SPRING 2019 | No. 19
THE CLOTHWORKER
www.clothworkers.co.uk
EDITOR’S NOTE Renée LaDue
CONTENTS NEW MEMBERS
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE CITY 4 SUPPORTING TEXTILES: TEXSELECT 5 SUPPORTING TEXTILES: A NEW COMMISSION 6 MAKING IT IN TEXTILES
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e have so much to thank our Clothworkers for! This past autumn you showed up, pitched in, and helped support many projects and good causes. Several of you volunteered for Open House London at Clothworkers’s Hall in September, enabling us to open up our building and collections to members of the public by helping invigilate rooms and answer visitors’ questions (see page 15). Many others attended the Livery Advocates Scheme (LAS) launch event at Skinners’ Hall in October. Those who came helped shape the final programme by providing honest and insightful feedback, and followed up by subscribing to more news about registering for the pilot this spring. LAS is a partnership between The Goldsmiths’, Skinners’, Haberdashers’ and Clothworkers’ Companies as well as Catch22, TSIP and Prospectus. Those who want to hear more should get in touch with our implementation partner, Catch22, to ask to subscribe for news of registration: send an email Kat Dixon at kat.dixon@catch-22.org.uk.
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BOOKBINDING AWARDS
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NOTABLE CLOTHWORKER
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EXPLORING OUR HALL AND HISTORY 15 THE CLOTHWORKERS’ FOUNDATION 16 TRIBUTES
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NEWS & NOTICES
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More than 100 Clothworkers contributed to our St Thomas’ Eve appeal for KIDS Charity, raising more than £2,645 (more than £3,200 with Gift Aid). Members of both the Freedom and Livery made donations online, in person, and by post to support a West London charity that has helped children and young people with disabilities – as well as their families – for more than 47 years. Thank you for your generosity. And you didn’t stop there. Nearly 60 Clothworkers are currently volunteering as judges for the fourth annual Charity Governance Awards. Clothworkers review and score the entries to create a long list for each category that moves forward to the second round of judging. This is a critical step in the judging process, which we could not accomplish without Clothworkers’ help. I hope you enjoy reading more about the work of The Company and Foundation. Please feel free to get in touch with questions on membership communications, the online Members’ Area and more: reneeladue@clothworkers.co.uk. SUPPORT THE LIVERY FUND Each year, we encourage all Clothworkers – Livery and Freedom – to donate, within their means, to the Livery Fund (a sub-fund of The Clothworkers’ Foundation). The Company not only matches all donations, but also allows you, as a donor, to decide where the grants are allocated by nominating and then voting for short-listed charities. This makes the Livery Fund an effective and rewarding way to support causes important to you. In 2018, the generosity of members enabled us to award three grants of £31,000 each. We’ll soon be contacting 2018 donors to vote on the next three grant recipients, and announcing the winners in the next Members’ Supplement (to be posted with the Annual Review later this year).
Elizabeth Ashdown, weaver at Cockpit Arts, working on a desktop loom. Read more about her project on page 6.
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Not yet a Livery Fund donor? Remember to complete your donation before the end of October to be eligible to nominate a charity for consideration as a grant recipient. We look forward to hearing from you. For more information on making a donation, please log on to the Members’ Area of our website or email Emma Temple: emmatemple@clothworkers.co.uk.
NEW MEMBERS (DECEMBER) Robin F Cusack
Matthew C Dudek
Son of Shane Cusack, Liveryman, and grandson of Pamela Cusack. A tenthgeneration Clothworker, the family connection goes back to 1713, when John Baptist Angell, son of a mariner from Limehouse, was apprenticed to William Burding, a cook of Limehouse Corner. Five of the generations were Masters of The Company. Robin is currently a student at Southampton University, working towards a Bachelor of Arts in History (graduating 2019).
Son of Annabel Yonge, Matthew is a fourth-generation Clothworker. He is the grandson of Sally Yonge (née Brickwood) and Nigel Yonge (Master Excused Service, 2002), and great-grandson of Sir Rupert Brickwood, Assistant, made Free by Redemption in 1921. Matthew graduated from Liverpool University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Architecture. His interests include art, economics, literature, psychology and running.
James R Tumbridge Tobias O Hole Son of Beverley Hole and grandson of Reginald Alfred Ernest Roberts. Tobias is a seventh-generation Clothworker. The Roberts family connection began in 1789 when Mitchell Roberts, son of a deceased butcher from Southwark, was apprenticed to John Andrews, a printer in Seething Lane. However, by the time Mitchell Roberts was made Free in 1811, he was a grocer. Toby works as a solicitor, and his interests include tennis, squash, triathlons and piano.
Imogen K Schon Daughter of Petula Erin Smith and granddaughter of Erin Margaret Mary Wyatt Smith, née Papworth. Imogen is a sixth-generation Clothworker. The Papworth family connection began in 1789 when John Papworth was apprenticed to Thomas Wapshott, a carpenter of James Street, Golden Square. Imogen has a degree in History from Cambridge University and currently works as a Civil Servant. Her interests include walking, reading and music.
James earned his Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from University of Southampton and is now a barrister, and partner in Venner Shipley. He is also an arbitrator, mediator, Police Tribunal Chairman, and company director. James is an elected Common Councilman for Tower Ward. His interests include history and politics.
JOIN THE FREEDOM AT 25 Raising the age of admission The Court recently approved an increase to the age for admission to the Freedom, from age 21 to age 25. At 25, individuals have had more life experience and can make a more meaningful commitment to joining The Company, bringing their skills and talents with them and preparing for potential election to the Livery, approximately five years on. This change will come into effect at the end of this year. However, those currently aged 21 and eligible to apply to join the Freedom may still do so if they complete their applications before the end of the year (Dec 2019). All Freedom candidates are required to attend a brief meeting with the Clerk ahead of admission. Admissions take place three times a year. If you have any questions about Freedom admissions please contact Emma Temple: emmatemple@clothworkers.co.uk.
The Revd Oliver C M Ross Former chaplain to The Clothworkers’ Company (2006-2018), Oliver is now the vicar of Malmsbury Abbey. Oliver was admitted to the Freedom and elected as Honorary Liveryman on the same day. His interests include film and theatre, reading and book club, Byzantium and teaching art history, swimming and cooking.
Top: Robin Cusak and Tobias Hole. Middle: Imogen Schon and Matthew Dudek. Bottom: James Tumbridge and The Revd Oliver Ross. THE CLOTHWORKER | SPRING 2019
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE CITY ST PAUL’S BELL CONSERVATION
BIG CURRY LUNCHEON
he cathedral bells were returned to St Paul’s Cathedral early on the morning of 3 September. The Master, John CoombeTennant, and Clerk, Jocelyn StuartGrumbar, were privileged to attend the blessing ceremony on the morning of their return, led by the Bishop of London, The Rt Revd Sarah Mullally. They later witnessed the bells lifted and set into the tower. The 12 bells have hung in the cathedral since 1878, ringing out for coronations, jubilees, royal births, The Lord Mayor’s Show and other occasions of importance for the City of London or the nation. The Clothworkers’ Company – in partnership with the City and other livery companies – was proud to sponsor the recent conservation of the bells and their frame to ensure that future generations can continue to hear their call. Our donation of £30k supported the conservation of one of the larger bells, which bears the name of The Clothworkers’ Company.
Save the date: Thursday, 4 April. It’s the 12th annual Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, held at the historic Guildhall in the heart of the City. The Lunch brings together the City of London to show its support for members of her Majesty’s Armed Forces and Veterans through the three National Service Charities; ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
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This is an important year for the event, as proceeds from the Lunch may help reach – and surpass – £2m contributed to serving soldiers, veterans, and families of service men. A portion of the funds raised this year will be allocated to a special Pain Management Programme for veterans. Tickets are £100, which includes a curry lunch, beer, and wine. Purchase your tickets online at www.soldierscharity.org.
GREAT XII RECEPTION Skinners’ Hall The Skinners’ Company is hosting a Young Livery and Freedom Drinks Reception for the Great XII Livery Companies on Wednesday, 29 May (6-8pm). Guests will be offered canapés and drinks in the beautiful Skinners’ Hall, with the opportunity to join a guided tour of the Hall and learn more about the hosting company. The Salters’ Company hosted a similar reception last year, which was greatly enjoyed. Space is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. This invitation is open to members of The Clothworkers’ Company Livery and Freedom (aged 40 years old or younger). Business attire required. If you are interested in attending the event, please send an email to Renée LaDue, asking to register for the event: reneeladue@clothworkers.co.uk.
Left: Master John Coombe-Tennant, standing with the Clothworkers’ commemorative St Paul’s Bell. Right: A view of the elegant courtyard at Skinners’ Hall.
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SUPPORTING TEXTILES: TEXSELECT With contributions from Past Master, Christopher McLean May
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he Clothworkers’ core funding for TexSelect (then TexPrint) started in 1999. Today, we sponsor the TexSelect Interiors Prize, awarded annually at the Première Vision exhibition in Paris. Première Vision ‘Pluriel’ first put together six different shows with complimentary businesses, which constituted a unique range of textile disciplines – yarns, fabrics, manufacturing, leather, design, and accessories – for international fashion professionals in 2005. Over time, the exhibition has evolved. The TexSelect programme now goes far beyond a way to help new designers enter the exhibition. Textile designers apply to TexSelect in the hopes of making the ‘short list’ of approximately 30 designers chosen for the programme. To help these young designers understand what they need to know, TexSelect mentors each of them as part of the programme. Many receive valuable advice, such as information on the manufacturing textile technologies that would enable (or not) their creativity and innovation to be mass produced. Designers also learn how to work out costings on designs for sale, including the mark up retailers would use for finished products and how to work back from important psychological price points to maximise sales. It is at the exhibition that designers’ work is viewed – alongside work from important design ‘houses’ – by professional buyers looking for work that can be transformed to various end uses. Designers learn to negotiate on price and some get offered internships
Above: Eve Campbell smiles (left) shortly after receiving her award from Master John Coombe-Tennant (middle), along with Past Master Christopher McLean May (right).
with important manufacturers. In the last 20 years, more than 3,000 TexSelect designers have secured work and continue to play an important part in the industry.
techniques, capturing microcosms of colours, shapes and patterns inspired by landscape on the west coast of Scotland.
The Clothworkers’ Company is proud to support TexSelect awards. The 2018 winner of the Interiors Prize was Eve Campbell. Eve studied at the Glasgow School of Art and was also short listed for the M&S TexSelect Fashion Fabric Award. In addition, she was selected for the AVACadCam training Award.
Eve exhibited in Paris alongside Claudia Sabina Veneroni, who received The Clothworkers’ Company Associate Prize at New Designers earlier in the year. We were delighted to welcome both Eve and Claudia to Clothworkers’ Hall for the 2018 Alumni Dinner. Guests were treated to a display of some of the work they each presented at the exhibition in Paris.
Eve works with printed surface designs created through screen printing and paper stencilling
We are excited to see what the future holds for both these young, talented designers. THE CLOTHWORKER | SPRING 2019
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SUPPORTING TEXTILES: A NEW COMMISSION “I was extremely happy that the Clothworkers’ gave me this opportunity, and in so doing continue to support Cockpit Arts. The pieces for this commission were hand woven using passementerie techniques, and they are created from a combination of silky and metallic yarns combined with braid to create a striking lace like effect.” Elizabeth Ashdown
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or the past three years, we’ve presented each winner for the Charity Governance Awards with an attractive Perspex trophy encasing a special textile design by Cassandra Sabo. Cassandra’s designs inspired the look and feel of the Charity Governance Awards as a whole. This year, we’ve commissioned a brand-new textiles design from one of the talented weavers at Cockpit Arts. Elizabeth Ashdown has been inspired by Cassandra’s earlier work, but has created a completely new and unique woven work for the next set of Charity Governance Awards. Her work will be encased in the Perspex trophies presented at Charity Governance Awards ceremony this
coming May.
modern textile objects that are full of life, texture, colour and vibrancy.
Elizabeth has an impressive CV. She graduated from the Master of Arts Textiles programme at the Royal College of Art. She has exhibited as part of TexSelect (formerly Texprint) and at the Bluecoat Display Centre, The New Ashgate Gallery and Smiths Row, amongst others. Her clients include Liberty, Cassamance and Camira Fabrics. Today, Elizabeth is a hand woven and mixed media textile designer and artist. Her practice focuses on creating exuberant, luxurious and playful hand-crafted textiles for a variety of applications including fashion, interiors and accessories. She uses traditional textile techniques to create
By incorporating many techniques (such as hand weaving, macramé, hand embroidery, braid making and cord making), Elizabeth has become particularly skilled in passementerie – the art of creating small-scale fabrics, braids, ribbons and trimmings. The pieces commissioned for the Charity Governance Awards are made from warps of fine polyester yarn, finished with a rich depth of colour and lustre. They have been woven in a striped design using a flat Soutache braid pattern. Rayon and Viscose materials are also used in this work. The project took approximately 70 hours in the studio to design, weave and finish.
Facing page: Elizabeth Ashdown working on The Charity Governance Awards commission during the Open Studio Weekend at Cockpit Arts. © Jamie Trounce. Left: The new cloth squares, cut down to size for Perspex trophies. Above: Work in progress on the loom at Cockpit Arts. THE CLOTHWORKER | SPRING 2019
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MAKING IT IN TEXTILES Immediate Past Master, Dr Carolyn Boulter, DL
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aking It in Textiles is a conference for final year textile design degree students, which introduces them and their tutors to the UK textiles industry, encouraging them to consider a variety of career options explained by industry experts. Attendees receive the chance to visit two textile manufacturing establishments in the Bradford area and to talk about their future career plans. The conference – in its fifth year – is funded and organised through a collaboration of The Clothworkers’, Weavers’ and Drapers’ Companies, as well as the Campaign for Wool. It is now attracting interest from other companies like The Dyers’, Framework Knitters’ and Broderers’ Companies. Thanks to our combined efforts, we encouraged 50 guests from across the textiles industry to attend the event and network with students. We
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welcomed 118 students (including their tutors) from 23 educational institutions across the UK. For some, it was their first experience of attending a conference, and they arrived quite anxious. But the organisers seated students at set places at tables to enhance discussion and soon the students were chatting and starting to network with those from other institutions and the experts from the textiles industry. This was extremely effective, with many commenting on the useful new contacts they had made. It was obvious that representatives from the industry were enthusiastic about meeting young people and encouraging them to enter the field. One student commented, ‘This is bringing us and the mills together, we can bring creativity into a conservative environment’. They learned that there is no formula for success, but there is a need for
perseverance and the ability to be flexible and multi-skilled. The sessions were run by a series of student-orientated speakers, presenting opportunities, processes and reflections on careers in the textiles industry – much of which students don’t get in their university courses. The final session, reviewing their futures in the industry, revealed that many of them now realise the scope and opportunity for working in the sector. On the second morning, five coaches set off to visit pairs of mills and factories. For example, one coach went to Abraham Moon & Sons, where Clothworker (Liveryman) John Walsh is Managing Director. It was founded in 1837, and is a vertical mill near Harrogate that takes in raw wool and outputs high-quality fabrics for clothing and furnishings. The mill is a heritage building, still going full tilt and pretty noisy in places. For some, it was the first time they had been in a mill. That group
then proceeded to Laxtons Specialist Yarns, which provided a contrast. It’s in a new, purpose-built industrial unit in Guisley. It produces hand-knitting wools as well as yarns for the industry. The experience of seeing the opportunities and constraints in designing finished textiles for the discerning market, imposed by the manufacturing process, was invaluable. One student group commented at the conclusion that to be a successful designer within the industry you need: ◆ technical knowledge for the future, ◆ communication skills (especially persuasion and problem solving), ◆ clear understanding of the design process, ◆ to know your market, ◆ and a willingness to take opportunities and be open minded. Let’s hope many of these students will make it in textiles!
Facing page and above: Photos from the Making It in Textiles conference and mill visits. THE CLOTHWORKER | SPRING 2019
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BOOKBINDING AWARDS Archivist, Hannah Dunmow
ANNUAL COMPETITION
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he Company continues to support the endangered craft of hand bookbinding by commissioning fine bindings from established bookbinders and by funding prizes in the Open Choice category of the Designer Bookbinders’ Competition. The Competition is organised by Designer Bookbinders – one of the foremost societies devoted to the craft of fine bookbinding, founded more than 50 years ago – and co-sponsored by The Folio Society. Entry is open to all binders (except DB Fellows) who are resident in the UK at the time of completing their binding. Every entrant must bind the appointed book (this year it was Ray Bradbury’s The
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Illustrated Man), but can also submit open-choice books and artist’s books as a secondary entry. The Clothworkers’ Company provides two prizes in the Open Choice Book category, where binders choose their own titles to bind. This category consistently attracts high quality
designs. This year the first-prize winner also won three other awards, and between them both Clothworker prize winners have won seven Clothworker Awards in recent years! First prize was awarded to Yuko Matsuno for her miniature binding (76 x 60 x 25 mm) of The Island: An Amsterdam Saga by Geert Mak [Stichting Handboekbinden, The Hague: 2016]. It is bound in full red goatskin, with hand ink-dotted doublures, endpapers and edges. The cover has swingable ladybirds (made from polymer clay, covered in goatskin and painted with acrylic) attached to it with gold-filled headpins. The title is tooled in dark brown on goatskin inlays underneath the ladybirds. The whole volume is
contained in a diorama glass jar with handmade cork soil and hemp thread foliage. In the story there is a character called Sandra. Her anecdote is ‘She lives in her own world and she can make ladybirds, she puts four in a jar and after a week there are eight. She can do that’. Yuko has created this world on the binding. The design of the doublures, endpapers and edge decorations represents the village on KNSM Island (in the Amsterdam docks) on fire. Second prize went to Kaori Maki for Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson [The Folio Society, London: 2016]. It is bound in full teal goatskin with yellow, tan and white goatskin onlays of wild flowers.
Nature rarer uses Yellow Than another Hue. Saves she all of that for Sunsets Prodigal of Blue Spending Scarlet, like a Woman Yellow she affords Only scantly and selectly Like a Lover’s Words. Emily Dickinson (1830-86)
Emily Dickinson spent most of her life at home, but her inner world was inspired by the wider world. Kaori was influenced by one of the poems, “Nature Rarer Uses Yellow”. This particular verse stirred in her the idea that the colour yellow was symbolic of Emily’s way of life. The little white and blue squares on the cover and endpapers represent prisms of light. The Company also continues to fund and support The Queen’s Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme (QBAS), now in its third year of training new apprentices.
Facing page: Yuko Matsuno’s first-prize binding, The Island: An Amsterdam Saga. Right: Kaori Maki’s second-prize binding, Selected Poems.
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NOTABLE CLOTHWORKER: SIR WILLIAM HEWETT Senior Archivist, Jessica Collins
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ir William Hewett is popularly remembered as the father of Anne Hewett, the young girl who (according to John Stow) fell into the Thames and was rescued by her father’s apprentice, Edward Osborne (later Sir). However, Sir William had a most interesting and varied career – a founding member of The Clothworkers’ Company, a wealthy merchant, a prisoner, a reluctant civic official and a trusted servant of Elizabeth I, not to mention being called upon to accompany Lady Jane Grey to her execution. Having recently been gifted a portrait of the gentleman by his descendant Derek Hewett of Singapore, following its long-term loan to the Museum of London, it is apposite that we consider Sir William’s interesting life more closely. William Hewett (also Huett/Hewet) was born in Wales, a hamlet in the parish of Laughton-en-le-Morthen in the West Riding of Yorkshire c. 1496. After university at Queen’s College, Cambridge, and a stint at Gray’s Inn, he was apprenticed to a London Clothworker. The date of his apprenticeship predates our earliest extant membership records. However, Hewett must have become a Freeman by 1529, when he is first recorded as taking an apprentice through The Company. Apart from Osborne, these included his cousin William Hewett (later a substantial benefactor of The Company), Robert Barnett and Richard Foster (both bequeathed £5 in Hewett’s will – half the sum required to ‘set up shop’ as a small master) and Henry Boswell (or Bosville), brother of Gilbert, whose sister in law by marriage was ‘Bess of Hardwick’ – or Lady Cavendish, who built Chatsworth. Hewett became a very wealthy
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merchant, operating from a property called the Three Cranes in Candlewick Street in the City, originally the centre of London’s clothmaking district. Also a member of The Merchant Adventurers’, Hewett prospered in the Iberian trade, importing hundreds of pounds of goods per annum by the 1560s. In one year alone, a fleet of 40 merchant vessels brought him Spanish wool and iron, fustians from Genoa and Ulm in addition to other commodities such as frying pans, flax, straw hats, madder, and copper from other European ports. In 1536, he had married Alice Leveson, the third daughter of Nicholas Leveson of Halling, Kent, Mercer, and the couple set up home in Philpot Lane, off Fenchurch Street, although they had a country house in Highgate and owned many other properties. These also included a house on the old London Bridge, where Hewett’s infant daughter (and only surviving child) was once accidentally dropped from a window into the Thames. According to tradition, Edward Osborne jumped out and saved her from drowning. When she grew up, Anne could have had her pick of suitors as a wealthy heiress-to-be, but her father allegedly remarked ‘Osborne saved her, let Osborne enjoy her’, and the two later went on to marry. So important was this event in Clothworker legend, that a mural depicting Anne’s rescue was commissioned for the Red Drawing Room in the Victorian fifth Hall from W.R. Beverley in 1864. Hewett became Master of The Company in 1543, a pivotal time in Clothworker history – in this period The Company petitioned the Lord Mayor and Aldermen for sole
control of clothworking (there being artisan clothworkers in other livery companies) and tried unsuccessfully to reconstitute its yeomanry or craft element. Such was the uneasy relationship between the largely mercantile Court and Livery, and the yeomanry, that a two-tier membership effectively operated within The Company with divergent interests in relation to the export of unfinished cloth (which would threaten its stability in subsequent decades). In 1565, the Clothworkers almost ceded their rights of oversight and control of cloth finishing to The Merchant Taylors’ – a move that would have required the entire yeomanry to translate to the other Company. Perhaps preoccupied by the gravity of this Clothworker business or indeed his own extensive affairs, Sir William initially refused to serve as Alderman of Vintry Ward when elected in 1550 and was committed to Newgate Prison. Upon his release, having had a change of heart, he became heavily involved in the great political and public affairs of the age. Whilst Sheriff in 1553, he was charged with carrying out the sentence of execution upon Lady Jane Grey. He subsequently received a grant of arms from Queen Mary I for his loyalty. As the first Protestant and first Clothworker Lord Mayor in 1559, he was given many important tasks by the new Queen Elizabeth. Only a few weeks into his post, the Privy Council sternly wrote to him requiring that he ‘might cause speedy reformation of divers enormities in the same city’, including imposing sumptuary laws,
[Continued on page 14 ... ]
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NOTABLE CLOTHWORKER: SIR WILLIAM HEWETT (CONTINUED)
and prohibiting the serving of meat in hostelries on fast-days, the over-pricing of goods, and seeking out houses of illegal dicing and other ‘plays and games’. He was also heavily involved in Elizabeth’s attempt to reform the currency, removing the debased coinage then in circulation. Despite his initial reluctance to hold office, Hewett had a strong sense of civic duty, and upon his death in January 1567, he left many philanthropic bequests including ‘herringes, breade and drinke’ for prisoners in Newgate gaol (having had first-hand experience of prison conditions there during his short stay previously), money for prisoners at Ludgate and the two compters (gaols) in Cheapside, money for inmates at St Thomas’ Hospital and the poor inhabitants of his parish and ward in addition to funding for a new water conduit for the City. He also left £15 to The Clothworkers’ Company towards his funeral costs and a dinner to be held thereafter. He had earlier promised to give the Court as much hard stone as was necessary to build the wharf at the Common Stairs [‘where handicraftsmen washed their cloths in the Thames’]. Hewett was buried in the church of St Martin Orgar alongside his wife who predeceased him (c. 1561). According to Maitland, he is said to have left an extensive estate worth some £6,000 per annum upon his death. His property was shared between his daughter Anne and Edward Osborne, his brother Thomas and nephew Henry. Osborne and Anne Hewett’s descendants acquired the Dukedom of Leeds and the portrait we now own is said to have previously hung in
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Previous page: Portrait of Sir William Hewett, c. 1550-55, oil on wood. Above: Engraving (1771) of Thomas Osborne, Duke of Leeds, ‘relating to Charles II a remarkable circumstance of his ancestor’ – ie, the story of Anne Hewett’s rescue.
Kiveton House, Yorkshire, the former seat of the dukes. It is understood that when the dukedom became extinct, the possessions of the last duke were sold and thus dispersed. By 1966, this portrait had entered the George Schafer Collection in Schweinfurt, following acquisition from a Munich based art dealer. It was purchased by Derek Hewett, a descendant of Sir William, in 1989 and had been on longterm loan to the Museum of London. Previously attributed to Ludger Thomas Ring and later Anthonis Mor, the portrait was painted c. 1553 and depicts Sir William as an ageing figure, dressed in his Aldermanic robes. The cap indicates his learned status, and chain of gold his mercantile activities. The latter was in effect a type of portable
bank account worn by merchants, who would cut off a link or two as and when they needed ready cash. There are no insignia or inscriptions explicitly identifying Hewett (not uncommon in Tudor portraiture), but the sliver of topography, seen through the narrow window, shows a church spire which is believed to represent the church of All Saints in Laughton-en-le-Morthen, the place of Hewett’s birth. None of Anne and Edward Osborne’s five children went on to become members of The Company; however the Most Noble George Godolphin Osborne, the ninth Duke of Leeds, received the Freedom of The Company by Presentation on 23 July 1890, as a direct descendent of Sir William Hewett and his daughter, Anne.
EXPLORING OUR HALL AND HISTORY LONDON OPEN HOUSE
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lothworkers’ Hall opened to the public for Open House London on 22 September. Our thanks go to the Clothworkers who volunteered, helping staff to welcome 1,240 visitors and making our building and collections more accessible to the public. We had visitors of all ages and all walks of life pass through the Hall. Many expressed their gratitude that the building – and others like it – in the City were opened to them for the event. Members and staff were kept busy answering questions about modern livery companies, the Clothworkers’ core objectives, The Foundation, and details about the history of the Hall and the collections on display. Many were interested to learn about teasels and habicks, and the symbolism behind the Clothworkers’ coat of arms. Do you know what the spotted griffins stand for? They signify the guardianship of treasure and the enactment of good deeds!
as well as the London Craft Week website (www.londoncraftweek.com).
commissions for the Crown and worked with historic landmarks, civic buildings, theatres, hotels, restaurants and more.
CARPET COMMISSION Members of the Livery and Freedom who were able to attend events at the Hall this past autumn have been impressed by one of The Company’s most recent commissions: a new bespoke carpet in the Livery Hall. This past September, a new, dark blue carpet was painstakingly installed in the Hall, replacing the former red one. The carpet was designed and produced by Wilton Carpets, a British company with a rich history of creating beautiful Axminster carpets using both traditional and innovative manufacturing techniques for a diverse variety of buildings. Not only have they provided carpets to other City of London livery companies (such as the entrance hall and staircase at Tallow Chandlers’ Hall), but they have also completed
Although the current enterprise was founded in 1995, Wilton Carpets is proud to be operating in the town of Wilton, which has been a site of carpet manufacturing for more than 400 years. The first carpet factory was built in Wilton in 1655, and in 1699 William III granted a charter to the clothiers and weavers of the town. In the 1700s, the town was influenced by weavers from Belgium, and in 1749 the ‘Wilton carpet’ was created by cutting loops of ‘Brussels weave’ to raise a nap. Today, the company’s woven Axminster carpets are designed and made in Wilton using British wool. Its 100-year-old narrowloom machines are still operated beside more modern, robotic, high-speed looms. Find out more at www.wiltoncarpets.com.
And of course, many left amazed after having the opportunity to view our Chris Ofili tapestry, The Caged Bird’s Song, in the Livery Hall and compare it to the 18th-century tapestries, depicting the life of Cyrus, displayed above the staircase. The Company is looking forward to welcoming public visitors to the Hall for London Craft Week 2019 (Friday, 10 May). We will be partnering with Contemporary British Silversmiths (CBS) to host demonstrations and a public lecture. More information will soon be available online – on The Company’s website (www.clothworkers.co.uk)
Above: Visitors explore the Hall and admire our collections, tapestry and Wilton carpet. THE CLOTHWORKER | SPRING 2019
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THE CLOTHWORKERS’ FOUNDATION LONDON FUNDERS
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lthough other regions and countries in the UK have specific needs and face particular disadvantages, in London, their scale and complexity are masked by areas of extreme affluence. Funders need to know about how policy affects the capital and how funding can be developed to meet the diverse needs of London’s communities. London Funders is the membership network for funders and investors in London’s civil society. With a current membership of 126 (49 independent funders, 37 public sector bodies, 12 business sector, 6 social investment organisations, 4 housing associations, and 18 others), London Funders is focused on collaboration – convening funders to connect, contribute and cooperate together, to help people across London’s communities live better lives. London Funders activities broadly divide into collaborative projects, in which it drives forward work on key issues facing London’s communities; events and meetings, at which it brings
together funders from different sectors to learn from one another; and topicspecific network groups. The Clothworkers’ Foundation funding in London Although the remit of The Foundation is UK-wide, around 20 per cent of its grants are currently awarded to organisations working in London, including in the most deprived boroughs such as Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets. Members of London Funders gain useful insight into the funding and public policy climate in London as it brings together policy sector funders, commissioners, independent foundations, corporate investors and lottery funders. The Clothworkers’ Foundation has become a member of London Funders. To date, Foundation staff have attended a series of network meetings on serious youth violence in London with a view to potentially tackling this issue collaboratively with other funders in London, including the Big Lottery Fund. Watch this space for more!
THEATRE AWARD The winner of the Clothworkers’ Theatre Award was announced at the UK Theatre Awards at London’s Guildhall in October. It was won by the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, one of nine producing theatres from the East and South East of England invited to compete for the award. The £150,000 award will support Essex on Stage, an ambitious new two-year programme championing positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London. The programme aims to commission new plays, establish a network of venues, introduce drama about Essex across Essex for new audiences, organise local events to develop talent, and develop lifechanging projects with communities. The programme will kick off with the regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon, which has never before been performed professionally in the part of the world featured in its story. On learning that his play was to be staged, David Eldridge said, ‘I am delighted that the first revival of In Basildon is being mounted in Essex at my local theatre ... The Queen’s Theatre occupies a special place in my heart. It is where I did my experience aged 18, and it’s where I was the late Bob Carlton’s Literary Associate for six years, running the theatre’s writers’ groups and advising on new work for the programme. I can’t wait to be back with a play of my own.’ This was the fifth and final Clothworkers’ Theatre Award. The
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Clothworkers’ Foundation will now commission an independent external evaluation of the £1.25m proactive Dramatic Arts initiative, which includes the Theatre Award, as well as major grants to leading drama schools – including Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and National Youth Theatre – for bursaries to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The findings of the evaluation will help The Foundation decide whether the Dramatic Arts initiative should be extended. The Foundation was recently informed that Charlotte Law, who benefitted from bursaries made to The National Youth Theatre in 2016, has been cast as Shelley for In Basildon, which will run 14-30 March. Read more about the Dramatic Arts initiative and other Proactive initiatives on The Foundation’s new website: www.clothworkersfoundation.org.uk.
THE FOUNDATION WEBSITE HAS A NEW LOOK AND A NEW HOME We’re excited to announce that The Clothworkers’ Foundation website has been redesigned and is now available at a brand new URL. To explore, please visit: Facing Page: Master John Coombe-Tennant presents The Clothworkers’ Theatre Award
www.clothworkersfoundation.org.uk
to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. Above: Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is interviewed at the awards. © Pamela Raith Photography.
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TRIBUTES SIR JOHN HALL, BT
B
orn on 20 March 1932, Past Master Sir John Hall died this past August. When his daughter, Freewoman Caroline Dixon-Ward, wrote to inform The Company of the news, she shared, ‘He had enormous affection for his friends within the Clothworkers and high regard for The Company. He much enjoyed his work [there] and it meant a lot to him.’ John was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford. He did his national service in the Royal Fusiliers. John was by profession a banker, starting his career in 1955 with J Henry Schroder Wagg. He then moved to Bank of America International. He had a long association with banking in South America. His last full-time post was as chairman of Nikko Bank UK.
Assistant Emeritus Richard Saunders remembers that John’s father, Sir Douglas Hall, came to a dinner at Clothworkers’ Hall as the guest of Alastair Leslie’s father. Having enjoyed himself, he enquired about joining The Company. Alastair claims that his father sent a postcard – his preferred method of communication – to the thenClerk with the instructions: ‘Please deal with this’, which the Clerk duly did. John himself joined The Company in 1957. He progressed through the Livery to the Court, becoming Master in 1999. For the three years preceding his Master’s Year, he served as Chairman of the Trust and Grants Committee. He was a committed and enthusiastic Clothworker whose banking background was put to good use when discussing The Company’s business affairs.
Richard believes John would approve of the direction The Company is taking today, the strength of our finances and our vision for the future. John was known as a keen traveller and fisherman, at one time owning a house in the north of Scotland. He was also involved in the financial affairs of the Church of England, being a member of the St Albans Diocesan Synod and Board of Finance, the Bishop Stortford Deanery Synod and his local parish church council at Albury. In 1957, he married Delia Innes, half-sister of Jimmy Innes (who was Master Excused in 1983). They had three children, who are all members of the Freedom: Caroline Dixon-Ward, David B. Hall and Julia O’Brian. Delia died in 1997, and the following year John married Danzie Ravenshear, who ably supported him as the Master’s Lady. Sadly, John was to be twice a widower as Danzie died in 2016.
Left: Sir John Hall dressed in his Master’s robes (1999). Right: The Viscount Slim, also dressed in his Master’s robes (1995).
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IN MEMORIAM We regret to announce the following deaths:
THE VISCOUNT SLIM, OBE DL
T
he 2nd Viscount Slim, John, was born on 20 July 1927. His father, William, was a renowned Field Marshall and Commander in the Chief Allied Land Forces, South East Asia during World War II. John spent his school holidays with his father, near the front lines in India and Burma. John was educated at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College in Dehra Dun, India, and joining the British Indian Army himself in 1944. He succeeded to his father’s title in 1970, and was one of the 92 hereditary peers elected to remain following the passing of the House of Lords Act in 1999. He served as a member of the Defence Committee. After a long and distinguished career, he retired from the armed services as a Lieutenant-Colonel (later promoted to Colonel) in 1972. Following his retirement from the Army, Viscount
Slim worked in business and went on to hold several directorships as well as dedicating his time to charitable causes. Following his retirement, he also served as Master of The Clothworkers’ Company (1995-96). The Clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, visited John just a week before he died, remarking afterwards how positively John spoke of The Company. John’s daughter, The Hon Mary Ann Slim (Clothworker), reported that both her and father had immensely enjoyed attending the December Livery Dinner a month before. John dedicated decades of his life to supporting The Company and remained a trusted adviser and a friend to many Clothworkers until his death.
Above: John Douglas Slim in Japan, 1945 (published by The Times, 2019).
Penelope Jago Freewoman (May 2018) Lord Carrington, KG GCMG CH MC PC DL Hon Livery (Jul 2018) Sir John Hall, Bt Asst. Emeritus (Aug 2018) Pamela Ward Freewoman (Sep 2018) Daphne Cunningham Freewoman (Oct 2018) Joyce Marjorie Prest Freewoman (Oct 2018) Madeleine Aylward Free by Courtesy (Nov 2018) The Viscount Slim, OBE DL Asst. Emeritus (Jan 2019) Pamela Jack Free by Courtesy (2018)
INTER LIVERY ACTIVITIES
GET INVOLVED WITH INTER LIVERY SPORTS
To find out more about Inter Livery activities, and how you can become more involved in events in the City of London, check out the Diary at www.liverycompanies.info.
For information, contact the Team Captains:
To read more about the work livery companies are doing across the City of London, check out the Livery Briefings (found in the ‘Library’), also at www.liverycompanies.info.
Sailing: Andrew Yonge (andrew.yonge@zen.co.uk) Golf: Timothy Bousfield (tim.bousfield@outlook.com) Shooting: Charlie Houston (charles@goingsolar.org.uk) THE CLOTHWORKER | SPRING 2019
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NEWS & NOTICES DISCOVER THE COCKPIT EFFECT Cockpit Arts (the UK’s only creative business incubator for crafts people) has issued a special invitation to Clothworkers: Join them at Clothworkers’ Hall for the exclusive launch of their annual Cockpit Effect Report, with insights into how they enable talent to flourish and support entrepreneurial craft businesses. To be hosted by new Chief Executive Annie Warburton, the evening will include an impact report from Head of Business Incubation David Crump. It will culminate in a panel conversation with our Clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, who will be joined by former Clothworkers’ Company Award recipient Majeda Clarke and Cockpit Arts Business Coach Emma Jeffs.
The event will be held at Clothworkers’ Hall on Monday, 11 March (6.30pm to 8.30pm). Please contact Cockpit Arts directly with questions or to reserve your place: email Sandie Mattioli at sandie@cockpitarts.com. RSVP: Thursday, 21 February (noon).
ADDITIONS TO YOUR READING LIST Olivia Pittet, Clothworker, has recently published a book, The Camino Made Easy: Reflections of a Parador Pilgrim. A foreword written by Past Master Christopher McLean May says: ‘[Olivia’s] well-researched book ... makes for an exciting read. Highly recommended and one that is hard to put down.’ Olivia has donated a copy to our Clothworkers’ library, and you can find out more at www.archwaypublishing.com. Clothworkers’ Hall is covered in a beautifully illustrated six-page chapter of The Livery Halls of the City of London, as well as being referred to throughout the book. Details and information on how to purchase are available on the Merrell Publishers website at www.merrellpublishers.com.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Masters’ and Clerks’ Dinner (5 March) We host the Masters and Clerks of many of the other livery companies, together with our military affiliates. Invitations have been sent to Court, Assistants Emeriti and selected Livery. Young Freedom Reception (14 March) Guests will enjoy a ‘masterclass’ in gin – history, mixing and tasting. Invitations have been sent to selected Court and Livery members, and all members of the Freedom under 40 years old. United Guilds Service and Luncheon (29 March) The annual service at St Paul’s Cathedral for all livery companies,
followed by lunch for members at our Hall. There is limited seating at St Paul’s, but all invitees are welcome to join us for the lunch. Invitations will be sent to Court, Assistants Emeriti, and Livery.
The full calendar for the Master’s Year is available in the Members’ Area on our website (login required): www.clothworkers.co.uk.
Civic Dinner (3 April) We welcome The Lord Mayor and members of the Civic party to dine with us. Invitations will be sent to Court, Assistants Emeriti, and Livery. Link Luncheon (25 April) Our annual meeting for the Assistants Emeriti is followed by lunch with the widows of former Court Members. Invitations will be sent to Assistants Emeriti and widows of former Court Members.
Log on to the Members’ Area of the website for more: www.clothworkers.co.uk. 20
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