Records of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, dating from the 14th century, with deeds dating from the 13th. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESS: These records are stored at the Guildhall Library site rather than the LMA Clerkenwell site. Researchers wishing to access these records should do so at the Guildhall Library Rare Books table. The Library is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 to 16:45. Researchers will need to have an Archives History Card or a Library Readers Card. An archivist will be available at Guildhall Library on Thursday mornings to answer any queries.
Records include charters; ordinances; Court books; Committee papers and minutes; livery rolls; apprenticeship registers; freedom admissions; financial accounts and papers relating to properties. The archive includes the records of schools established and run by the Company:
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Tonbridge School: The records comprise minutes, accounts, reports, registers of pupils, 1817-1948, and of examinations, estate and other administrative papers.
- Sir Andrew Judd's Commercial School, later the Judd School, at Tonbridge: The records comprise minutes, accounts and registers of pupils, 1888-1943, only. See also Ms 30715 and 30949.
- Tunbridge Wells Middle School for Boys, later Skinners' School for Boys, Tunbridge Wells: The records comprise minutes, accounts and registers of boys, 1887-1949, only.
- The Middle School for Girls at Stamford Hill, North London, later known as Skinners' School for Girls: The records comprise minutes, accounts and a register of girls, 1917-28.
As well as education, the archive includes records of other charitable activity by the company, and of several named charities ie Lawrence Atwell's Charity, Hunt's Charity, John Meredith's Charity and Sir Thomas Smythe's Charity. The Charity Commissioners' reports (1819-40) held in the Printed Books Section contain background information about these charities.
Skinners' Company almshouses: The records of these almshouses comprise regulations, ca. 1800-9 (Ms 30818); plans [1700?] and 1864 (Ms 30961 and Ms 30995), and schedule of plaques, undated (Ms 31313). Further references may be found in other Skinners' Company records such as minutes and accounts.
The archive also includes extensive records of the Skinners' estates, not only in the City of London, but also particularly in Clerkenwell (Clarke's Close estate) and St Pancras (Sandhill's estate) in London, to a lesser extent in Kent and Surrey, and in Londonderry in Ireland.