The Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers is one of the Livery Companies

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, which engaged in not only tallow

Tallow

Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...

 candle

Candle

A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...

 making but also in the trade of oils, 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 1462. The Tallow Chandlers' was traditionally separate from Wax Chandlers

Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers

The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation was established in 1358 by the granting of by-laws and ordinances by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen. New ordinances were issued in 1371...

; beeswax candles were customary in churches, while tallow (animal fat) candles were used in homes. As is the case with most other Livery Companies, the Tallow Chandlers' is no longer a trade association of candle makers, its decline precipitated by the invention of electric lighting. The Company now exists as a charitable institution, and supports education in oil-related fields.

The Tallow Chandlers' Company ranks twenty-first in the order of precedence

Order 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 Livery Companies, immediately below the Wax Chandlers. The Company's motto is Ecce Agnus Dei Qui Tollit Peccata Mundi, Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 for Behold the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World, a reference to Jesus

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

.

External links

• The Tallow Chandlers' Company