To trace the career of a member up to the Chair—if he is not the son of a freeman, born after the date of his father’s freedom, so as himself to be entitled to the freedom by patrimony, he must be apprenticed to a freeman while between the ages of 14 and 21. After seven years of apprenticeship he is entitled to the freedom, and it is usual to take up the freedom of the City of London at the same time as the freedom of the Company. Those entitled by patrimony are able to take up the freedom on attaining 21. The Livery are elected by the Court from the freemen. The practice has fluctuated. Sometimes the Court have elected practically all qualified candidates free from objection. At other times, when the numbers appeared to be growing too fast, limits have been imposed. At the present time, the rule is to restrict the number of Liverymen elected after apprenticeship to not exceeding three a year. This is in addition to patrimonial candidates. From the Livery one is chosen annually by the Court, on Corpus Christi Day, to serve as Renter Warden for the year ensuing. The Renter Warden was in former years the Bursar of the Company. He received the rents and made the payments. He had the charge of the moveable property of the Company, and was responsible for all. In return for this, certain of the Company’s benefactors directed small annual payments to the Renter Warden. The Renter Warden still checks over the plate of the Company on taking office, but his responsible duties are now discharged by the salaried officers of the Company, under the directions of the Court and its committees. At the end of the Skinners’ year, _i.e._, on the following Corpus Christi Day, it is usual for the retiring Renter Warden to be elected to the Court, and through the following year he acts as junior member, without office. The following year he is elected third Warden, the next second Warden, the next first Warden, and then Master; so that in six years from his election as Renter Warden he has passed the Chair, and goes to the bottom of the Assistants, with only his own ex-Renter Warden below him. The ancient officers of the Company are the Clerk and the two Beadles, the Clerk being the trusted and chief executive official, while the Beadles discharge duties of a humbler character. To these have been added, in more recent times, the Solicitor, the Surveyor, and the Accountant.