A Brief History of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, London, A D. 1351-1889: With Appendix Containing Some Account of the Blacksmiths' Company

Excerpt from A Brief History of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, London, A D. 1351-1889: With Appendix Containing Some Account of the Blacksmiths' Company

To my brother Ironmongers, "root and branch," I dedicate this "brief history" of our ancient Guild. Notwithstanding the innumerable facts printed in the following pages, the work must only be considered as an historical essay upon the tenth of the twelve "great" Livery Companies of the City of London. A more elaborate compilation is in progress, and if my life is spared to complete it that work will contain the labour of love collections during the past quarter of a century of an extensive - I may say unique - assortment of manuscripts and other papers relating to the City, its Companies, and its Institutions, which will prose, I have every reason to believe, a most Interesting and valuable civic record.

The present publication has taken place now for several reasons, some of which I may as well explain. Before J. P. Malcolm printed the interesting extracts from the Ironmongers' records in the second volume of his •' I.ondinluin Redivivum," 1803, very little was known by the general public about this ancient City Guild. He was followed by William Herbert, the Guildhall Librarian, in 1834-36, who published a "History of the Twelve Great Livery Companies," with a most valuable Introductory essay. Both of these works are now scarce. In 1851 John Nicholl, Esq , F.S.A.,a Member of the Court of the Ironmongers' Company, compiled his " Some Account" of the Guild, taken from their own records, and this choice volume he enlarged and printed in 1866. There were, however, only 150 copies circulated among the Livery and their friends, consequently this history is more scarce than those issued by Malcolm and Herbert.

When I was elected Yeomanry Warden at Easter, 1868, in commemoration of the fact that 1 was one of the Committee of the Spanish Armada Tercentenary (Plymouth and London) Commemoration, about which Armada I had published an essay in 1886, and that the Ironmongers' Company had contributed towards the defence of the kingdom exactly three centuries previous; that the year 1889 was by a curious coincidence the 700th anniversary of the City Mayoralty; that several eminent Lord Mayors had been citizens and Ironmongers; that from my own personal knowledge a large percentage of the present members of the Yeomanry know very little of the history of their Guild, or about their ancient predecessors; and last, but not least, that the facilities afforded to me by the Editor of the well-known trade journal.

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