] The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the 110 Livery company, livery companies of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

. The Company, originally known as the ''Guild and Fraternity of St John the Baptist in the City of London'', was founded prior to 1300, first incorporated under a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...

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 at least 1347. The Company's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

is ''Concordia Parvae Res Crescunt'', from the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

historian

Sallust Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust (; 86 – ), was a Roman historian and politician from an Italian plebeian family. Probably born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines, Sallust became during the 50s BC a partisa ...

meaning ''In Harmony Small Things Grow''.

History

The Company was at first an association of

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

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 – albeit that it has recently rekindled its links with Savile Row and is the principal sponsor and organiser of the prestigious biannual "Golden Shears" competition for aspiring young tailors. It owns Merchant Taylors' School in Sandy Lodge and St John's Preparatory School in Northwood, both in Hertfordshire, and is associated with

Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby ("Small things grow in harmony" - Sallust) , established = , closed = , type = Public SchoolIndependent school; Day school , religion = , president = , head_label = Head Master , head = Mr Deiniol Will ...

Merchant Taylors' Girls' School Merchant Taylors' Girls' School is a selective independent girls' school in Great Crosby, Merseyside, England. History Merchant Taylors' Girls' School was established in 1888, having inherited the buildings from the boys' school that had move ...

in Crosby,

Wolverhampton Grammar School Wolverhampton Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Wolverhampton, England. History Initially a grammar school for boys, WGS was founded in 1512 by Sir Stephen Jenyns, a master of the ancient guild of Merchant Taylors, who ...

Foyle and Londonderry College Foyle College is a co-educational non-denominational voluntary grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland. The school's legal name is Foyle and Londonderry College. In 1976, two local schools, Foyle College and Londonderry High School, merged unde ...

Wallingford School Wallingford School is a secondary school with academy status 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 ...

, and The King's School, Macclesfield. It is also associated with

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pr ...

, founded by Sir Thomas White (a Master of the Company) in 1555, and with

Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College (officially "The Master, Fellows and Scholars of the College or Hall of Valence-Mary") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 ...

. It donates prizes to St. Helen's School in Northwood, which is considered its 'sister school', and supports an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

student at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

. It also supports

Treloar School Treloar School and College is a non-maintained residential and day special school and college for disabled children and young people aged from 2 to 25 in Holybourne near Alton, Hampshire, UK. Aims and governance The school and college aims to ...

in Hampshire, a school and college for children with physical disabilities. It has a major interest in charitable support for the elderly and isolated in Inner London, as well as for people living with disabilities. It is a major provider of

almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certai ...

in the

London Borough of Lewisham Lewisham () is a London borough in south-east London; it forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham. The local authority is Lewisham London Borough Council, based in Catford. The Prime Meridian passes thr ...

and has plans to develop brand new accommodation for local elderly people.

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 precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...

of the Livery Companies, alternating with the

Skinners' Company The Worshipful Company of Skinners (known as The Skinners' Company) 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. It was granted Royal Charter in 132 ...

. The annual switch occurs at

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samue ...

. The Merchant Taylors are normally sixth in the order of precedence in odd numbered years, and at seven in even numbered years.

Notable people

William Fulwood William Fulwood (fl. 1562), was an author. Fulwood was a member of the Merchant Taylors' Company. His first effort was entitled ''An Admonition to Elderton to leave the Toyes by hym begonne''. The Elderton in question was William Elderton (died c ...

(fl. 1562), author

References

External links

The Merchant Taylors' Company

Merchant Taylors' School Northwood

Merchant Taylors' School Crosby

Foyle and Londonderry College

A historical catalogue of the pictures, herse-cloths & tapestry at Merchant taylors' hall with a list of the sculptures & engravings

History

Ranking

Notable people

References

External links

Further reading