Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
Encyclopedia
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the senior Livery Companies
of the City of London
. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdasher
y, received a Royal Charter
in 1448. The formal name under which it is incorporated is The Master and Four Wardens of the Fraternity of the Art or Mystery of Haberdashers in the City of London.
The Company, which was originally responsible for the regulation of cloth merchants, began to lose its jurisdiction as the population of London
increased outwards from the City. Thus, the Company now serves as an educational and charitable institution, whilst maintaining a link with its heritage by giving awards to fashion education.
The Company ranks eighth in the order of precedence of Livery Companies; as such it is considered one of the "Great Twelve City Livery Companies". The Company's motto is Serve and Obey. Its Hall was for many centuries in the Bassishaw
Ward of the City but in 2002 the Company moved into a new Hall in Farringdon Without
.
As an educational institution, the Haberdashers' Company has been active in founding eight schools. It founded a boys' school at Hoxton
, which then split into schools at Hatcham
in south London and Hampstead
in north London; the Hampstead school moved in 1961 to become the Haberdashers' Aske's School
, Elstree
. The Hatcham school now admits girls as well as boys; a separate girls' school was founded at Acton
but has now moved to be close to the Elstree school. Other Haberdashers' schools are situated elsewhere in the UK
, for example William Adams
opened the Adams' Grammar School
in 1656 in his home town of Newport
, Shropshire
.
Being a principally Christian
organisation, the Haberdashers' presents copies of the King James Bible to starters at their schools. The Company owns and takes a keen interest in its Patron
age of eight Church
advowson
s.
The Company is sole trustee of two major educational charities: Haberdashers' Aske's Charity and William Jones's Schools Foundation.
EC1A 9HQ on Monday 15th April 2002, the Hall being opposite King Henry's Gate of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Thursday 24th October 2002 was a very special day in the life of the Company when the Master
, Mr Nicholas Lund, welcomed Her Majesty
The Queen to Haberdashers' Hall, and invited Her formally to declare it open. The Hall and associated meeting rooms and offices are built round a cloistered courtyard, entered through the façade of Market View, now developed into residential apartments and retail units. On the south side of the site the Company has built an office development on the Hosier Lane frontage.
In the Hall, cloisters on the right hand side lead to a circular staircase to the first floor, where the Court Room, Committee Room and Luncheon Room lead off a Reception Gallery. The Reception Gallery leads to the Livery Hall, which has a high vaulted ceiling, with the whole room panelled in oak. There are also offices for the Company staff, facilities for catering staff and storage below the Hall together with accommodation for the Master and the Beadle
.
Livery Company
The Livery Companies are 108 trade associations in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade, craft or profession. The medieval Companies originally developed as guilds and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling,...
of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdasher
Haberdasher
A haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zips, and other notions. In American English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.-Origin and use:The word appears in...
y, received a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1448. The formal name under which it is incorporated is The Master and Four Wardens of the Fraternity of the Art or Mystery of Haberdashers in the City of London.
The Company, which was originally responsible for the regulation of cloth merchants, began to lose its jurisdiction as the population of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
increased outwards from the City. Thus, the Company now serves as an educational and charitable institution, whilst maintaining a link with its heritage by giving awards to fashion education.
The Company ranks eighth in the order of precedence of Livery Companies; as such it is considered one of the "Great Twelve City Livery Companies". The Company's motto is Serve and Obey. Its Hall was for many centuries in the Bassishaw
Bassishaw
Bassishaw is a ward in the City of London. This small ward is bounded on the east by Coleman Street ward, to the south by Cheap ward, to the north by Cripplegate ward, and on the west by Aldersgate ward...
Ward of the City but in 2002 the Company moved into a new Hall in Farringdon Without
Farringdon Without
Farringdon Without is a Ward in the City of London, England. The Ward covers the western fringes of the City, including the Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Smithfield Market and St Bartholomew's Hospital, as well as the area east of Chancery Lane...
.
As an educational institution, the Haberdashers' Company has been active in founding eight schools. It founded a boys' school at Hoxton
Hoxton
Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...
, which then split into schools at Hatcham
Hatcham
Hatcham was a manor and later chapelry in what is now London, England. It corresponds to the area around New Cross Gate station in the London Borough of Lewisham....
in south London and Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
in north London; the Hampstead school moved in 1961 to become the Haberdashers' Aske's School
Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a British independent school for boys aged 4–19. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Haileybury Group....
, Elstree
Elstree
Elstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road, about 10 miles north of London. In 2001, its population was 4,765, and forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree....
. The Hatcham school now admits girls as well as boys; a separate girls' school was founded at Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
but has now moved to be close to the Elstree school. Other Haberdashers' schools are situated elsewhere in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for example William Adams
William Adams (Haberdasher)
William Adams was a 17th Century London Haberdasher born in Newport, Shropshire, who founded Adams' Grammar School in 1656. After his death in 1660, the school was governed by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.-External links:* *...
opened the Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
in 1656 in his home town of Newport
Newport, Shropshire
Newport is a market town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies some north of Telford and some west of Stafford sitting on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Being a principally Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
organisation, the Haberdashers' presents copies of the King James Bible to starters at their schools. The Company owns and takes a keen interest in its Patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
age of eight Church
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
s.
The Company is sole trustee of two major educational charities: Haberdashers' Aske's Charity and William Jones's Schools Foundation.
Haberdashers Hall
The Company moved in to its new Hall at 18 West Smithfield, LondonSmithfield, London
Smithfield is an area of the City of London, in the ward of Farringdon Without. It is located in the north-west part of the City, and is mostly known for its centuries-old meat market, today the last surviving historical wholesale market in Central London...
EC1A 9HQ on Monday 15th April 2002, the Hall being opposite King Henry's Gate of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Thursday 24th October 2002 was a very special day in the life of the Company when the Master
Master (form of address)
Master is an archaic masculine title or form of address in English.- In English and Welsh society :Master was used in England for men of some rank, especially "free masters" of a trade guild and by any manual worker or servant employee to his employer , but also generally by those lower in status...
, Mr Nicholas Lund, welcomed Her Majesty
Majesty
Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
The Queen to Haberdashers' Hall, and invited Her formally to declare it open. The Hall and associated meeting rooms and offices are built round a cloistered courtyard, entered through the façade of Market View, now developed into residential apartments and retail units. On the south side of the site the Company has built an office development on the Hosier Lane frontage.
In the Hall, cloisters on the right hand side lead to a circular staircase to the first floor, where the Court Room, Committee Room and Luncheon Room lead off a Reception Gallery. The Reception Gallery leads to the Livery Hall, which has a high vaulted ceiling, with the whole room panelled in oak. There are also offices for the Company staff, facilities for catering staff and storage below the Hall together with accommodation for the Master and the Beadle
Beadle
Beadle, sometimes spelled "bedel," is a lay official of a church or synagogue who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational, or ceremonial duties....
.
List of Haberdashers' schools
- Abraham Darby Academy, Madeley, Telford, Shropshire
- Adams' Grammar SchoolAdams' Grammar SchoolAdams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
, Newport, Shropshire - Aldersey Church of England (Aided) Primary School, Bunbury, Cheshire
- Haberdashers' Agincourt School, Monmouth
- Haberdashers' Aske's Crayford Academy, Crayford, Kent
- Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham CollegeHaberdashers' Aske's Hatcham CollegeHaberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College is an Academy secondary school located. in New Cross. The school was formerly a Grammar school, then a comprehensive City Technology College and now an Academy operating between two sites near New Cross Gate in South-East London...
, New Cross, London SE14 - Haberdashers' Aske's Knights AcademyHaberdashers' Aske's Knights AcademyHaberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy formerly Malory School, Downham is a new Academy in Downham, Lewisham. The school is sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers to increase the availability of an Aske’s education. The school holds specialist Sports College status.- External links :**...
, Downham, Kent - Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' SchoolHaberdashers' Aske's Boys' SchoolThe Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a British independent school for boys aged 4–19. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Haileybury Group....
, Elstree, Hertfordshire - Haberdashers' Aske's School for GirlsHaberdashers' Aske's School for GirlsHaberdashers' Aske's School for Girls is an academically high-achieving British independent school in Elstree, near Borehamwood, in the county of Hertfordshire. It is often known as "Habs" or "Habs girls", to distinguish it from the neighbouring Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School...
, Elstree, Hertfordshire - Haberdashers' Monmouth School for GirlsHaberdashers' Monmouth School for GirlsHaberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls is an independent school in Monmouth, Wales. The school was established by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in 1892, and continues to enjoy their support. There are four houses - Imbert Terry , Mather Jackson , Bagnall Oakely , and Prosser...
, Monmouth - Monmouth SchoolMonmouth SchoolMonmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
, Monmouth - Temple Grove Hatcham Primary School, London SE14
- West Monmouth SchoolWest Monmouth SchoolWest Monmouth School is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, south Wales.-Admissions:Pupils who attend the generally live in the Pontypool area...
(affiliated)
External links
- The Haberdashers' Company
- The Haberdashers' Company history
- History of the Haberdashers' Company archived by Heraldic Media