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| Clockwise from above: The Lord Mayor raises his hat to the crowds; a 1741 dish and ewer from the Goldsmiths" Hall; the Saddlers" coat of arms; the elaborate duplicate coronation glove of King George VI. | |
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A
selection of such gloves can be seen at The Museum of Costume in Bath,
among them the
duplicate coronation glove of King George VI, beautifully decorated with motifs of the English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock, acorns and oak leaves. The Lord Mayor of London, too, is a recipient of traditional gifts, the Feltmakers, Scriveners and Glovers presenting him with his ceremonial hat, the quill for signing his declaration and gloves. There are so many fascinating companies. The Horners Company originally controlled the purchase and sale of raw horns within 24 miles of the City of London. Besides being used to make containers and musical instruments, elaborately decorated horns were used for the conveyancing of land and property. In the 20th century many horn products have been superseded by plastics and the Horners are closely associated with the polymer industry. |
| When
we use such phrases as "lock, stock and barrel," or "the
baker's dozen," we are probably not aware that their origins lie
with livery companies. Bakers gave 13 loaves for every 12 bought to allow for any shortage in weight; guns were proofed as safe by firing a charge 30 per cent greater than normal through the barrel; and even the popular nursery rhyme Baa, baa, black sheep with its "three bags full" refers to the tax imposed by King Edward I in 1275 on exported wool. Pomp and circumstance, Lord Mayors and carriages, care in the community, excellence and fair trading - the Worshipful Companies continue to uphold the traditions for which they have always been known. |
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