London Business and Occupations

England London Occupations

Livery Companies

	Genealogy courses: Learn how to research from an expert in Livery Company Records and Furthering Your Ancestry.

108 livery companies have operated in London. Wikipedia maintains a list of The City Livery Companies, along with links to company websites.

• The Livery Companies Database is a helpful resource that supplies contact details for each active company.
• The Records of London's Livery Companies Online (ROLLCO): A site providing records of Apprentices and Freemen in the City of London Livery Companies between 1400 and 1900. This a partnership between the Centre for Metropolitan History, The Clothworkers' Company, The Drapers' Company, The Goldsmiths' Company and The Mercers' Company to provide a fully searchable database of their members over time.
• Livery Company Records & Furthering Your Ancestry - a free online FamilySearch course on Livery Companies of London – what the are; their role in history; who joined them; their records and what difference their use can make in studying family history; related organizations and additional resources including Guildhall of London.

Histories

Histories have been written on many London livery companies. The British Library has compiled a detailed list.

Sources

A bibliography of surviving records from each company was published in 1985. The list is available online.

Apprenticeship records are one of the most valuable genealocial sources created by London livery companies. They often name the following information about an apprentice's father: name, residence, and occupation. Cliff Webb has abstracted the records of many companies:

• London Apprenticeship Abstracts 1442-1850, courtesy: British Origins (£); also available in book form (48 vols.): FHL Books 942.1/L1 U25w v. 1-48.

Records from the following companies are included in Webb's abstracts: apothecaries, armourers and brasiers, basketmakers, blacksmiths, bowyers, brewers, broderers, brown bakers, butchers, carmen, coachmakers and coach harness makers, combmakers, cooks, curriers, cutlers, distillers, dyers, fan makers, farriers, feltmakers, fishmongers, fletchers, founders, framework knitters, fruiterers, gardeners, glass-sellers, glaziers, glovers, gold and silver wyre drawers, grocers, gunmakers, horners, innholders, ironmongers, longbowstring makers, loriners, makers of playing cards, masons, musicians, needlemakers, painter-stainers, pattenmakers, paviors, pewterers, pinmakers, plaisterers, plumbers, poulters, saddlers, spectaclemakers, tallow chandlers, tinplate workers, tobacco pipe makers and tobacco blenders, turners, tylers and bricklayers, upholders, vintners, waxchandlers, and woolmen.

Walcot, Cynthia.  Artists - 1823. A List of names and addresses of Artists in London. Article to be found in The Hampshire Family Historian, vol. VIII, no.4, Feb, 1982. pages 148-149, Family History Library Ref. 942.27 B27h

The website Records of London's Livery Companies Online: Apprentices and Freemen 1400-1900 offers free indexes to The Clothworkers' Company apprentices (1545-1908), The Drapers' Company apprentices (c.1400-1900), and a sample of The Goldsmith's Company apprentices (1600-1700). There are plans to add The Mercers' Company apprenticeship registers by 2013.

In 1696, oaths from livery company members were recorded. This source acts as a census of liverymen:

• Association Oath Rolls for City of London Livery Companies, 1696, courtesy: British Origins (£)
  

77 companies are represented: Grocers, Mercers, Drapers, Fishmongers, Goldsmiths, Skinners, Merchant Taylors, Haberdashers, Salters, Ironmongers, Vintners, Clothworkers, Dyers, Brewers, Leathersellers, Pewterers, Barbers, Cutlers, Bakers, Wax Chandlers, Tallow Chandlers,Armourers and Brasiers, Girdlers, Butchers, Saddlers, Carpenters, Cordwainers, Painter-Stainers, Curriers, Masons, Plumbers, Innholders, Founders, Poulters, Cooks, Coopers, Tylers and Bricklayers, Bowyers, Fletchers, Blacksmiths, Joiners and Ceilers, Weavers, Woolmen, Scriveners, Fruiterers, Plaisterers, Stationers, Broderers, Upholders, Musicians, Turners, Basketmakers, Glaziers, Horners, Farriers, Paviours, Lorimers, Apothecaries, Shipwrights, Spectaclemakers, Clockmakers, Glovers, Combmakers, Feltmakers, Frameworkknitters, Silk Throwers, Carmen, Pinmakers, Needlemakers, Gardeners, Soapmakers, Tinplateworkers, Wheelwrights, Distillers, Hatbandmakers, Pattenmakers, Glass-Sellers, Tobacco Pipemakers, Coachmakers, Watermen, Officers and Yeomen of Guard, Trinity House, Ordnance Office, Officers of Tower, Officers and builders of St Paul's, Heralds, Lutestring Company, Clergy: Archdeaconry of London, Clergy: Archdeaconry of Middlesex, London Dissenters.

Abstracts of apprenticeship entry books for the Carpenter's Company (1654-1694) have been published online.

The Merchant Taylors' Membership Index 1530-1928 at ParishRegister.com (£).

Web Sites

• City Freedom Archives (London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) Information Leaflet)
• Livery Company Records and Furthering Your Ancestry (free online lesson)
• Livery Company Membership Guide, Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section
• The Membership Records of the Merchant Taylors' Company (LMA Information Leaflet)
• Records of the Company of Watermen & Lightermen (LMA Information Leaflet)
• Searching for Members or Those Apprenticed to Members of City of London Livery Companies (LMA Information Leaflet)
• Sources for Tracing Apothecaries, Surgeons, Physicians and Other Medical Practitioners (LMA Information Leaflet)