Other Organizations
Organizations other than livery companies that are mentioned in MoEML are listed here.
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High Court of Admiralty
In the reign of Henry VIII, England’s admiralty courts were combined into the High Court of Admiralty (Elton 155). The High Court of Admiralty presided over cases that occurred out at sea (Baker 132). Although most courts in England practiced common law, the High Court of Admiralty used a form of civil law based on theuniversal law of the sea
(Baker 132). For an accessible overview, see Wikipedia. Records surviving from the High Court of Admiralty are held at the National Archives. -
Court of Aldermen
The Court of Aldermen was composed of senior officials known asaldermen,
who were each elected to represent one ward of London. The Mayor of London oversaw the Court of Aldermen and was himself an alderman. Historically, the Court of Aldermen was the primary administrative body for the Corporation of London; however, by the early modern period, many of its responsibilities had been transferred to the Court of Common Council. The Court of Aldermen exists today in a somewhat modified form. -
Archdeaconry of London
The Archdeaconry of London was the office of the Archdeacon of London, responsible for the administration of parishes within London. -
Court of Arches
The Court of Arches was the highest court of appeal for ecclesiastical matters in the province of Canterbury and fell under the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Canterbury (Noorthuock 579-587). The Court of Arches was named after its location in St. Mary Le Bow, which wasbuilt over arches
(Baker 136). After the Great Fire of 1666, the Court of Arches often met at the Doctors’ Commons, Knightrider Street (Keene and Harding 199-212). For an accessible overview, see Wikipedia. An extensive archive of Court of Arches cases is held at the Lambeth Palace Library. -
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was a guild of archers in early modern London. Note thatarchery
was considered to be a form ofartillery
in early modern usage. -
Austin Friars (Augustinians)
The Austin Friars were a mendicant order that adhered to the teachings of Augustine of Hippo. Founded in the thirteenth century, the Austin Friars arrived in England in 1248 and occupied Austin Friars until King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538. -
Bishop of London
The Bishop (or Lord Bishop) of London was an office occupied by an ordinary responsible for representing the Church of England within the Diosece of London. MoEML distinguishes between the office of the Bishop and the person elected to the office for a term. -
Bladers’ Company
The Bladers’ Company was a company in early modern London. -
Burellers’ Company
The Burellers’ Company was a company in early modern London. -
Church of England
The Church of England first came into being in 1534 when King Henry VIII seceded from Rome and declared himselfSupreme Head of the Church of England
by the Act of Supremacy. Queen Mary I repealed this act in 1555. In 1559, as part of what is now known as the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, parliament restored the act and made Queen Elizabeth ISupreme Governor of the Church of England,
a role still held by the British monarch today. The Church of England has been the official Christian church in England since 1559. Its doctrinal position was set out in theThirty-Nine Articles
of 1563 and finalized in 1571, at which point they were incorporated into the Book of Common Prayer that had governed the liturgical form of Church of England services since 1549. -
Parish Clerks’ Company
The Parish Clerks’ Company was a company in early modern London. While it never technically applied for livery status, it largely acted as a livery company. The Parish Clerks’ Company is still active and maintains a website at http://www.londonparishclerks.com/ that includes a history of the company. -
Corders’ Company
The Corders’ Company was a company in early modern London. -
Corporation of London
The Corporation of London was the municipal government of London, made up of the Mayor of London, the Court of Aldermen, and the Court of Common Council. It exists today in largely the same form. -
Court of Common Council
The Court of Common Council was comprised of men elected from each ward. It was distinct from the Court of Aldermen. -
Council of the Regency
The Council of the Regency was established by King James VI and I in 1617 to govern England while he visited Scotland. -
Crossed Friars (Bretheren of the Holy Cross)
The Bretheren of the Holy Cross, also known as the Crossed Friars, Crutched Friars, or Crouched Friars, were an order of preaching canons who were commonly assumed to be friars in late-medieval and early modern England. Arriving in England in the mid-thirteenth century, the Crossed Friars occupied a site on Hart Street from the 1260s until King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538. -
Doctors’ Commons
The Doctors’ Commons was a group of men from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge who practiced civil law (Baker 180). G.R. Elton claims that this society was formed in 1511 and was modelled after the Inns of Court (Elton 155). Sir John Baker claims that this society was already established in the fifteenth century by thedoctors of the Arches
(Baker 180). Encyclopaedia Britannica states that the society leased a building near Paternoster Row from 1565 until their dissolution in the nineteenth century; however, most scholars agree that the Doctors’ Commons moved from their Paternoster Row location to a building in Knightrider Street early in Elizabeth I’s reign (Doctors’ Commons,
Thornbury, Harben). A motion to dissolve the Doctors’ Commons was put forth in 1858 and by 1865 they had sold both their library and building (Baker 181). Most of the records surviving from the Doctors’ Commons are housed at the Lambeth Palace Library. For an accessible overview, see Wikipedia. -
Black Friars (Dominicans)
The Blackfriars, named for their customaryblack mantle and hood,
were an order of mendicant friars founded by St. Dominic in France in 1216 (Dominican Order). Intent on spreading Catholicism, St. Dominic sent members of his order to England, where, no later than 1247, the order had bases in Oxford and London (Jarrett 2-3). In the wake of the Reformation, members of the order fled the country or remained in England andeither drifted into poverty, or else entered the ranks of the secular clergy
(Jarrett 169). -
East India Company
The East India Company was a joint-stock company formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region. -
Fraternity of the Trinity
The Fraternity of the Trinity was, according to Stow, established in 1466 under King Edward IV. A History of the Country of London contends that the fraternity was founded at the request of Elizabeth Woodville and must have been already in existence in 1422, prior to its association with Leadenhall. From 1466, the Fraternity of the Trinity was in order in Leadenhall until the brief reign of King Edward VI when, under the counsel of Thomas Cranmer, the King signed the Abolition of the Chantries Act in 1547 (Colleges: Fraternity of the Holy Trinity). -
Fullers’ Company
The Fullers’ Company was the precursor of the Clothworkers’ Company, into which it merged with the Shearmens’ Company in 1528. -
Grey Friars (Franciscans)
The Grey Friars, named for their grey habits or cowls, were an order of franciscan friars founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209 and arrived in England from Italy in 1224 (Holder 66). Devoted to following the teachings of St. Francis, the Grey Friars occupied Greyfriars until King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538 (Kingsford 2). -
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was a confederation of German merchant guilds and market towns with outposts throughout Northern Europe, including England. -
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus was a religious order of the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome and founded in 1534. -
Court of King’s Bench
The Court of King’s Bench was the senior court of English common law. Originally, it travelled with the King. From 1318 to 1882, it met at the south end of Westminster Hall (Baker 42). For an accessible overview, see Wikipedia. The records surviving from King’s Bench cases are held at the National Archives. -
Knighten Guild
The Knighten Guild was a guild in London that originated as an order of chivalry founded by King Edgar for loyal knights. -
Knights Hospitallers
The Knights Hospitallers was a Roman Catholic military order that originated in the Mediterranean region during the eleventh century. It was also known as the Order of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem. -
Marshalsea Court
Also known as theCourt of the Steward and Marshal
and theCourt of the Verge,
the Marshalsea Court was a royal court that fell under the jurisdiction of the Knight Marshal and the Lord Steward of the Household (Jones 1). The Marshalsea Court held civil and criminal authority over actions involving a member from the royal household (Lord steward
). Only cases that occurred within twelve miles of the royal residence could be tried in the Marshalsea Court (Lord steward
). Established in the reign of Edward I, the Marshalsea Court operated as a highly specialized household court until it was abolished in the nineteenth century (Lord steward
). For more information, see Encyclopaedia Britannica. -
Mayor of London
The Mayor (or Lord Mayor) of London was an office occupied annually by a new mayor. For the purposes of recording the authorship of mayoral proclamations, MoEML distinguishes between the office of the mayor and the person elected to the office for the year. -
Merchants of the Haunce of Almaine
The Merchants of the Haunce of Almaine was a group of German merchants who worked at the Steelyard. -
Muscovy Company
The Muscovy Company was a company of English merchants created for trade with Russia. -
Order of Carthusian Monks
The Order of Carthusian Monks was a Catholic religious order housed at the Charterhouse from 1371-1541. -
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was a legislative branch of the Kingdom of England, founded by William the Conquerer in 1066. -
Pepperers’ Company
The Pepperers’ Company was the precursor of the Grocers’ Company. -
Courts of Pie Poudre
Also known ascourts of pie powder,
courts of pie poudre settled disputes that occurred during fairs and markets (Halsbury 678).Stanley Giffard Halsbury notes that[t]hese courts, which are courts of record, had jurisdiction to decide as to all manner of contracts, trespasses, covenants, and debts done within the time of fairs or markets and within their precincts
(Halsbury 678). For an accessible overview, see Wikipedia. -
Privy Council
The Privy Council advised the reigning monarch on important judicial and political issues. The council still exists today, altough with considerably less authority. -
Salt Fishmongers’ Company
The Salt Fishmongers’ Company was the precursor of the Fishmongers’ Company, into which it merged with the Stock Fishmongers’ Company in 1536. -
Shearmens’ Company
The Shearmens’ Company was the precursor of the Clothworkers’ Company, into which it merged with the Fullers’ Company in 1528. -
Spicers’ Company
The Spicers’ Company was a company in early modern London. -
Merchants of the Staple
The Merchants of the Staple was one of the mercantile corporations of England. The Company of Merchants of the Staple of England is still active and maintains a website at http://merchantsofthestapleofengland.co.uk/ that includes a history of the company. -
Stock Fishmongers’ Company
The Stock Fishmongers’ Company was the precursor of the Fishmongers’ Company, into which it merged with the Salt Fishmongers’ Company in 1536. -
Knights Templar
The Knights Templar was an organization of Christians who wanted to protect European travelers who visted sites across the Holy Land. The organization was granted land from King Henry II, including a site near Castle Baynard Ward on which they built a round church. In 1184, the Knights Templar built a new round church at Temple Bar which was consecrated a year later. -
Watermens’ and Lightermens’ Company
The Watermens’ and Lightermens’ Company was a company in early modern London. While it never technically applied for livery status, it largely acted as a livery company. The Watermens’ and Lightermens’ Company is still active and maintains a website at https://watermenscompany.com/ that includes a history of the company. -
White Friars (Carmelites)
The White Friars were an order of carmelite friars with uncertain orgins. Generally associated with St. Bernard, the White Friars occupied a church on Fleet Street until King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538. -
Woodmongers’ Company
The Woodmongers’ Company was a company in early modern London. With the transition to coal as a primary fuel source, the Woodmongers became defunct by 1731. -
Woodstaplers’ Company
The Woolstaplers’ Company was a company in early modern London.
References
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Citation
Baker, Sir John. An Introduction to English Legal History. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2019. Print.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Colleges: Fraternity of the Holy Trinity and the Sixty Priests, Leadenhall Chapel.
A History of the County of London: Volume 1, London Within the Bars, Westminster and Southwark. Ed. William Page. London: Victoria County History, 1909. 578. British History Online. Open.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Dominican Order.
The Oxford Dictionary of Christian Art and Architecture. Ed. Peter Murray, Linda Murray, and Tom Devonshire Jones. Oxford UP, 2013. Remediated by Oxford Reference.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Elton, G.R.. The Tudor Constitution. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1982. Print.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Halsbury, Stanley Giffard, and Quintin Hogg Hailsham. Halsbury’s Laws of England Being a Complete Statement of the Whole Law of England. 2nd ed. Vol 3. London: Butterworth & Co. Remediated by HeinOnline.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Harben, Henry A. A Dictionary of London. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1918.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Holder, Nick. The Friaries of Medieval London: From Foundation to Dissolution. Woodbridge: Boydell, 2017. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion. Print.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Jarrett, Bede. The English Dominicans. London: Burnes,Oates, and Washbourne. 1920.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Jones, W.R.The Court of the Verge: The Jurisdiction of the Steward and Marshal of the Household in Later Medieval England.
Journal of British Studies vol. 10, no. 1 (1970): 1-29. doi:10.1086/385598.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Keene, Derek, and Vanessa Harding. Historical Gazetteer of London before the Great Fire: Cheapside; Parishes of All Hallows Honey Lane, St Martin Pomary, St Mary le Bow, St Mary Colechurch and St Pancras Soper Lane. London: Centre for Metropolitan History, 1987. Remediated by British History Online.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Kingsford, Charles Lethbridge. The Grey Friars of London. Aberdeen: Aberdeen UP, 1915. British History Online. Open.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Noorthouck, John.Book 2, Ch. 14: Castle Baynard ward.
A New History of London: Including Westminster and Southwark. London, 1773. 579-587. Remediated by British History Online.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Stow, John. A Survey of London. Reprinted from the Text of 1603. Ed. Charles Lethbridge Kingsford. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon, 1908. Remediated by British History Online. [Kingsford edition, courtesy of The Centre for Metropolitan History. Articles written 2011 or later cite from this searchable transcription.]This item is cited in the following documents:
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Thornbury, Walter.Baynard’s Castle and Doctors’ Commons.
Vol. 1 of Old and New London. London, 1878. 281-293. Remediated by British History Online.This item is cited in the following documents:
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Citation
Wren, Melvin C.The Chamber of the City of London, 1633–1642.
The Accounting Review 24.2 (1949): 191–198.This item is cited in the following documents:
![The coat of arms of the Grocers’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]](graphics/Grocers_sm.jpg "The coat of arms of the Grocers’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]")
![The coat of arms of the Fishmongers’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]](graphics/Fishmongers_sm.jpg "The coat of arms of the Fishmongers’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]")
![The coat of arms of the Merchant Taylors’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]](graphics/MerchantTaylors_sm.jpg "The coat of arms of the Merchant Taylors’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]")
![The coat of arms of the Clothworkers’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]](graphics/Clothworkers_sm.jpg "The coat of arms of the Clothworkers’
Company, from Stow (1633).
[Full size
image]")
![[Full size image]](graphics/Grocers.jpg){kind=link}
![[Full size image]](graphics/Fishmongers.jpg){kind=link}
![[Full size image]](graphics/MerchantTaylors.jpg){kind=link}
![[Full size image]](graphics/Clothworkers.jpg){kind=link}