Livery companies

The liveried companies are managed by the Master (also called in a number of companies as First Overseer or Bailiff), a number of Overseers (having various titles such as Higher, Middle, Lower or Tenants, overseers), and the Court of Assistants (board of directors) responsible for the company’s business and election of its Master and Overseers. The General Director is called the Clerk of the company and is invariably the oldest permanent member of the company.

Participants are generally divided into two categories: “free man” and “livery man”. A person can become a “free person”, in other words, acquire “freedom of the company” by fulfilling the necessary conditions: traditionally, through the “father's legacy” if any of the parents was a liveried person of the company; through "service" if he served the required number of years as an apprentice with a senior member of the company; or through ransom, through payment of a fee. Most liveried companies retain the right to receive prominent people, especially in their area of ​​activity, as honorary “free people”. A “free man” can achieve livery status after acquiring the “freedom of the city” of the City of London and approval by the Court of assistants to the company. Only liveried people have the right to vote in the annual elections of the Lord Mayor of London , the sheriffs of the City of London and other civilian officials, including beer inspectors and bridge watchers.

Currently, 39 out of 110 liveried companies own land in London. The site is also owned by the “Company of boaters and sea movers”, which is not livery in the strict sense of the word. All of them keep their headquarters in work. Among the earliest companies known to have their own hall, such as the Venerable Company of Commercial Tailors and the Venerable Company of Goldsmiths in the 14th Century, but neither they nor any other company retained the original premises halls. Those that survived the Great Fire of London were destroyed in the London Blitz during World War II.

The oldest surviving hall belongs to the "Venerable Company of Pharmacists" and refers to 1672. A number of companies that do not have their own hall share office space inside the hall of another company on a semi-permanent basis. An example would be the Venerable Spectacle Manufacturers Company, which uses part of the pharmacy company hall and the Venerable Carpenters Company, which cohabits with the Venerable Hardware Dealers Company. ^[2] Many livery halls can be rented for business and social events. They are quite popular for weddings, all kinds of official meetings, lunches and dinners.

Three liveried companies, The Honorable Company of Glaziers and Glass Artists, The Honorable Company of Washermen, and The Honorable Company of Manufacturers of Scientific Instruments, share the hall in Southwark (an area that is part of the London Borough of Southwark ), close to the southern part outside the City of London. The venerable Weaponsmith Company is based for a long time at the Proof House, in the London Borough of the Hamlet , and the “hall” of the craftsmen’s navy is the historic warship, HMS Wellington, moored on the Thames, which they share with a company of notaries. Companies without a permanent hall, if necessary, rent the halls of other companies for their official meetings. These halls are usually changed to allow members and guests to visit the halls of different companies. ^[2]

Blue memorial plaques throughout the City of London indicate places where companies used to have halls. While some liveried companies might want to obtain or regain permanent ownership of their hall, it is generally accepted that any growth in the total number of liveried companies will inevitably lead to dilution of the use of existing halls. There is also some appeal of belonging to a wandering company. ^[2]

In 1515, the London City Aldermen Court established a priority order for the 48 companies that existed at that time, based on their current economic and political strength. ^{[2] The} top 12 companies are also known as the "Great Twelve City Livery Companies." Currently, there are 110 liveried companies. All founded after 1515 are ranked by seniority. ^[2]

The Venerable Company of Commercial Tailors and the Venerable Company of Furriers argued for a long time about their priority, and now once a year (at Easter) they change places between the 6th and 7th positions. There is a theory that such a misunderstanding is the basis for the proverb that exists in the English language "at sixes and sevens" (at sixes and sevens), meaning "who is in the woods, who is by firewood," "in discord," "in disarray," like this has been indicated at least once by one Master of Commercial Tailors; however, it is possible that the phrase existed before these two companies (tailors and furriers) resolved the dispute ^[4] arising from the fact that both of them were given a charter in 1327 without exact confirmation of who received her first.

List of companies in order of priority

1. The Venerable Fabric Dealers Company (General Commerce)
2. The Venerable Grocers Company (Food Supply)
3. The Honorable Drapery Company (trade in wool and fabrics)
4. The Venerable Fishmongers Company
5. The Venerable Goldsmiths Company (precious metal bullion trading)
6. The Venerable Furrier Company ^[5] (fur trade)
7. The Venerable Company of Commercial Tailors ^[5] (tailors)
8. “The venerable haberdashery company” (trade in custom-made and fine fabrics)
9. The Venerable Company of Salt Plants (trade in salt and chemicals)
10. The Venerable Hardware Dealers Company
11. Venerable Wine Vendors Company (wine trade)
12. "The venerable company of cloth makers"
13. The Venerable Company of Dyers
14. The Venerable Brewers Company
15. The Venerable Leather Merchants Company
16. “Honorable company of tinkers” (tinning and metal processing)
17. The Honorable Barber Company (includes surgeons and dentists)
18. The Venerable Cutlery Trader Company (manufacturers of knives, swords and kitchen utensils)
19. “The venerable baker company”
20. The Venerable Company of Wax Candle Manufacturers (wax candle manufacturers)
21. “The venerable company of sebaceous candle manufacturers” (manufacturers of sebaceous candles)
22. “The venerable company of armored personnel and coppersmiths” (manufacturing of armor and copper works)
23. “The Honorable Company of Manufacturers of Corsets” (production of belts and corsets)
24. "The venerable company of butchers"
25. "The venerable company of saddlery masters"
26. "The venerable company of carpenters"
27. The Honorable Company of Manufacturers of Fine Shoe (thin leather workers and shoe manufacturers)
28. "The venerable company of painters, painters"
29. The Honorable Company of Tanners (tanners and manufacturers of leather clothes)
30. The Venerable Masons Company
31. The Venerable Plumber Company
32. “The venerable company of innkeepers” (taverns)
33. "Honorable company of foundry workers" (metal melting and casting)
34. "The venerable company of traders in domestic game and poultry"
35. "The respectable company of cooks"
36. “Honorable Coopers Company” (production of barrels and barrels)
37. "The venerable company of builders of tiles and bricks" (construction)
38. The Honorable Onions Manufacturers Company (long-bow making)
39. The Honorable Arrow Manufacturers
40. "The venerable company of blacksmiths"
41. “The venerable company of joiners and paneling assemblers” (woodwork)
42. The Venerable Weaver Company
43. The Venerable Wool Traders Company
44. The Venerable Notary Company (court clerks and public notaries)
45. The Venerable Fruit Merchants Company
46. The Venerable Plasterer Company
47. “The Honorable Company of Stationery Merchants and Newspaper Manufacturers ” (Journalists and Publishers)
48. "The venerable company of embroiderers"
49. "The venerable company of upholsterers"
50. "The venerable company of musicians"
51. The Venerable Turner Company
52. The Venerable Basket Company
53. "The Honorable Company of Glaziers and Glass Artists"
54. The Honorable Company of Horn Carvers (horn carving and sculpture)
55. The Honorable Forging Blacksmith Company (horseshoe manufacturers and horse veterinarians)
56. "The respectable company of piers" (piers of roads and highways)
57. The Honorable Shornik Company (production of horseware, bridles and spurs)
58. The Venerable Company of Pharmacists (doctors and pharmacists)
59. The Venerable Company of Ship Carpenters (professionals in shipbuilding and maritime industry)
60. The Venerable Spectacle Maker Company
61. "Honorable Watch Manufacturers"
62. "The venerable glove company"
63. Venerable Felting Company (hat makers)
64. “The venerable company of frame knitters”
65. The Venerable Needle Company
66. "The Honorable Company of Gardeners"
67. The Honorable Tinplate Company
68. The Venerable Company of Wheel Masters
69. The Venerable Distillery Company
70. "Honorable Coarse Shoe Manufacturers" (wooden shoe manufacturers)
71. The Venerable Glass Sellers
72. “A respected company of car body and harness manufacturers”
73. "The venerable company of gunsmiths"
74. “Honorable Company of Gold and Silver Wire Manufacturers” (production of threads for military and civilian clothes)
75. The Venerable Company of Card Manufacturers
76. The Venerable Fan Manufacturers Company
77. The Venerable Cabman Company (car drivers)
78. “A worthy company of marine craftsmen”
79. Company of London Lawyers (lawyers)
80. The Venerable Farmers Company
81. “A worthy company of air pilots”
82. The Honorable Company of Manufacturers of Tobacco Pipes and Tobacco Blends
83. The Venerable Furniture Company
84. "Honorable company of manufacturers of scientific instruments"
85. "Honorable company of certified land surveyors"
86. “A respected company of chartered accountants in England and Wales”
87. "The Honorable Company of Certified Secretaries and Administrators"
88. "Venerable Construction Commerce Company"
89. "The venerable company of washers"
90. The Venerable Company of Merchants
91. The Venerable Actuary Company
92. "Venerable company of insurers"
93. “The Honorable Company of Arbitrators”
94. The Venerable Company of Engineers
95. The Venerable Tanker Company
96. The Venerable Light Traders Company (electric lighting suppliers)
97. The Honorable Environment Cleaner Company
98. The Honorable Company of Chartered Architects
99. "The venerable company of designers"
100. "Venerable Information Technology Company"
101. "A respected company of participants in world trade"
102. "The Honorable Water Conservation Advocacy Company"
103. The Honorable Firefighter Company
104. Honorable Hired Crew Drivers Company (licensed taxi drivers)
105. “A respected company of management consultants”
106. The Venerable Company of International Bankers
107. The Venerable Tax Advisor Company
108. “A respected company of security professionals”
109. "Honorable company of educators"
110. The Honorable Company of Fine Sciences

Non-liveried City companies

• "The venerable company of church clerks"
• "The company of boaters and sea movers"
• "Guild of Practicing Public Relations Specialists"

Neither the “Company of Church Clerks” nor the “Company of Boatmen” have ever filed applications for obtaining liveried status, which has already become a long-standing tradition of the City. The company of boaters and sea movers "was founded by parliamentary act of 1555 to control boaters on the Thames River, responsible for the delivery of goods and passengers. At the moment it is the only guild of the City, founded by an act of parliament.

A guild recognized by the Aldermen Court as a London guild may apply to the Court in order to become a “company without liveries”. After an indefinite number of years, such a company may petition the Aldermen Court for livery status, and if approved, subsequently use the honorary prefix to the name “Venerable Company”.

Other guilds wishing to attain livery status

• Guild of entrepreneurs.
• The City Livery Club and the City of London Free Guild, although not livery companies, are very popular clubs in the City community.

Guild estates

The City of London Corporation owns three estates in Southwark (Guild Estate, Royal Estate, and Liberty), an ancient local court incorporating a jury association. These "guild estates" (taking into account their property) continue to be subject to the Judicial Act of 1977.

• Robert Seymour. Twelve Principal Companies of the City of London // Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster. - London: J. Read, 1735. - Vol. 2.
• Robert Seymour. Of the Other Companies Following the Twelve
• Companies of the City of London // History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent. - London, 1839.
• Account of the Companies of the City of London, Alphabetically Arranged , pages 376-429
• Edward Mayer and Donald Adamson . The Curriers' Company: A Modern History, 2000.
• Paul Jagger. The City of London Freeman's Guide. - The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists., 2014.

• City of London Corporation: Livery Companies
• Italian corporazioni delle arti e mestieri
• Swiss zuenfte