Peter kindly forwarded the more detailed post that I had misplaced. Thanks
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These are my notes on the City Livery Companies in London. The oldest were
formed many years ago, (the
Mercers Company had a Charter dated 1394), but some newer ones are quite
young - the Actuaries Company, for example was formed in 1979. Originally
they were all in the nature of a trade guild - existing to protect the
rights of the craftsmen and to monitor their standards. The Actuaries
Company, again by wa of example, has its membership limited to those who are
either Fellows of Associates of the Institute of Actuaries (their
professional body) or other people who are 'approved and appropriately
qualified actuaries'.In the case of some trades, the Livery Company still
administers the checks on the craft - most notably the Goldsmiths. The
'Hallmark' affixed to an object made of gold derives from the fact that it
was (and is) applied at the Goldsmith's Hall. Some Livery Companies have
widened their membership to people of related trades (some members of the
Goldsmiths Company are bankers, but the first bankers dealt in gold, whilst
the Salters Company now includes many involved in the chemical industry, not
just salt.) Other Livery Companies, where the trade no londer is practised,
or in very small numbers, have effectively severed the connection with the
craft.
Each Livery Company was governed by a Court and headed by the Master
(elected annually, usually) and run by Wardens , with the basic membership
being a Freeman. The entry of new members to the craft was by the system of
Apprenticeship. It used to be that before being able to become a Freeman of
the City of London, a person had first to be a Freeman a Livery Company -
hence the Lord Mayor would have always been a member of a Livery Company.
Now-a-days (apart from those which continue to control the particular craft
guild), most of the activities of the Livery Companies are directed to
charitable works (and social gatherings as a means of fund raising). In many
ways this is what they always did. Several of the old Livery Companies, for
example, set up schools - the Coopers had one in Stepney, whilst those
founded by the Haberdashers and Mercers still exist. But, in addition to
looking after the rights of the craft trades people to practice their
trade, the Livery Companies also acted like a 'benefit society' - the
members paid into the guild's funds, so that those members who were ill,
disabled or elderly could be supported. It was from this basic charitable
purpose that later, wider, charitable interests arose. In many cases, the
charitable work is related to the trade guild - as for example the Salters
Company, who support the teaching of chemistry in schools and universities.
Each Livery Company had its own livery colours. This may sound like a
uniform, but they were more like robes worn over 'normal clothing'. The
nearest commonly seen equivalent is probably a robe such as a town mayor
wears, but each Livery Company - as I said - had its own colours, rather in
the way that the hood of a university graduate is of different colour and
style depending on which university and type of degree they hold.
The records of most, but not all, of the London Livery Companies are kept in
the Manuscript Section of the Guildhall Library (the derivation of its name
should now be obvious), and ythat is what the website referred to lists - so
the original enquirer, by visiting the Library could search those documents,
if they wish, to find out if their ancestor was a member of the particular
company, when he was apprenticed, and to whom, if he ever served as Warden
or Master, and so on. In early years he would almost certainly have so done,
in recent times the membership, as indicated above, is less closely tied to
the craft in many cases.
In the particular case of the Carmen, they were formed in 1516, to have the
monopoly of plying for hire as carriers in the City. The Company would
licence the vehicles, arrange where vehicles could stand awaiting custom and
decide the rates to be charged. The livery colours are white and red, and a
history of the Company (The Worshipful Company of Carmen by Eric Bennett)
was published in 1952. Records surviving at the Guilhall Library run from
the 1660s to the lte 20th century - the Court Minutes are the longest run,
and some of the other records only cover very limited periods - lists of
Freemen are only available up to the 18th Century, for example. In later
time, a person may describe himself as a Carman, when he means that this is
his trade, but if he is an employee within a large firm is most likely not
to be a member of the Livery Company. The use of Carman (Master), or Master
Carman probably indicates that the person is the proprietor of a firm of
carriers, who *may*, therefore, (but not necessarily) be a member of the
Livery Company.
Peter