An Old City Company: A Sketch of the History and Conditions of the Skinners' Company of London — John Shaqi
An Old City Company: A Sketch of the History and Conditions of the Skinners' Company of LondonSebastian, Lewis Boyd
History
An Old City Company: A Sketch of the History and Conditions of the Skinners' Company of London
Sebastian, Lewis Boyd
Worshipful Company of Skinners
THE corporate name of the Company is “The Master and Wardens of the
Guild or Fraternity of the Body of Christ of the Skinners of London.”
The association with the feast of Corpus Christi, held on the Thursday
after Trinity Sunday, goes back to the earliest days of the Company, and
the annual Corpus Christi procession and feast of the Company are
referred to and expressly sanctioned by the Charter of 1392—16 Ric. II.
When the name is Latinized, the word “Pelliparii” serves as the
equivalent of Skinners.
The Arms of the Company date from 4 Edw. VI., and are as follows:—The
Shield—_Ermine_, on a chief _gules_, three ducal coronets _or_, capped
of the field and tasselled gold. The Crest—a lizard (Lynx) statant
proper, gorged with a wreath, leaved _vert_, purffled _or_. The
Supporters—Dexter, a lizard proper; Sinister, a martin _sable_; each
gorged with a wreath, leaved _vert_. Motto—“To God only be all Glory.”
Down to the seventeenth century “In Christo Fratres” was used.
The date of the first establishment of this Company is unknown, but it
was certainly long prior to the year 1327—1 Edw. III—when the first
Royal Charter was granted to “Our beloved men of the City of London
called Skynners.” Later charters were granted from time to time, but it
is not necessary to refer to them here. The Company also holds an
unlimited license in mortmain. The earlier of the City Companies, such
as the Weavers, Saddlers, and others, claim to have had their beginning
in Saxon times. Whether the same is true of the Skinners, it is now
impossible to say, but at all events the grant of the charter
constituted a Royal recognition of what was already a voluntarily
existing fraternity.
An old book in the possession of the Company, written on vellum and
illuminated, which dates from the end of the fifteenth century, contains
a list of names of the “Founders and Bretherne and Susterne of the
fraternity of Corpus Christi founded by the Worshipful Fellowship of
Skynners of the Citee of London, that is to wit.”—
King Edward the III.
Dame Philip, his Queen.
King Richard the II.
Dame Anne, his Queen.
Prince Edward, father of the said King Richard.
King Henry the IIII.
Dame Johan, his Queen.
King Henry the V.
Dame Kateryn, his Queen.
King Henry the VI.
King Edward the IIII.
Dame Elizabeth, his Queen.
Leonell, Duke of Clarence.
Henry, Duke of Lancastre.
Thomas, Duke of Clarence.
John, Duke of Bedford.
Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester.
Richard, Duke of York.
John, Duke of Excestre.
George, Duke of Clarence.
Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
Edmund, Erle of Rutland.
Richard, Erle of Salesbury.
John, Lord Faunhope.
And others of less distinction, several of whom are described as
“clerk,” nearly 600 in all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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