Anyone who has ancestors in a London guild might find them in Guildhall Library; copies are on microfilm at London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), incorporated with Guildhall but on a different site. An overview of the type of records and date range for the worshipful companies are found in The Guide to Greater London History Sources Volume 1, The City of London. To find which records are held at Guildhall, refer to City of London Livery Companies and Related Organisations, A Guide to their Archives in Guildhall Library, in its fourth edition at the time of writing, or via the online catalogue.
For apprentices indentured in London, it is worth noting that rural families from Oxfordshire and further afield apprenticed their sons to London guilds. Cliff Webb’s invaluable handy guides for each Company (Vintners, Plumbers, Masons etc), published by the Society of Genealogists (SoG), indexes and catalogues in alphabetical order the names of apprentices, father’s name, occupation and location and name of the master. Many company archives are published in book format viewable both at Guildhall and SoG. Microfilm copies may be available.
Some London records (Clothworkers, Drapers, Leathersellers, Mercers, Saddlers, Salters and Stationers) are stored in their Company archives and you’ll need an appointment to view them. However, ROLLCO (Records of London’s Livery Companies Online) www.londonroll.org in partnership with the Centre for Metropolitan History is an online database for four of these: Clothworkers, Drapers, Goldsmiths and Mercers. At the time of writing, ROLLCO supplies information about apprentices for the following years:
Clothworkers’ 1545–1908
Drapers’ c.1400–1900
Mercers’ 1339–1900
some Goldsmiths’ 1600–1700 (see Chapter 7)
By keying in a surname, it is possible to discover the relevant archive (Clothworkers, Drapers etc) the date, event, role and status. This is a not-for-profit project and online results are free. Other Companies are planned.
The Northern Ireland Salters’ records are held in the Public Record Office in Belfast www.proni.gov.uk and Discovery (formerly A2A) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk has a catalogue of Salters’ deeds and related papers.
For those with guild ancestors outside London, seek out the relevant record office. Most of these have online catalogues although they are occasionally difficult to negotiate. Unfortunately, continuous records for many areas are no longer in existence. Taking Durham’s guild records held at the university as an example, their records are mainly for the sixteenth to twentieth centuries and include charters and ‘ordinaries’ (ordinances, e.g. regulations), minutes, freemen’s admittances, call roles, lists of freemen, apprenticeship admittances and registers, accounts, fines and miscellaneous correspondence. Most of their material is for Barbers, Masons and Mercers’ Companies, but they also have archives relating to many trades and crafts mentioned in this book.
Another example is Shropshire. The Shrewsbury guild records include small collections for their Glovers’ Company, Weavers and Clothiers, Mercers, Ironmongers and Goldsmiths among others. Catalogued online through Discovering Shropshire’s History page, a visit is required to view the actual documents. Grimsby’s archives are held by North East Lincolnshire Council at the Town Hall and consist of 12,000 boxes of documents dating back to the thirteenth century. You may strike lucky.
If your ancestors were mercers or merchants in York, you might find references to them in Maud Sellers’ The York Mercers and Merchant Adventurers 1356–1917, published 1918 and found at https://archive.org/details/yorkmercersmerch00mercrich. There is a search facility. The latter end of the book has, among other records, a list of benefactors, rent roll (1641), and account rolls where people are specifically named. Many beneficiaries were not merchants; for example on page 289, ‘Mrs Jane Stainton, left by will dated 9 November 1692, a house in Coppergate, now occupied by Josiah Truslowe, sadler (sic), chargeable with the following out payments, viz.: two pounds per annum to a merchants widow (not named).’
Nowadays, many guilds are associated with education and charity issues; well-known are Merchant Taylors in Liverpool, Skinners in Royal Tunbridge Wells responsible for five schools overall, and Haberdashers. Finding their guild roles diminishing, Companies also embarked on welfare issues, building almshouses for impoverished former members and for the poor. Records, if they exist, are held at local record offices, but it may be difficult to locate specific genealogical information.
More information about guilds represented in this book is found in the relevant chapters but, for interest, the following are the remaining London Companies in order of preference up to 100. Many have trade and history information on their websites, but as some were founded as recently as the late twentieth century, there may be limited genealogical information.
13. Worshipful Company of Dyers www.dyerscompany.co.uk
14. Worshipful Company of Brewers www.brewershall.co.uk
15. Worshipful Company of Leathersellers www.leathersellers.co.uk
16. Worshipful Company of Pewterers www.pewterers.org.uk
17. Worshipful Company of Barbers (and surgeons and dentists) www.barberscompany.org
18. Worshipful Company of Cutlers (knife, sword and cutlery makers) www.cutlerslondon.co.uk. The Sheffield Company of Cutlers dating from 1624 is at www.cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk
19. Worshipful Company of Bakers www.bakers.co.uk
20. Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers (wax candle makers) www.waxchandlers.org.uk
21. Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers (tallow candle makers) www.tallowchandlers.org
22. Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers (armour makers and brass workers) www.armourershall.co.uk
23. Worshipful Company of Girdlers (swordbelt and dressbelt makers) www.girdlers.co.uk
24. Worshipful Company of Butchers www.butchershall.com
25. Worshipful Company of Saddlers www.saddlersco.co.uk
26. Worshipful Company of Carpenters www.thecarpenterscompany.co.uk
27. Worshipful Company of Cordwainers (fine leather workers) www.cordwainers.org
28. Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers http://paintershall.co.uk
29. Worshipful Company of Curriers (tanned leather dressers) www.curriers.co.uk
30. Worshipful Company of Masons www.masonslivery.org
31. Worshipful Company of Plumbers www.plumberscompany.org.uk
32. Worshipful Company of Innholders www.innholders.co.uk
33. Worshipful Company of Founders (brass and bronze workers) www.foundersco.org.uk
34. Worshipful Company of Poulters (poulterers) www.poulters.org.uk
35. Worshipful Company of Cooks www.cookslivery.org.uk
36. Worshipful Company of Coopers (barrel makers) www.coopers-hall.co.uk
37. Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers www.tylersandbricklayers.co.uk
38. Worshipful Company of Bowyers (long bow makers) www.bowyers.com
39. Worshipful Company of Fletchers (arrow makers) www.fletchers.org.uk
40. Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths http://blacksmithscompany.org
41. Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers (wood craftsmen) www.joinersandceilers.co.uk
42. Worshipful Company of Weavers www.weavers.org.uk
43. Worshipful Company of Woolmen http://woolmen.com
44. Worshipful Company of Scriveners (court document writers and notaries public) www.scriveners.org.uk
45. Worshipful Company of Fruiterers www.fruiterers.org.uk
46. Worshipful Company of Plaisterers (plasterers) www.plaistererslivery.co.uk
47. Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers www.stationers.org
48. Worshipful Company of Broderers (embroiderers) www.broderers.co.uk
49. Worshipful Company of Upholders (upholsterers) www.upholders.co.uk
50. Worshipful Company of Musicians www.wcom.org.uk
51. Worshipful Company of Turners (lathe operators) www.turnersco.com
52. Worshipful Company of Basketmakers www.basketmakersco.org
53. Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass www.worshipfulglaziers.com
54. Worshipful Company of Horners (horn workers and plastic) www.horners.org.uk
55. Worshipful Company of Farriers (horseshoe makers and horse veterinarians) www.wcf.org.uk
56. Worshipful Company of Paviors (road and highway pavers) http://paviors.org.uk
57. Worshipful Company of Loriners (harness makers) www.loriner.co.uk
58. Worshipful Society of Apothecaries (medical practitioners and pharmacists) www.apothecaries.org
59. Worshipful Company of Shipwrights www.shipwrights.co.uk
60. Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers www.spectaclemakers.com
61. Worshipful Company of Clockmakers www.clockmakers.org
62. Worshipful Company of Glovers www.thegloverscompany.org
63. Worshipful Company of Feltmakers (hat makers) www.feltmakers.co.uk
64. Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters www.frameworkknitters.co.uk
65. Worshipful Company of Needlemakers www.needlemakers.org.uk
66. Worshipful Company of Gardeners www.gardenerscompany.org.uk
67. Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers (wire workers) www.tinplateworkers.co.uk
68. Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights www.wheelwrights.org
69. Worshipful Company of Distillers http://distillers.org.uk
70. Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers (wooden shoe makers) www.pattenmakers.co.uk
71. Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers www.glass-sellers.co.uk
72. Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers http://coachmakers.co.uk
73. Worshipful Company of Gunmakers www.gunmakers.org.uk
74. Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers (makers of thread for uniforms) www.gswd.org.uk
75. Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards www.makersofplayingcards.co.uk
76. Worshipful Company of Fanmakers www.fanmakers.com
77. Worshipful Company of Carmen www.thecarmen.co.uk
78. Honourable Company of Master Mariners www.hcmm.org.uk
79. City of London Solicitors’ Company www.citysolicitors.org.uk
80. Worshipful Company of Farmers www.farmerslivery.org.uk
81. Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators www.airpilots.org
82. Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders www.tobaccolivery.org
83. Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers www.furnituremkrs.co.uk
84. Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers www.wcsim.co.uk
85. Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors www.surveyorslivery.org.uk
86. Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales www.wccaew.org.uk
87. Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators www.wccsa.org.uk
88. Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants www.wcobm.co.uk
89. Worshipful Company of Launderers www.launderers.co.uk
90. Worshipful Company of Marketors http://marketors.org
91. Worshipful Company of Actuaries www.actuariescompany.co.uk
92. Worshipful Company of Insurers www.wci.org.uk
93. Worshipful Company of Arbitrators www.arbitratorscompany.org
94. Worshipful Company of Engineers www.engineerscompany.org.uk
95. Worshipful Company of Fuellers, founded 1605 at least www.fuellers.co.uk
96. Worshipful Company of Lightmongers www.lightmongers.co.uk
97. Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners http://wc-ec.com
98. Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, founded 1834 http://architects-livery-company.blogspot.co.uk
99. Worshipful Company of Constructors http://constructorscompany.org.uk
100. Worshipful Company of Information Technologists www.wcit.org.uk