Worshipful Company of Drapers
 |
Arms of the Drapers' Company |
The
Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the
Livery Companies of the
City of London; it has the formal name of
The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London but is more usually known as the
Drapers' Company. It ranks third in the
order of precedence of Livery Companies, thus being one of the "Great Twelve City Livery Companies." The Company's
motto is
Unto God Only Be Honour and Glory.
The organization was founded in
1361; it received a
Royal Charter three years later. It was
incorporated, or became a Company, under a Royal Charter in
1438, and was the first corporate body to be granted a
coat of arms.
Originally, the organisation was a trade association of
wool and
cloth merchants. It was one of the most powerful companies in London politics, over one hundred
Lord Mayors having been members of the Company; the first, Henry Fitzailwyn, is thought to have been a draper. During the
Plantation of Ulster, it held land around
Moneymore and
Draperstown in
County Londonderry.
Today, the company exists as a charitable, ceremonial, and educational institution. This has included providing the site and some of the buildings of
Queen Mary College in the
University of London, and administering
almshouses such as the
Henry Lucas Hospital.
Three royal
princes joined the Company, though none were expected at the time to become kings:
*Prince William of Orange, later King
William III of England*Prince Carl of Denmark, later King
Haakon VII of Norway*Prince Albert Duke of York, later King
George VI of the United KingdomQueen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and King
Harald V of Norway are members of the Company.
Like many other livery companies, the Drapers Company is based at a grand building named after itself, in this case
Drapers' Hall, which is in Throgmorton Avenue,
London EC2. The company has owned the site since 1543, when it purchased the London mansion of
Thomas Cromwell, who had been attainted and executed in 1540, from King
Henry VIII. The building was destroyed in the
Great Fire of London and rebuilt to designs by
Edward Jarman. After another fire in 1772 it was rebuilt again; this time the architect was
John Gorham. Further alterations were made in the 19th century, but unlike some livery company halls, it was not destroyed in the
Second World War. There are four lavishly decorated main rooms which are used for the company's functions and are also available for hire. The largest is the Livery Hall, which can accommodate up to 260 for dinner. Groups may book a guided tour of Drapers Hall; a donation to the company's charitable work is requested in return.
The company's archives, works of art, silver and artefacts are in the care of an archivist. The document collection has items from the 13th century onwards, including charters and coats of arms, charity records, and records of the company's landholdings, including the Londonderry estates. The silver collection includes an ancient Celtic decorative collar found on the Londonderry estate, and pieces of the company's own silverware from the 16th century onwards. There is also a collection of paintings, mostly of former members. Researchers may view the collections by appointment.
*
Coat of Arms of The Drapers Company*
The Drapers' Company
