Mercers' Hall
| Mercers' Hall | |
|
Middlesex | |
|---|---|
 Mercers' Hall in Ironmonger Lane | |
| Type: | Livery hall |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ32528120 |
| Location: | 51°30’51"N, 0°5’30"W |
| City: | London |
| History | |
| By: | E. Noel Clifton |
| Livery hall | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | The Worshipful Company of Mercers |
Mercers' Hall, at 6 Frederick's Place in the City of London, is the livery hall of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, the premier livery company of the City of London.
History
From the 14th century onwards the Company held its meetings in the Hospital of St. Thomas of Acon on Cheapside. Between 1517 and 1524 the Company built the Mercer's Chapel on this land, with the first Mercers' Hall above it, fronting Cheapside.[1] The building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The second Hall, designed by Edward Jarman and John Oliver, opened in May 1676. The Hall was extensively refurbished during the period 1877 to 1881 (the porch of the 1676 building is now incorporated into the facade of Swanage town hall). The frontage was remodelled by George Barnes Williams and the interiors were redesigned by John Gregory Crace, the renowned Victorian designer. The Hall was destroyed by fire in 1941 during the Blitz.
The third and present Mercers' Hall was opened in May 1958. The architect was E. Noel Clifton of Gunton and Gunton. The Hall incorporates fittings from the old Hall, including some 17th-century woodwork and Victorian stained glass. The Mercers' Company is the only City Livery Company to have its own private chapel.
The Company
The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. It is the first of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies.[2] Although of even older origin, the Company was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1394, the Company's earliest extant Charter. The Company's aim was to act as a trade association for general merchants, and especially for exporters of wool and importers of velvet, silk and other luxurious fabrics (mercers). By the 16th century many members of the Company had lost any connection with the original trade. Today, the Company exists primarily as a charitable institution, supporting a variety of causes.
In education, the Company has administered St Paul's School since 1509 (and its prep school St Paul's Juniors), St Paul's Girls' School since 1904, two preparatory schools in Middlesex, and retains close links with other schools founded by mercers.[3] In recent times the Company has founded a City Technology College (Thomas Telford School) and two City Academies in the Staffordshire Black Country (Walsall Academy and Sandwell Academy).
Outside links
References
- ↑ Richard Newcourt. Repertorium Ecclesiasticum Parochiale Londinense: Comprising all London and .... p. 554. https://books.google.com/books?id=o2VZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA554&lpg=PA554&dq=mercer+chapel,+middlesex&source=bl&ots=UGyoix15-X&sig=l9fqAXkiR4-8uXzIxy_McAwlGh0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kSjbUtHIKpHJsQSWsIHQCQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=mercer%20chapel%2C%20middlesex&f=false. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- ↑ Engel, Matthew (December 21, 2012). "British institutions: livery companies". ft.com. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/e42e19a0-47da-11e2-a899-00144feab49a.html#slide0. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Independent Schools". Mercers. http://www.mercers.co.uk/independent-schools. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- Sutton, Anne F., The Mercery of London: Trade, Goods and People, 1130–1578, Aldershot, 2005
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