City Livery Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Saddlers</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Saddlers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. A 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. The Guild became a Company when a Royal Charter of Incorporation was granted by King Edward III in 1363. The City granted the Company the right to regulate the trade of saddle-making; all saddlers in and within two miles of the City were subject to the Company's regulations. However, the powers of the Company, which has existed on the same site at Cheapside since 1160, were eroded over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Masons</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Masons is one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London, number 30 in the order of precedence of the 110 companies. It was granted Arms in 1472, during the reign of King Edward IV; its motto is “God Is Our Guide”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worshipful Company of Coopers</span> Livery company of the City of London

The Worshipful Company of Coopers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The organisation of coopers existed in 1422; the Company received its first royal charter of incorporation in 1501. The cooper trade involved the making of wine, beer, and spirit casks ; the Livery Company also functions as a charitable foundation, and supports two education establishments: the Coopers' Company and Coborn School of Upminster, Essex, and Strode's College of Egham, Surrey. The former was founded in the Ratcliffe area of London in 1536 and donated to the Company who have been involved with it ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the Drapers Company</span>

The Worshipful Company of Drapers, informally known as the Drapers' Company and formally known as The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London, was probably the first corporate body in England to be granted a coat of arms, on 10 March 1438/9 by Sir William Bruges, Garter King of Arms. The patent dated 1439 is the earliest surviving such grant of arms made to a corporate body in England. The arms were modified in 1561, when the crest was added and the lion supporters granted. These grants were superseded in 1613 with minor modifications. The Queen as Freeman of the Fraternity possesses a small jewelled and enamelled brooch depicting its arms and circumscribed by the motto, known as "The Drapers Company Badge". She wears the brooch when performing royal engagements connected with the Drapers Company. The modern blazon is: Azure, three clouds radiated proper each adorned with a triple crown or. The triple crown contains a cap gules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bancroft's School</span> Public school in Woodford Green, Greater London

Bancroft's School is a co-educational private day school located in Woodford Green, London Borough of Redbridge. The school currently has around 1,000 pupils aged between 7 and 18, around 200 of whom are pupils of the Preparatory School and 800 of whom are pupils of the Senior School.

The Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers is a livery company of the City of London. It draws its membership from tax advisers and other taxation-related practitioners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchant Company of Edinburgh</span>

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, previously known as the Merchant Company of Edinburgh is a mercantile company and Guild officially recognised in 1681, but dating back to at least 1260. The Company, or Confraternity, was created to publicly represent, and protect the trading rights, of the merchants of the royal burgh of Edinburgh. Today, it continues to serve as a forum for businesses people and professionals operating in the City of Edinburgh. It also carries out a significant amount of charitable and educational work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchant Taylors' Hall, London</span> Livery company hall, Threadneedle Street, City of London

The Merchant Taylors' Hall, London is the seat of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London surviving from Mediaeval times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Wilbraham</span> English lawyer and Solicitor-General for Ireland

Sir Roger Wilbraham was a prominent English lawyer who served as Solicitor-General for Ireland under Elizabeth I and was judged one of her few really competent Law Officers. He held a number of positions at court under James I, including Master of Requests and surveyor of the Court of Wards and Liveries. He bought an estate at Dorfold in the parish of Acton, near his birthplace of Nantwich in Cheshire, and he was active in charitable works locally, including founding two sets of almshouses for impoverished men. He also founded almshouses in Monken Hadley, Middlesex, where he is buried.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal warrant of appointment (United Kingdom)</span> Royal powers

Royal warrants of appointment have been issued since the 15th century to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, thereby lending prestige to the brand and/or supplier. In the United Kingdom, grants are currently made by the two most senior members of the British royal family to companies or tradespeople who supply goods and services to individuals in the family.

Jesse Gibson was a British architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury Drapers Company</span> British trade organisation

The Shrewsbury Drapers Company was a trade organisation founded in 1462 in the town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The members were wholesale dealers in wool and later woollen cloth. The Company dominated the trade in Welsh cloth and in 1566 was given a regional monopoly in the Welsh Wool trade. In the seventeenth century the trade had difficulties particularly during the English Civil war and then further declined in the eighteenth century with the industrialisation of cloth production and the improvement of transport infrastructure. This made it practical for merchants from Liverpool and elsewhere to travel into Wales and purchase cloth directly from the producers. The Reform Acts of the early nineteenth century took away the power of the trade guilds and the trade ceased. Since that time the Shrewsbury Drapers Company has survived and continues as a charity that runs almshouses in Shrewsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Barne (died 1558)</span>

Sir George Barne was an English businessman in the City of London who was active in developing new trading links with Russia, West Africa and North America, far outside what had been traditional English trading patterns. Created a knight in 1553, he served as Sheriff of London and Lord Mayor of London. He was the father of Sir George Barne and grandfather of Sir William Barne. Nicholas Culverwell was probably a nephew.

References

  1. W. Herbert, The History of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of London, 2 vols (Author, London 1834), I, pp. 389-495.
  2. www.lstacwc.org.uk
  3. "The Drapers' Company - Membership". www.thedrapers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011.
  4. "The Livery Hall". Drapers' Company. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  5. London Venues, Drapers' Hall.
  6. On the set of 'The King's Speech' Archived 18 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine , Time Out
  7. "Location of the Month", March 2004, Film London
  8. "Drapers' Company - Livery Companies of the City of London". liverydatabase.liverycompanies.info. Retrieved 8 October 2019.

51°30′54″N0°05′12″W / 51.51506°N 0.08654°W / 51.51506; -0.08654