Watermen's Hall
| Watermen's Hall | |
|
Middlesex | |
|---|---|
 Watermen's Hall | |
| Type: | Livery hall |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ33078070 |
| Location: | 51°30’35"N, 0°5’2"W |
| City: | London |
| History | |
| Address: | St Mary-at-Hill |
| Built 1778-80 | |
| For: | The Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames by William Blackburn |
| Livery hall | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | The Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames |
| Website: | Watermen's Hall |
Watermen's Hall is a Georgian hall standing on St Mary at Hill in the City of London. It is the hall of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames, one of the companies of the City of London, though not technically a livery company as it is classed as a "Company without Grant of Livery", though the distinction is technical and its hall, though therefore not technically a "livery hall" may be considered along with the halls of the livery companies.
The Company of Watermen was established by Act of Parliament in 1514 to regulate the watermen on the River Thames responsible for the movement of goods and passengers. A further Act, in 1555, provided for apprenticeships. It remains and remains the only ancient City guild to be formed and governed by Act of Parliament. In 1700 the Lightermen (carriers of goods and cargo from ships) joined the Watermen’s Company and it took on its current name.[1]
From 1778 to 1780 The Company moved into its own purpose-built hall in St Mary at Hill, where we can still be found today. The Company is a working guild and is very actively involved with the life of the River and those who work on it. Working alongside the Passenger Boat Association, it consults and negotiates with national and local government and its agencies on behalf of its members, and it still supports apprenticeships.
The Doggett's Coat and Badge, which was first raced in 1715, is the oldest continuously run river race and is now claimed to be the oldest continually staged annual sporting event in the world.[2]
See also
Outside links
References
Livery Halls of the City of London  |
|---|
|
Apothecaries • Armourers • Bakers • Barber-Surgeons • Brewers • Butchers • Carpenters • Chartered Accountants • Clothworkers • Coopers • Cutlers • Drapers • Dyers • Farmers & Fletchers • Fishmongers • Founders • Furniture Makers • Girdlers • Glaziers • Goldsmiths • Grocers • Haberdashers • Information Technologists • Innholders • Ironmongers • Leathersellers • Mercers • Merchant Taylors • Painters • Pewterers • Plaisterers • Saddlers • Salters • Skinners • Stationers • Tallow Chandlers • Vintners • Watermen • Wax Chandlers • HQS Wellington • |