FURTHER READING

If you have enjoyed finding out more about the Company and the livery movement, we recommend you visit these websites for further reading furnituremakers.org.uk liverycommittee.org liverypictures.com cityoflondon.gov.uk

A Short History

Members can also learn more about the history of the Company by reading ‘A Short History’, a book written by the Senior Past Master, Roger Richardson RD

A digital copy is available to read on the website� bit.ly/AShortHistorybyRR

Glossary

Admission

The ceremony by which freemen and liverymen are admitted to the Company and assistants to the Court

Assistant

A member of the Court junior to the wardens�

Charitable Fund

The Charitable Fund holds the bulk of the assets of the Company and is the main operating account� Governed by trustees (who are appointed by the Court)�

Clerk

The senior employee of a livery company or guild and therefore its chief executive officer�

Common Hall

The Company’s annual general meeting

Company

Shorthand reference to Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers� Usually meaning the whole organisation including the charity and FMC Ltd�

Company Chaplain

Formally the Chaplain to the Master� The priest of the church used by a Company�

They say Grace at Company lunches and dinners� used for the Guild Marks, ceremonial and non-fundraising events�

Court

The governing body of the Company� Authorises all budgets and expenditure and takes all major decisions� Appoints the trustees and committee chairmen�

First Assistant

The senior assistant below the wardens� Likely to be the next junior warden�

Freedom of the City

An honour bestowed by the City upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary� Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected citizens freedom from serfdom has to be applied for (for a fee) by a freeman wishing to become a liveryman

Guild

The Company was founded, as all livery companies are, as a guild in 1951� A guild has to prove its competence by attracting members (freemen) and funds before it can apply to the City Corporation to become a livery company

Guildhall

Corporate Fund

The non-charitable funds of the Company,

The ‘town hall’ of the City and the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation Elections of the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs are held there�

Installation Ceremony

An event where a person is installed as, for example, a Master or a warden�

Immediate Past Master

The most recent Past Master

Junior Warden Officer junior to the senior warden� Traditionally two years away from being elected as Master

Livery Company

An organisation in the City which has been licensed by Letters Patent to be a livery company�

Liveryman

A freeman of a livery company who is a freeman of the City of London and who has been admitted to the livery (having paid the due fines)�

Lord Mayor

Head, elected annually, of the City of London Corporation� Resides in Mansion House� The role was established in 1189�

Not to be confused with the Mayor of London�

Loving Cup

Ancient tradition of a silver cup containing an unspecified drink which is passed along the tables at the end of a formal City dinner and from which each guest sips, then wipes and passes on (with his or her back protected by the previous drinker)

Master

The head of a livery company, usually for one year and only once�

Master’s Outing

Each Master invites all members to join him or her on a visit to a place of interest at home or abroad�

Officers

Officers of a livery company, usually taken as referring to the Master and wardens

Past Masters

Liverymen who have served as Master�

Royal Charter

The document by which the Company is incorporated and the liability of its members is limited� Available to certain types of organisations such as livery companies but not to commercial entities�

Second Assistant

Second most senior assistant below the wardens� Likely to be the next but one junior warden�

Senior Warden Officer immediately junior to the Master Likely to be the next one

Sheriffs

Two assistants to the Lord Mayor elected each year by liverymen of all City livery companies The two Sheriffs are responsible for the Central Criminal Court, the ‘Old Bailey’� The senior one

(aldermanic) can expect to be Lord Mayor two years later�

Treasures

Silverware (Loving Cups, etc) and other valuable objects gifted to a Company

Trustees

Senior liverymen appointed by the Court to govern the Charitable Fund�

Ward

An area of the City similar in function to a parliamentary constituency, e�g� the Broad Street Ward� Its residents and businesses elect aldermen and common councillors�

Wardens

Officers immediately junior to the Master and likely to be in succession�

Worshipful

Notable or distinguished Traditionally the first word in the title of a livery company