Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors
Encyclopedia
The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the 108 Livery Companies
of the City of London
.
The Company, originally known as the Guild and Fraternity of St. John the Baptist in the City of London, was first incorporated under a Royal Charter
in 1327, confirmed by later charters in 1408, 1503 and 1719.
Its seat is the Merchant Taylors' Hall
between Threadneedle Street
and Cornhill, a site it has occupied since 1347. The Company's motto
is Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt, from the Roman
historian Sallust
meaning In Harmony Small Things Grow.
s. By the end of the 17th century, its connection with the tailoring trade had virtually ceased and it became what it is today, a philanthropic and social association. As a result it owns, supports or is associated with several schools, almhouses and other charitable institutions
. It owns Merchant Taylors' School
and St. John's Preparatory School in Northwood and Sandy Lodge in Hertfordshire, and is associated with Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
, Merchant Taylors' Girls' School
in Crosby, Wolverhampton Grammar School
, Foyle and Londonderry College
, Wallingford School
, and The King's School, Macclesfield
. It is also associated with St John's College, Oxford
, founded by Sir Thomas White
(a Master of the Company) in 1555, and with Pembroke College, Cambridge
.
It donates prizes to St. Helen's School
in Northwood. It gives support to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
, the London College of Fashion
, the Textile Conservation Centre and the Royal Society of Arts
. It also supports Treloar School in Hampshire, a school and college for children with physical disabilities.
of the Livery Companies, alternating with the Skinners' Company
. The annual switch occurs at Easter
. The Merchant Taylors are normally sixth in the order of precedence in odd numbered years, and at seven in even numbered years.
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 Company, originally known as the Guild and Fraternity of St. John the Baptist in the City of London, was first incorporated under 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 1327, confirmed by later charters in 1408, 1503 and 1719.
Its seat is the Merchant Taylors' Hall
Merchant Taylors' Hall, London
The Merchant Taylors' Hall, London is the seat of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London surviving from Mediaeval times....
between Threadneedle Street
Threadneedle Street
Threadneedle Street is a street in the City of London, leading from a junction with Poultry, Cornhill, King William Street and Lombard Street, to Bishopsgate....
and Cornhill, a site it has occupied since 1347. The Company's motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
is Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt, from the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
historian Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
meaning In Harmony Small Things Grow.
History
The Company was at first an association of tailorTailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
s. By the end of the 17th century, its connection with the tailoring trade had virtually ceased and it became what it is today, a philanthropic and social association. As a result it owns, supports or is associated with several schools, almhouses and other charitable institutions
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. It owns Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
and St. John's Preparatory School in Northwood and Sandy Lodge in Hertfordshire, and is associated with Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby is a British independent school for day pupils, located in Great Crosby on Merseyside....
, Merchant Taylors' Girls' School
Merchant Taylors' Girls' School
Merchant Taylors' Girls' School, Crosby is a British selective independent girls' school, located in Great Crosby on Merseyside. As of 2007, it had around 620 pupils, ranging in age from 11 to 18...
in Crosby, Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School is a co-educational independent school located in the city of Wolverhampton.Initially Wolverhampton Boys Grammar School, it was founded in 1512 by Sir Stephen Jenyns, a master of the ancient guild of Merchant Taylors, who was also Lord Mayor of London in the year of...
, Foyle and Londonderry College
Foyle and Londonderry College
Foyle College, which is also known by its former name Foyle and Londonderry College or FALC, is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland. In 1976, two local schools, Foyle College and Londonderry High School, merged under the Foyle and Londonderry College Act...
, Wallingford School
Wallingford School
Wallingford School is a secondary school located in the town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England. It was founded by Walter Bigg in 1659 in association with the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, formally succeeding Wallingford Grammar School when it merged with Blackstone Secondary Modern in...
, and The King's School, Macclesfield
The King's School, Macclesfield
-Notable former pupils:* Peter Moores, ex-England Cricket Coach* Rev. Thomas Taylor, priest and historian* Alan Beith, politician* Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent of Sky News...
. It is also associated with St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, founded by Sir Thomas White
Thomas White (merchant)
Sir Thomas White was an English cloth merchant, civic benefactor and founder of St John's College, Oxford.He was born in Reading, Berkshire, the son of William White, a clothier of Reading, and his wife, Mary, daughter of Henry Kibblewhite of South Fawley, also in Berkshire. He was brought up in...
(a Master of the Company) in 1555, and with Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
.
It donates prizes to St. Helen's School
St. Helen's School
St. Helen's School, founded in 1899, is a selective independent day school in Northwood, North West London for girls aged three to eighteen. It is also the sister school of Merchant Taylors' School. It previously accepted boarders but as of Autumn 2009 the school is no longer a boarding school, and...
in Northwood. It gives support to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
, the London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, short courses and business-training in fashion, make-up, beauty-therapy and lifestyle industries...
, the Textile Conservation Centre and the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
. It also supports Treloar School in Hampshire, a school and college for children with physical disabilities.
Ranking
Under an order issued by mayor Robert Billesden in 1484, the Company ranks in sixth or seventh place (making it one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies) in the order of precedenceOrder of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
of the Livery Companies, alternating with the Skinners' Company
Worshipful Company of Skinners
The Worshipful Company of Skinners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. It was originally an association of those engaged in the trade of skins and furs...
. The annual switch occurs at Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. The Merchant Taylors are normally sixth in the order of precedence in odd numbered years, and at seven in even numbered years.