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The
Worshipful Company of Cordwainers |
| The Worshipful Company was already well
established in 1272 when it received formal
approval of its ordinances and is number
27 in the Order of Precedence that was established
in 1515. It becomes the fourth leather industry
company to be introduced in this series
of histories of Livery Companies of the
City. |
What is a Cordwainer?
Unlike so many other Worshipful
Companies, the trade of the Cordwainers is not
immediately obvious. It is not irrational to
ask how the name originated and why it became
the Company for the shoemaking industry. The
name Cordwainer comes from the French “Cordonnier”,
but you may still ask why Cordonnier has anything
to do with shoes and shoe making. The history
apparently goes back to the source of the leather
that was used for the best shoes. The City of
Cordoba in Spain became renowned for the quality
of its leather before the Norman invasion of
Britain. As a stronghold of the mighty Omeyyad
Kalifs, Moorish Cordoba became renowned for
both silversmithing and the production of Cordouan
leather. Originally made from the skin of Musoli
goats that were native to Corsica, Sardinia
and parts of Spain, these skins were “tawed”
with alum in a process that is claimed to have
been exclusively known to the Moors. So we go
from Musoli goats and the Moor’s tawing skill
to Cordoba, to Cordouan leather, to the French
Cordoue (fine leather) and Cordonnier, to the
English Cordwain and Cordwainer.
The term “cordwainer” first
appears around 1100 and may well be part of
the legacy of the Norman invasion. Over time,
the use of cordouan or cordovan leather has
actually been applied
to several different varieties of leather, but
has always been associated with the highest
quality available.
The first English guild to
call themselves cordwainers was founded in Oxford
in 1131 and it was only a few years later in
1160 that historians believe that the London
leather workers (that used cordouan leather)
formed their fraternity. With London as the
principal port through which cordouan leather
was imported, the London fraternity had unusual
influence over the fine leather industry in
England and contributed substantially to the
growing prosperity of London. Over time, those
using fine leathers for purposes other than
shoemaking, broke away to form their own fraternities
or guilds, leaving the Cordwainers with exclusive
jurisdiction over the shoe-making industry in
London.
|
The
Early Days of the Company of Cordwainers. |
| The first written proof of the Fraternity
of the “Mysterie” of Cordwainers is in ordinances
dated 1272, making the company one of the
older Liveries in the City. In 1439, during
the reign of Henry VI, the Company obtained
its Royal Charter. This officially confirmed
the operations of the Company and permitted
it to own property, including its own hall,
and giving it formal control over the skill,
training, and qualifications of shoe-makers
and shoe quality within the City. |
With the continual struggle
for power in England between the Kings and various
lords and barons during the early 13th century,
the London guilds were solicited by opposing
sides and they joined sides depending on where
they saw the most advantage. In 1267, social
divisions created by the Civil War were still
intense, an armed battle took place in the streets
of the City. This started between the apprentices
of the Goldsmiths and the Taylors. The Clothworkers
and Cordwainers joined the fray. When peace
was restored, many of the 500 or so craftsmen
involved were dead or wounded, and 13 of the
leaders were hanged.
At the start of the 14th century,
the wealth of the Cordwainers was growing rapidly
and so, in 1316, the Guild acquired property
on Cannon Street (or this may have been bequeathed
to it). According to a plaque at this location,
the Guild built its first hall (of five) on
the site in 1440. The Royal Charter, which established
the Guild as a Livery Company, also permitted
the Company to own land and property in its
own right. So, as the wealth of Cordwainers
grew and the Guild followed suit, City property
became a primary investment for them. In 1547,
John Fisher became the Company's first recorded
major benefactor, when he bequeathed property
in Fleet Street adjoining Falcon Court. (This
asset has contributed to the Company’s funds
right up to the present day).
Like most of the City Livery
Companies, the Great Fire of 1666 was disastrous
for the Cordwainers. The Company lost not only
its Hall but also much of its investment property
and almshouses. Most of its records were lost,
and, although the bravery of the Clerk saved
many valuables, a significant number of these
had to be sold to enable to Company to survive.
|
After
the Great Fire |
| Using the same location, a new Hall was
built to replace the first. This was only
done after several years of regenerating
some of the Company’s previous wealth. |
For more than 100 years, the
Company continued to control the London shoe-making
trade, and required all makers to live up to
quality standards. They also continued to support
the training of apprentices, the schooling of
the children of members, support to the widows
and families of dead members, and charity to
the community.
John Came, who served the
Company in the 18th century, was another key
benefactor, and he was joined later by other
distinguished members of the Company, including
Dr William Marsden, founder of the Royal Free
and Marsden Hospitals, Master in 1849-50, and
Sir Henry Doulton, the manufacturer of pottery
who went on to found Royal Doulton, who was
Master in 1889-90.
A photograph
of this plaque appears later in this article.
This states that there were 6 halls successively
built on the site, but the Company’s website
contradicts this. One might question whether
the Guild would wait more than 100 years to
build its first hall when it owned the site,
but this may have something to do with the issuing
of its Royal Charter in 1439 which gave the
Company the right to own property.
In the 18th century, the industrial
revolution brought an inevitable decline to
the guilds’ control of their trades and the
Cordwainers were no exception. However, with
considerable wealth, status and property, the
Company continued to prosper even though its
original trade purpose vanished. In fact, the
wealth of the Company was sufficient for them
to secure the services of Sylvanus Hall to design
and build a new Hall (the third). This was completed
in 1788 .
It was not until late in the
19th century that they began to rediscover their
role in education and their value as advisors
to their trades. By the end of the 19th century,
the Company was again flourishing and founded
the Leather Trades School. With wealth, the
Company set about the task of replacing its
Hall, and in 1909 their fifth Hall was completed.
This was a splendid building overlooking St.
Paul’s Cathedral. Regrettably, it was seriously
damaged in the blitz in 1941, was torn down
and never rebuilt.
By the 20th century, the Company
had evolved and its main concern had become
its charitable works. To the present day, these
include its almshouses, cadets, pension schemes
and care of the blind, deaf and dumb, the poor
and the infirm.
A small blue plaque in the
garden of St. Paul’s Churchyard facing Cannon
Street
commemorates five Halls built on the same site
- a site which had been associated with the
Company since 1316. An impressive new Hall was
completed in 1909, but was destroyed during
the Second World War.
The Company gratefully accepted
the invitation of its President to use the facilities
of the Law Society in Chancery Lane and continued
to do so until the Company moved to Clothworkers’
Hall in the City of London in 2005.
 |
The
Company’s Arms
Building on the historic
source of the best quality leather which
came from goats, the Company’s arms show
three goats heads. The motto reads “leather
and art”.
Current Activities
Footwear and Leather Education
The Cordwainers provide scholarships,
bursaries and prizes to students of footwear
and leather goods at the London College
of Fashion (part of the University of
the Arts), the University of Northampton,
Capel Manor College in Enfield, and De
Montfort University. |
Photographs of
etchings and historic photographs can be seen
by clicking
here
The article editor has not been able to find
any reference to the forth Hall
The Cordwainers’ BA Footwear
Scholarship is a prestigious prize awarded each
year to a talented student at the London College
of Fashion to fund their final project. This
prize was worth over £3,000 last year. At the
University of Northampton, the Cordwainers offer
scholarships to the top three Footwear Fashion
students in all three years. Similarly, the
Cordwainers give prizes to leatherwork students
at Capel Manor College.
A new link was forged in 2008 with the footwear
department at De Montfort University, further
demonstrating the Cordwainers’ commitment to
this sector.
Supporting Education
The Cordwainers provide scholarships and prizes
to nurses at the Royal Free Hospital, and to
medical students at the Royal Free & University
College London Medical School. These include
awards for the highest-achieving first year
medical undergraduate and the best PhD thesis.
They also support the study of Music at the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The Cordwainers’
Scholarship is awarded to an exceptional music
student and they award a similar prize at City
University.
More recently the Company has supported the
Hackney Free and Parochial Secondary School,
a specialist sports school.
Social Housing
The Company owns almshouses in Chesham in
Buckinghamshire and Shorne in Kent.
Cordwainers Court has been voted most preferred
Hall of Residence at the University of the Arts,
London for several years running. Students benefit
from attractive rooms, a high standard of furnishings,
internet access in each bedroom and a large
common room.
Blind and Partially Sighted People
The Cordwainers have supported societies for
the blind and partially sighted for centuries,
strongly believing that visual impairment should
not be a barrier to personal fulfillment
They support the Royal London Society for the
Blind (RLSB) School at Dorton House near Sevenoaks.
The Company also backs specialist charities
that help blind people with financial difficulties.
Territorial Army and Cadets
The Cordwainers have supported the ‘C’ Company
of the Territorial Army of the Royal Regiment
of Fusiliers for over 50 years. They also support
Cadets by providing funding for annual training
camps, boots and minibuses. In 2008, they funded
the setting up of the new Corps of Drums.
|
Contact
Information |
| The Clerk of the Worshipful
Company of Cordwainers is John Miller Esq: |
| The address is: |
The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
Clothworkers’ Hall
Dunster Court
Mincing Lane
London EC3R 7AH |
Phone:
E-mail: |
+44 207929 1121
office@cordwainers.org |
Other Cordwainer Companies and Guilds
The UK
There are numerous references to the existence
of other guilds and companies of Cordwainers
in the UK: Oxford is the first reference although
it may not have been the first guild as there
are references to a London guild in some accounts
as early as 1060 and there are records of similar
guilds in many other towns and cities in England
and Wales, notably Bath, Brecon, Cardiff, Edinburgh,
Exeter, Glasgow, Haverfordwest, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Northampton, South Leith and York. Some of these
are still actives. The York Guild was re-founded
in 1977. The Arms of the York Company is not
only almost identical to the Arms of the Worshipful
Company in London (there is no motto), but includes
the date 1669 but no explanation of this date
has been found. The excavation of the site of
the old Cordwainers Hall in York indicates that
this was built in the late 13th or early 14th
century.
Europe
Cordwainers were recognized throughout Europe.
In particular, Ghent, being one of the major
centres of shoemaking had a strong guild.
North America
The first English cordwainers landed in Jamestown
as part of the City of London’s Merchant Adventurers
plans to prepare for the building of permanent
settlements in Virginia. By 1610, many tradesmen
arrived in Jamestown including a number of Cordwainers
and, by 1616, the secretary of Virginia recorded
a flourishing shoe and leather community. Guilds
of Cordwainers were formed in many North American
cities but most have disappeared since. Others
continue: Calafia (San Diego), Massachusetts
and Philadelphia. Research has not uncovered
any Cordwainers Guilds in Canada that remain
active.
In the US, however, the Honourable Cordwainers’
Company was founded in 1984 in Virginia by a
small group of shoe makers and historians. This
was incorporated in 1987 as a tax-exempt non-profit
educational organization. Dedicated to the study,
practice, interpretation and preservation of
historical and traditional shoemaking, the organization
has grown substantially and now makes available
an extensive collection of educational demonstrations,
lecture, presentations and workshops in DVD
format. It maintains a library and archive at
the University of Tulsa. In the future, they
intend to: establish a public museum and a public
reference library; develop an educational training
center; produce multimedia educational materials;
and disseminate current research that will improve
and change shoemaking.
Information on the HCC can be found at www.thehcc.org.
Sources:
This article was assembled
by Peter Leach, past Master of the Honourable
Company, from information on the website of
the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers (www.cordwainers.org),
the website of the Honourable Cordwainers’ Company(www.thehcc.org),
Sir Ernest Pooley’s book “The Guilds of the
City of London” published by William Collins
of London 1945, the website of the Freemen of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne (www.freemenofnewcastle.org),
the website www.communigate.co.uk,
the website of the National Archives (UK) at
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk,
and searches on www.google.com.
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