The federation, formed in 1921 as the National Lubricating Oil Federation and re-named in 1922, comprised representatives of local lubricating oil associations, most notably those in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol and South Wales. It aimed to co-ordinate the efforts of these local associations, to provide for their mutual support and to stimulate discussion on matters affecting the trade.
In 1921 Broad Street Estates Limited (incorporated 1913), which owned a freehold building in Old Broad Street opposite Gresham House, was acquired by the Gresham House Estate Company Limited (CLC/B/106-01). This property was sold in 1953. Since the late 1950's, the Gresham House Estate Company Limited and its subsidiary, Broad Street Estates Limited, have been concerned mainly with investment business.
Albion Fire Insurance Association Limited (known until 1893 as Fire Insurance Association Limited) was established in 1880. It was based at 66-7 Cornhill, 1880-89 and 90 Cannon Street, 1890-4.
This company was established in 1906 for motor accident insurance and expanded into life and general business insurance in 1918. It was acquired by Royal Exchange Assurance (CLC/B/107-02) in 1927. Its head office address was 10 St James's Street, but it had several branch offices including one at 70 Cornhill and the Marine Department at 19 Royal Exchange.
The company was established in 1854 as the National Provincial Plate Glass Insurance Company at 37 Ludgate Hill. It was acquired by Royal Exchange Assurance (CLC/B/107-02) in 1909, at which time its address was 66 Ludgate Hill, and changed its name to National Provincial Plate Glass and General Insurance Company in 1912. It became National Provincial Insurance Company in 1921.
The Reliance Marine Insurance Company Limited was established in Liverpool in 1881. In 1916 it was taken over by Guardian Assurance (CLC/B/107-01), which later became part of Guardian Royal Exchange.
This company was established in Liverpool in 1891, as State Fire Insurance Company, to cover fire insurance in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America. It was renamed State Assurance Company in 1910 at which time it expanded into general insurance business. In 1924 it became a subsidiary of Royal Exchange Assurance (CLC/B/107-02) which in turn merged with Guardian Assurance in 1968, forming Guardian Royal Exchange.
Henry Barber traded as a salmon factor from 1841. By 1855 he had a stand in Billingsgate market and by 1880 had leased shop 7 where the business remained until it went into voluntary liquidation in 1979. The limited company was formed in April 1925. It specialised in salmon, but also dealt in eels through subsidiaries.
Subsidiaries of H Barber and Son Limited included:
- D and J Barber (Eels) Limited, formerly John and Paul (Eels) Limited, eel merchants, trading from 13b Lovat Lane (they were taken over and renamed in 1960);
- Braddan Fishing Co Limited, formed in 1952 to manage salmon fishings;
- Cahill and Young Limited, a defunct Irish company which was acquired ca. 1954 and used to purchase the Galway fishery;
- John T Clark Limited, a Billingsgate company taken over ca. 1960;
- UC Farmer Limited, a Billingsgate company formed in 1965;
- A Langley and Co Limited, cooked eel merchants, trading from 28 Monument Street;
- EF Marchant Limited, a Billingsgate company taken over in 1964.
Braddan Fishing Company Limited was a subsidiary of H Barber and Sons Limited. It was formed in 1952 to manage salmon fishing.
John T Clark Limited is first listed in the trade directories for 1933 as a fish factor of Billingsgate and 90 Lower Thames Street. The firm was taken over by H Barber and Son Limited circa 1965 (John T Clark is listed in the directories until 1968, and these records run until 1971).
U. C. Farmer Limited, fishmongers, was a Billingsgate company formed in 1965.
EF Marchant Limited were a Billingsgate company taken over by H Barber and Sons Limited in 1964.
The Bank originated as the London branch of the Copenhagen firm of J. C. Hambro and Son (established c 1800) and was formerly known as C. J. Hambro and Son, 1839-1920 and Hambros Bank of Northern Commerce Ltd, 1920-1921. It formerly traded from 11 King William Street, c 1839-1843, and 70 Old Broad Street, 1843-1926. It was amalgamated with the British Bank of Northern Commerce Limited in 1920.
William Harrison and John Legas became partners in an iron founding and gun founding business on 29 September 1741. They owned a number of foundries in East Sussex, and dealt largely with the Board of Ordnance at Woolwich, where Samuel Remnant was their agent. On William Harrison's death in January 1744/5, his share in the partnership passed to his executors, Samual Remnant and John Legas, as trustees for his sons Andrew and John Harrison.
Daniel and Smith Harrison and Joseph Crosfield entered into partnership in January 1844 to trade as tea and coffee merchants at 6 Temple Street, Liverpool, under the style Harrisons and Crosfield. The partnership moved in July 1854 to 3 Great Tower Street, London, becoming from the 1860s one of the largest tea traders in Britain. In the 1890s the company admitted a number of new partners (Charles Heath Clark, George Croll, Arthur Lampard and Eric Miller) and changed the direction of its business. The company took on the blending and packing of teas, and imports from Ceylon were stored in a warehouse on Ceylon Wharf, Bankside in Southwark. The company was also increasingly involved in rubber and plantation estates in the mid-20th century, and acquired shareholdings, often acting as agents and secretaries, in a number of plantation companies. By the late 20th century, Harrisons and Crosfield managed nearly half a million acres of tropical crops in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Southern India, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The firm became a limited company under the style Harrisons and Crosfield Limited in May 1908.
Much of the company's interest in tea was disposed of in 1916 on the formation of Twining, Crosfield and Company Limited. As well as diversifying into rubber plantation Harrisons and Crosfield Limited had interests in timber (through its stake in British Borneo Timber Limited, later called Sabah Timber Company), and especially from the 1950s, palm oil, speciality chemicals and other estates agency work, including the related business from insurance and shipping. From the late 1960s the company again changed direction moving to consolidate its interests in a number of divisions, including the "Harcros" group of timber merchants and building suppliers, chemicals, animal feeds and other agricultural products. Most of the interests Harrisons and Crosfield had in individual plantation companies were merged into larger companies (e.g. London Sumatra Plantations) in the 1960s and afterwards, and those companies have subsequently been sold. The firm became a public limited company in 1982. In late 1997 the firm started the disposal of all its timber and building supplies and food and agriculture divisions, to concentrate on speciality chemicals. From January 1998 the firm has been known as Elementis Plc.
Harrisons and Crosfield established branches in the following places:
AFRICA: Nairobi branch opened in 1962/3, becoming part of Phillips, Harrisons and Crosfield from 1965 (see Ms 38092-4).
AUSTRALIA: Offices opened in 1910 in Melbourne. From 1914 Harrisons and Crosfield operated under the style Harrisons Ramsay Proprietary, with further branches in Sydney and other places (see Ms 37842-92).
BELGIUM: Office opened in Brussels in 1963 (see Ms 37090).
BORNEO: The company operated through a subsidiary company Harrisons and Crosfield (Borneo) Ltd, registered 1918 in Sandakan (Ms 37541-61). See also records of Sabah Timber Company Ltd (Ms 38103-78).
CANADA: Harrisons and Crosfield operated through offices at Montreal (opened 1905), Toronto (c 1940) and Vancouver (c 1947) (Ms 37199-207), and through a subsidiary company Harrisons and Crosfield (Canada) Ltd (Ms 37562-9). See also the records of Dillons Chemical Co (Ms 37570-1).
CHINA: Office opened in Shanghai in 1908 under the style Westphal, King and Ramsay, and from 1918 as Harrisons, King and Irwin (Ms 37642-52). See also the records of Tait and Co which operated in Taiwan (Ms 38195-204).
HOLLAND: The company operated under the style Harrisons and Crosfield (Holland) N.V., 1951-9 (Ms 37576-80).
HONG KONG: Harrisons and Crosfield operated under the style Harrisons, King and Irwin from 1946 (Ms 37642-52), and from 1963 as Harrisons and Crosfield (Hong Kong) Ltd (Ms 37581-6).
INDIA: Branch office opened in Calcutta in 1900 (under the style Lampard, Clark and Co, Ms 37914-25), and Quilon in 1911, with other offices at Calicut and Cochin (Ms 37208-50). See also the records of Davenport and Co (Ms 37462-8).
INDONESIA: Branches opened in Medan and Batavia (Jakarta) in 1910, with sub-offices at Bandoeng (Bandung) from ca. 1916, and Sourabaya (Surabaya) from c 1921 (Ms 37251-82).
JAPAN: Branch office in Kobe opened in 1917 (Ms 37283). See also the records of Jarmain, Davis and Co (Ms 37900-1).
MALAYA: Office opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1907 under the style Crosfield, Lampard and Co (Ms 37447-55). From 1921 see the records of Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaya), which also had branches at Singapore and Penang (Ms 37587-627).
NEW ZEALAND: Wellington branch opened in 1910, and from 1914 Harrisons and Crosfield operated in New Zealand under the style Harrisons Ramsay Proprietary Ltd (Ms 37842-92).
SRI LANKA: Colombo branch opened in 1895 under the style Crosfield, Lampard and Co (Ms 37447-55). See also the records of Harrisons Lister Engineering Ltd (Ms 37653-76) and Harrisons and Eastern Export Ltd (Ms 37635-41). From 1908/9 see also the records of Harrisons and Crosfield's Colombo branch (Ms 37284-309).
SWITZERLAND: Office opened in 1962 in Lausanne (Ms 37090).
TAIWAN: See records of Tait and Co (Ms 38195-204).
UNITED STATES: New York branch opened in 1904 under the style Crosfield, Lampard, Clark and Co (Ms 37456-61), from 1908 as Irwin Harrisons and Crosfield Inc, with branches in Philadelphia, Chicago and other places.
Harrisons and Crosfield also operated through a subsidiary company Harrisons and Crosfield (America) Inc of New York (Ms 37523-9). See also Harrisons and Crosfield (Pacific) Inc (Ms 37530)
Harrisons and Crosfield were appointed as secretaries and/or agents to almost all of the plantation companies in which it had a shareholding. The secretarial function was performed in London and included the provision of full management support to the boards of individual plantation companies and the administration of share registers. The overseas branches of Harrisons and Crosfield (eg Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaya) Limited) acted as agents.
Offices in Chicago and New York (and Montreal) were opened in 1904 under the style Crosfield, Lampard, Clark and Company (see CLC/B/112/MS37456-61). The company was merged into Harrisons and Crosfield in 1908 and the offices were run as H and C branches. In 1914 the subsidiary company Irwin Harrisons and Whitney Inc (CLC/B/112-089) was formed from the merger of the New York branch and the business of A P Irwin and Company (see CLC/B/112/MS37531-40). Harrisons and Crosfield also operated in the United States through the subsidiary company Harrisons and Crosfield (America) Inc of New York (See CLC/B/112-065; MS37523-30).
This company was registered in 1913 to acquire Kajang estates in Selangor, Malaya. Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112) replaced Bright and Galbraith as secretaries and agents in 1952, and Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaya) Limited (CLC/B/112-071) acted as local agents from 1953. Abaco (Selangor) Rubber Limited went into voluntary liquidation in 1953-6.
Allied Sumatra Plantations Limited was registered in 1925 to purchase two Sumatran companies: N.V. Soeka Radja Cultuur Maatschappij and N.V. Rubber Cultuur Mij Si Boelan. In 1960 it was acquired by London Sumatra Plantations Limited (CLC/B/112-110). In May 1982 it became a private company.
Ankola Tea and Rubber Company Limited was registered in 1911 to acquire estates in Preanger regency in Java. Leaseholds of estate and other assets in Java were vested in N.V. Cultuur Maatschappij Ankola (registered in Java). Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112) and The Rubber Plantations Investments Trust held shares in the Company. In 1924 Harrisons and Crosfield purchased the whole of The Rubber Plantations Investments Trust's interest. In 1957 Ankola Tea and Rubber Company went into voluntary liquidation.
For historical notes concerning shareholdings, see CLC/B/112/MS37392.
Auxiliary Investments Limited was registered in 1954 as an investment company. Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112) acted as secretaries / agents for the company. In 1967/8 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of London Sumatra Plantations Limited (CLC/B/112-110). For statements of investments 1954-73 see CLC/B/112/MS37069.
This company was registered in 1948 to rehabilitate Japanese "abaca" (manila hemp) estates in Kuhara, North Borneo. Its capital was held by Harrisons and Crosfield Limited and Colonial Development Corporation. Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (see CLC/B/112) acted as secretary / managing agents for the sale of rubber and other goods. Mostyn Estates Limited was a subsidiary of Borneo Abaca Limited.
See also CLC/B/112/MS37551.
C Leary and Company Limited was established in 1841 as timber agents selling on behalf of overseas shippers to importers in the UK and Europe. In 1962 Leary's Boxboard Agencies purchased C Leary and Company Limited, and was in turn purchased by Harrisons and Crosfield Securities Limited (CLC/B/112-075).
Charles Lester and Company Limited was registered in 1946 as general traders. Part of the share capital was held by Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112-001). In 1985/6 Charles Lester and Company Limited went into voluntary liquidation.
This company was registered in 1909 in Selangor, Malaya, with estates in Chota, Segambut and Ayer Jerneh. Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112-001) replaced Bright and Galbraith as secretaries and agents in 1952. Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaya) Limited (CLC/B/112-071) acted as local agents from 1953. In 1957 Harrisons and Crosfield sold their stock in Chota Rubber Estates, and ceased to act as secretaries and agents.
This company was registered in 1910 to acquire the Djasinga estate and other assets in Java vested in the Java registered company N.V. Cultuur Mij Jasinga (known from 1959 as P.T. Perusahaan Perkebunan Djasinga), which became a subsidiary company.
In 1931 Djasinga Rubber and Produce Company acquired the Kandang, Sapi, Pasir Mandang and Tjim Aratja estates. It was acquired by London Sumatra Plantations Limited (CLC/B/112-110) in 1961, and in April 1982 it became a private company.
East India Tea and Produce Company Limited was registered in 1907 to acquire estates in the Wynaad region of India and to reconstitute Wynaad Tea Company Limited (originally registered in 1894). In 1909 it acquired the nearby Mayfield, Northrook and Touramulla estates. In 1923 East India Tea and Produce Company Limited was acquired by Malayalam Plantations Limited (CLC/B/112-113).
Fine Chemicals of Canada Limited was registered in 1939 as a manufacturer of bulk pharmaceuticals, fertilizers etc. In 1951 Dillons Chemical Company Limited (CLC/B/112-043) invested $100,000 in Fine Chemicals of Canada Limited and became the sole agents of the Company. Fisons Limited took a joint interest with Dillons Chemical Company Limited in 54.9% of the issued capital. In 1960 Dillons Chemical Company Limited sold their shareholding.
In 1957 Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112) and Fisons Pest Control Limited (a subsidiary of Fisons Limited) formed a new company, Fisons (Ceylon) Limited, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for the manufacture, handling and importation of fungicides, insecticides, weed-killers, fertilizers and other agricultural chemical products. Harrisons and Fisons Pest Control Limited held an equal number of shares in the Company. In 1959 Fisons Pest Control Limited's shares were transferred to Fisons Limited.
This company was registered in 1910 to acquire Crocodile River (Selangor) Rubber Company Limited, and the Crocodile River, Teluk Datoh, and Branscombe estates in Selangor and Negri Sembilan in Malaya. In 1959 it was acquired by Golden Hope Rubber Estate Limited (CLC/B/112-054).
This company was registered in 1921 as P.B. Estate Limited. It was purchased by Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112) in December 1925, to develop, produce and sell improved rubber planting material. It was an important experimental rubber estate. The company owned estates in Selangor and Negri Sembilan, Malaya. In 1962 it was acquired by Golden Hope Rubber Estate Limited (CLC/B/112-054), and in 1969 it went into voluntary liquidation.
Harrisons and Crosfield (Holdings) Limited was registered in 1959 as an investment holding company. It was originally going to be called Harrisons and Crosfield (OTC) Limited. It held the entire share capital of Harrisons and Crosfield (Borneo) Limited (1960-) (CLC/B/112-066), Harrisons and Crosfield (Hong Kong) Limited (1961/2-70) (CLC/B/112-070), Technical Advisory and Service Company Limited (1963/4-70) (CLC/B/112-154) and British Chrome and Chemicals Limited (1973/4-) (CLC/B/112-027). See CLC/B/112/MS37543/1 for draft memorandum and articles of association 1958-1959.
In 1917 Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112) purchased Barker and Company, a trading house in Singapore, and Kimmel and Company of England and Singapore. They were combined to form a private company called Barker and Company Limited, in which was also incorporated Harrisons and Crosfield Limited's interests in Singapore and Penang. In 1922 Harrisons and Crosfield Limited merged its branches in Kuala Lumpur, Klang and Port Swettenham, with Barker and Company to form Harrisons, Barker and Company. The name was changed to Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaya) Limited in 1946. It had a head office in Kuala Lumpur and branches in Singapore, Penang, Telok Anson, Port Swettenham, Taiping and Kuching.
In 1959 two new companies were formed: Harrisons and Crosfield (Singapore) Limited and Harrisons and Crosfield (Federation of Malaya) Limited. In 1964 Harrisons and Crosfield (Federation of Malaya) Limited changed its name to Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaysia) Limited, which was then changed to Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd in ca.1966. In 1990 Harrisons and Crosfield (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Harrisons and Crosfield (Singapore) Limited were sold as part of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited's general trading division.
For historical notes on the Company see CLC/B/112/MS37392. For lists of agencies held see CLC/B/112/MS37054. For staff lists see CLC/B/112/MS37340-1.
Harrisons and Crosfield Latex Limited was registered in 1947 in Malaysia with factories in Johore and Selangor for the manufacture of centrifugal or creamy latex. A number of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited and Bright and Galbraith subsidiary companies subscribed to the company. By around 1967 the name had changed to Harrisons and Crosfield Latex Sdn Bhd. In 1983 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Harrisons Malaysian Estates Limited (CLC/B/112-079).
Harrisons and Crosfield Securities Limited, an investment holding company, was registered in 1958. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited (CLC/B/112). It held shares in many of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited's companies, including Chandler, Hargreaves, Whittall and Company Limited (CLC/B/112-032), Harrisons and Crosfield (Hong Kong) Limited (CLC/B/112-070), Technical Advisory and Services Company Limited (CLC/B/112-154), and Irwin Harrisons and Whitney Incorporated (CLC/B/112-089). In 1967 it acquired control of Durham Chemical Group Limited (CLC/B/112-046). The Company is last mentioned as a subsidiary in the annual report and accounts of Harrisons and Crosfield Limited in 1989.
Harrisons Malaysian Estates (Holdings) Limited was registered in 1977 as a holding company for Harrisons and Crosfield Limited. The firm never commenced business and went into voluntary liquidation in 1984/5.
Thomas Wood (fl 1705-1746) citizen and carpenter, was a builder, of Beech Lane, Red Cross Street in the parish of St Giles Cripplegate. Wood was from 1717 carpenter to the Draper's Company and tenant of their estate in Cripplegate Without Ward (source: Drapers' records).
The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators was established in 1929 and became a livery company on 11 July 1956. Its members are pilots and navigators, both civil and military, of all types of aircraft. The Guild promotes professional standards, technical advances, flight safety, training and education, recognises meritorious service, and supports aviators and their dependants.
The Blacksmiths' Company derived from the medieval Fraternity of St Eligius (alias Eloy). In 1571, the Company united with the Spurriers' Company and was granted its first charter. Their jurisdiction encompassed not only the blacksmiths' trade but also the manufacture of spurs and the pulling of teeth. In the 1620s, the Company struggled to exercise its powers over the clockmakers who had emerged from its ranks and eventually set out to found their own Company. The Hall stood in Lambeth Hill between 1494 and 1666. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire and the lease was eventually surrendered in 1785.
The Fraternity of St Eligius (alias St Loye) was established in April 1424 by members of the crafts of blacksmiths, farriers and loriners, and its first masters were representatives from each of the founding crafts. All three were by then well established: the loriners had first obtained ordinances in 1260/1, the farriers in 1356 and the blacksmiths in 1372. The ordinances of the Fraternity of St Eligius [in GL Ms 5535] indicate that it was predominantly a social and religious body with less emphasis on trade control. The Fraternity met at Grey Friars (the Franciscan monastery on Newgate Street) on the feast of St John the Baptist, and again at the church of St Thomas Apostle on St Andrew's day. Members were expected to offer a penny on each occasion. There was a 'common box' into which brethren paid 2d per quarter and sisters 1d. Foreigners had to pay 6s 8d to join the brotherhood. Members received the clothing after two years and were exhorted to keep it honestly 'and give it not away'. Impoverished members might receive a weekly allowance, and deaths were marked with a dirge and a mass. New masters and wardens were chosen at a feast on the Sunday following St Eligius' day (1 December). They had power to resolve disputes and correct defaults, and were required to keep accounts and care for the goods of the Fraternity.
The Company was granted its first charter in 1415 and had jurisdiction over the manufacture of general cutlery as well as swords and surgical instruments. It occupied a Hall on a site in Cloak Lane from the 1450s until 1882, when the Company removed to new accommodation in Warwick Lane.
The Distillers' Company received their charter in 1638 and their grant of arms in 1638/9. The guild regulated the trade and manufacture of "artificial and strong waters" such as spirits and vinegars. A site was acquired for a Hall, but one was never built.
The Dyers' Company is long established in the City with mediaeval origins in the trade of cloth and leather dyeing. Hazlitt's "Livery Companies of the City of London" mentions a reference to the company in 1362 and also says that the Dyers are held to rank as the first of the Minor livery companies. The Dyers' Company shares the distinction, with the Vintners' Company, of being the only institution, apart from the Crown, which may keep swans on the Thames. The company's original hall was in Upper Thames Street and was destroyed in the Great Fire. A subsequent hall was also seriously damaged by fire in 1681 and the company suffered in the bombing raid of December 1940 when many records were destroyed (though Hazlitt commented in 1892 on the scarcity of Dyers' Company historical documents).
The Dyers' Company had almshouses at Ball's Pond Road, Islington (1851-1938) and at Crawley in Sussex (1938-).
The guild of Fishmongers is first mentioned in 1154, but may well have been long established then. The Fishmongers were an important mediaeval company and are the fourth in precedence of the "Great Twelve" companies. The Stockfishmongers were a separate association, granted a charter in 1508, but the two companies were united in 1536. The site of the hall, between Thames Street and the river, was occupied by prominent fish merchants from the 14th century and was secured for the Company in 1444. The hall was destroyed in the Great Fire and a replacement, built in 1671 was demolished in1828 to allow for the rebuilding of London Bridge. It was rebuilt in 1834, damaged by bombing in 1940 and restored in 1951.
The Company's charities include Gresham's School at Holt, Norfolk, established in 1555 which is still largely run and supported by the Fishmongers; almshouses at Newington (St Peter's Hospital, now at Wandsworth), at Harrietsham, Kent and Bray, Berkshire (Jesus Hospital). The Company's estates include several properties around Thames Street in the City, an estate at Walworth, Southwark and an Irish estate in County Londonderry. There is still a strong connection with the fish trade and the Company has the right to inspect all fish sold at Billingsgate Market, as well as advising the fish and shellfish trade.
Sir John Gresham, later Lord Mayor of London, founded a school at Holt in Norfolk in 1555. It was established on a firmer footing by letters patent in 1562, with the Fishmongers' Company being appointed governors. The Company retains close links with the school. Gresham granted the school estates in London and Norfolk for its maintenance. The school was rebuilt in 1859, and again in 1903 when it expanded into new buildings on the edge of Holt. Until 1971 it was boys only, but it became fully co-educational in the 1980s. For more information see Rev CLS Linnell, Gresham School's History and Register, 1555-1954, Ipswich 1955.
Sir Thomas Hunt, by his will dated 1615, gave £20 a year to the Fishmongers' Company for the foundation and maintenance of a hospital. Licence to erect the hospital in Newington (to be called St Peter's Hospital) was granted in 1618 by letters patent of James I. There were 42 almspeople housed in the hospital in 1824.
Mark Quested (d. 1642), Citizen and Fishmonger, bequeathed his estate to the Fishmongers' Company for various charitable uses, including the building of 12 almshouses. The almshouses in Harrietsham, Kent, were completed in 1651. They were rebuilt by the company in 1770 and 1772.
In 1616 letters patent of James I licensed the Company to establish almshouses to be known as Jesus Hospital in Bray, Berkshire. They were to be maintained from the revenue of property in Bray, the parish of St Katharine Creechurch and elsewhere in the City of London, bequeathed by William Goddard in 1607 for that purpose. William Goddard had stipulated that that the hospital was to be made of brick and that there should be rooms with chimneys fit for 40 poor people. There should also be a chapel, and a kitchen and bakehouse. The Fishmongers Company were to be Governors of the hospital and should choose the poor people, six of which should be of the most aged and poorest decayed persons of the company. The remainder should come from the parish of Bray and should be 50 years old at least. No married couples were to be admitted. The brethren of the hospital had use of all the lands in Bray to be employed in keeping cows to give them milk, and to grow crops or to plant orchards for their own sustenance. The building was finished in 1628.
The Company has been in existence from at least 1371 when it separated from the Bowyers' Company (bowyers make bows, while fletchers make arrows). In 1467 the Company received a grant of arms. The Company was founded by prescription and not by grant of charter. By the beginning of the 16th century the Company had a hall in St Mary Axe. Later references to the hall are not complete, but it appears to have been rented out from the 18th century. In 1893 the hall burnt down and was rebuilt. This hall was sold in 1933.
The Company has been in existence from at least 1365, receiving charters in 1614 and 1686. The Company also received a grant of arms in 1590. In 1531 the Company purchased a hall in Lothbury, which was destroyed in the Great Fire and rebuilt by 1672. In 1845 the Company opened a new hall in Founders' Court and the old hall was let. In 1853 the new hall was in turn let, the Company purchasing a new property in St Swithin's Lane in 1854. The Company sold the freehold of the Lothbury site in 1864. Founders cast brass and bronze items including candlesticks and water pots.
The Fraternity, or brotherhood, of St Clement has been described by Parsloe as 'the [Founders'] Company in its social and religious aspects'. It is first mentioned by name in accounts for the years 1513-16 as being founded and kept in the parish church of St Margaret Lothbury. There is evidence, however, for its having been in existence from at least 1497. All members of the craft or mystery of Founders were obliged to obey the rules and ordinances of the brotherhood and to contribute one penny per quarter. This money was used to relieve poor, sick or elderly members, and to meet funeral costs. Ordinances granted to the Company in 1516 suggest that the brotherhood of St Clement had its own masters, but scarcity of evidence makes it difficult to clarify the relationship between Company and brotherhood. The brotherhood of St Clement is thought to have disappeared as a result of the suppression of the chantries during the reign of Edward VI.
The original fellowship existed before 1300 and the Guild obtained ordinances in 1463. The Company was granted its charter of incorporation in 1606. The Company role was to inspect fruit being sold in the City and assess duties to be paid on imported fruit.
Loriners are craftsmen who make bits and bridles for horses. A medieval guild existed and issued ordinances in 1260, although they did not receive a charter until 1711. The Company's Hall in Wood Street, known as "La Lorinie", is first mentioned in the 13th century. By the 18th century, it had been let out to a number of tenants and was eventually demolished.
The guild of needlemakers was incorporated by a charter granted in 1656. By the 19th century, the Company had dwindled and was revived by a group of enthusiasts in 1874.
A guild of plasterers was first incorporated by charter in 1501. Plasterers were craftsmen who plastered the exterior of buildings with a material comprised of lime, gypsum, hay and straw, often creating elaborate and ornamental patterns, known as pargetting.
In 1545 a member of the Company, William Elder, left a house in Addle Street to be used as a Hall. The current Hall, built in 1972, is in London Wall.
The Shipwrights' Company is derived from the medieval Fraternity of St Simon and St Jude.
The Fraternity of St Simon and St Jude was founded in 1456 by the 'artificers of shipwrights in the city of London'. Ordinances of that year show that the Fraternity, which was open to men and women, was governed by a master and one warden. New members had to be of 'good name and fame', and paid 6s 8d or 40d on entry. Attendance at the annual mass and four quarter days was compulsory and members contributed towards the cost of dinners. A common box was maintained, from which loans could be made and alms given to poor brothers and sisters. Those receiving the livery were expected to bequeath a piece of plate or other valuable gift to the Fraternity. Members were not to tempt away another's apprentice or employ a stranger, and disputes were to be taken to the master in the first instance before resorting to the courts
Due respect was to be shown to all who had held office within the Fraternity, although this respect seems not always to have been mutual: additions made to the ordinances in 1483 talk of the decay of the Fraternity caused by 'simple and slothful wardens'. Further pronouncements were made in 1512 and ca. 1524. In this year, a list of wardens and members names eleven individuals, of whom two were women. In common with other predominantly religious bodies, it seems likely that the Fraternity of St Simon and St Jude was swept away as a result of the Chantries Act passed during the reign of Edward VI. However, new ordinances for the reform of the society of shipwrights dated ca. 1594 speak of the power of the master and wardens to search the brethren 'of that fraternity', suggesting that some sense at least of the brotherhood remained.
In 1605, the Company received its first charter and its grant of arms. At the same time, a Hall was established at Ratcliff, in Stepney, where the Company remained until ca. 1794
The Spectacle Makers' Company received their first charter in 1629. In the 18th century, they extended their field of activity and became involved with innovations such as telescopes and microscopes. The Company had a Hall which was destroyed in the Great Fire and currently occupy buildings on the site of Apothecaries' Hall.