Motto | God Grant Grace |
---|---|
Location | Grocers' Hall, Princes Street, London EC2 |
Date of formation | 1345 |
Company association | Spice merchants |
Order of precedence | 2nd |
Master of company | Alderman Charles Bowman |
Website | www |
The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London, ranking second in order of precedence.
Established in 1345 for merchants engaged in the grocery trade, it is one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. [1]
Founded in the 14th century by members of the Guild of Pepperers, dating from 1180, [2] the company was responsible for maintaining standards for the purity of spices and for setting of certain weights and measures. Its membership until 1617 included suppliers of medicinal spices and herbs when the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries was formed. [3]
The guild was known as the Company of Grossers from 1373 until 1376 when it was renamed the Company of Grocers of London. In 1428, two years after building its first hall in Old Jewry, the company was granted a royal charter by King Henry VI of England. [4]
A Great Twelve City Livery Company, the Grocers rank second in the order of precedence after the Mercers. It is said that the Grocers' Company used to be first in precedence, until Queen Elizabeth I as Honorary Master of the Mercers' Company, found herself in procession after her coronation behind the Grocers' camel which was emitting unfortunate smells; as a result, the Mercers were promoted.
Today, the Grocers' Company exists as a charitable, constitutional and ceremonial institution which plays a significant role in the election of and supporting the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs of the City of London. The Company's motto is "God Grant Grace". [4] The company also provides banqueting and conference facilities at Grocers' Hall situated in Prince's Street, next to the Bank of England. [5] [6]
The earliest known Grocers' Hall was in Poultry, London, then known as Conningshop-Lane on account of the three conies or rabbits hanging over a poulterer's stall in the lane. It was built in 1428 on land once owned by Lord FitzWalter and let out "for dinners, funerals, county feasts and weddings". The roof and woodwork of the hall were destroyed in the 1666 Great Fire and afterwards a new roof was erected on the old walls while Sir John Cutler paid for a new parlour and dining room. The hall was again renovated in 1681 by the future Lord Mayor Sir John Moore. A new hall was built on the same site between 1798 and 1802 when part of the garden was sold to the Bank of England for the expansion of nearby Prince's Street. [7] However, frequent and extensive repairs were required due to the third hall's defective foundations, which was replaced by a fourth hall, completed in 1893 on Prince's Street. The hall survived the Blitz with only minor damage to its north wing, but was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1965, apparently caused by a lightbulb left on in the grand staircase beneath an oak lintel which smouldered and eventually ignited. The fifth and final hall was constructed nearby in 1970, also on Prince's Street, is the Grocers' home today.
Past Masters of the Grocers' Company include Lord Mayors Sir Robert Leigh, [8] Sir Robert Ladbroke, Sir Samuel Garrard and Timothy Coleridge, son of former Lloyd's of London chairman David Coleridge and brother of Sir Nicholas Coleridge.
The Master Grocer for 2022/23 is James Thompson. The Clerk to the Grocers' Company is Brigadier Greville Bibby and the Revd George Bush serves as Honorary Chaplain. [9]
The Grocers' Company is responsible for the maintenance of Oundle School in Northamptonshire, which depicts the Grocers' crest of a camel as its school badge. Other schools maintained by the company are the Elms School in Colwall, Herefordshire as well as Reed's School whose Annual Foundation Appeal has been held at Grocers' Hall for over fifty years. [12] Furthermore, in 1876 the Company founded the Grocers' Company School, Hackney in the East End of London for the education of "sons of the middle classes". It was transferred into London County Council's control after that authority's formation in 1889, changing its name to Hackney Downs School; it closed in 1995. Hackney Downs depicted as its school badge a camel, for the Lower School, and a shield with cloves and the motto of the Grocers' Company for the Upper School; the Camel and Cloves are remembered to this day by old boys through the Clove Club. The Grocers' Company now maintains close links with and is the principal sponsor of Hackney's Mossbourne Academy, renowned for its excellent academic standards. [13] The Church of St Paul, Homerton, in Hackney was founded by the Company in 1890, but became redundant in 1981: [14] [15] its edifice still displays the Grocers' coat of arms. [14]
The Grocers' Company is also affiliated with HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, and with the Coldstream Guards, the oldest regular regiment of the British Army as well as XI (F) Squadron, Royal Air Force.
Eglinton Village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was established by the Grocers' Company in 1619 under the name of Muff; the local Castle Credit Union [16] has assumed use of the Company's crest, as has Eglinton Primary School. [17] [18]
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Northill, in Bedfordshire displays the Grocers' coat of arms on a stained glass window by John Oliver, commissioned by the Company in 1664. [19]
Homerton is an area in London, England, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is bordered to the west by Hackney Central, to the north by Lower Clapton, in the east by Hackney Wick, Leyton and by South Hackney to the south. In 2019, it had a population of 14,658 people. In terms of ethnicity it was 43.9% White, 33.0% Black, 10.9% Asian and 7.8% Mixed. It covered an area of 0.830 sq kilometres. Homerton ward on Hackney Borough Council is currently represented by three Labour councillors. There are fifty listed buildings located within the boundaries of the ward.
There are 111 livery companies, comprising London's ancient and modern trade associations and guilds, almost all of which are styled the "Worshipful Company of" their respective craft, trade or profession. These livery companies play a significant part in the life of the City, not least by providing charitable-giving and networking opportunities. Liverymen retain voting rights for the senior civic offices, such as the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and Common Council of the City Corporation, London's ancient municipal authority with extensive local government powers.
The Worshipful Company of Skinners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. It was originally an association of those engaged in the trade of skins and furs. It was granted Royal Charter in 1327.
The Worshipful Company of Vintners, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, retains close links with the wine trade.
The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers referred to as The Furniture Makers' Company, is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation was formed in 1952, and was granted Livery status by the City in 1963 being the 83rd in order of precedence. Its church is St Mary-le-Bow
The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation was granted Letters Patent in May 1977. The Company promotes surveying by awarding scholarships.
The Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation, founded in 1961, became a Livery Company in 1977. The Company promotes the profession by awarding grants to institutions related to building.
The Worshipful Company of Insurers is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London. It ranks 92nd in the City Livery Companies' order of precedence. Its motto is Omnium Defensor, Latin for Protector of All and its church is St Lawrence Jewry.
The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners is one of the livery companies of the City of London. It was established in 1972 as the Guild of Cleaners, and was later known as the Guild of Master Cleaners. The guild became a livery company in 1986, changing its name again, this time to the Environmental Cleaners. The company promotes environmental cleanliness through charitable contributions. The company was granted its royal charter in 2010.
The Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London.
The Worshipful Company of Management Consultants is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. It draws its memberships from practising management consultants and has close links to the Management Consultancies Association and the Institute of Management Consultancy. The Company's motto is 'Change through Wisdom'.
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.
The Worshipful Company of Firefighters is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London. The Company's aim is to promote the development and advancement of the science, art and the practice of firefighting, fire prevention and life safety. It operates essentially as a charitable organisation, and also encourages professionalism and the exchange of information between members and others who work in allied fields.
The Worshipful Company of International Bankers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. Its members are current or former members of the financial services industry, primarily banking. It is based in a building in Austin Friars, near Liverpool Street station.
Hackney Downs School was an 11–16 boys, community comprehensive secondary school in Lower Clapton, Greater London, England. It was established in 1876 and closed in 1995. It has been replaced by the Mossbourne Community Academy.
The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP) is the 108th Livery Company of the City of London. It is a non-profit making organisation providing education and health services to members of the security profession.
William Spencer was an English mathematical instrument maker of the 18th and 19th centuries. Spencer entered into a partnership with Samuel Browning to form the company of Spencer & Browning after he apprenticed with instrument maker Richard Rust. When Ebenezer Rust joined the partnership, the resultant firm was known as Spencer, Browning & Rust. The company manufactured navigational instruments for both domestic and international markets.
By 1373 the Company became known as Grocers or, more properly, grocers because they dealt in bulk, i.e. were wholesale merchants.
The CIBSE Annual General Meeting and Presidential Address took place at the Worshipful Company of Grocers on 3 May 2007.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)