Membership, Freedom and Livery Clothing

Livery Companies differ greatly in the way in which they acquire members known as Freemen and Liverymen.

Freedom Admission

There are several ways by which prospective members can apply to join a livery company, initially as a Freeman and then as a Liveryman. Admissions to the Freedom of the...

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Freedom of the City

Applicants who achieve Freedom of the Company must then obtain the Freedom of the City of London before they are eligible to join the Livery; however the Company will sponsor...

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Livery Apprentices

The class of Apprentice member of a Livery Company is largely symbolic and allows the junior member, under the guidance of an Apprentice Master, to learn about the heritage and...

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Livery Freedom Candidate Guidance

Livery Companies differ greatly in the way in which they acquire members known as Freemen and Liverymen. For general information on the City of London Livery Companies, a free brochure...

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Modern Livery Companies

There is no hard and fast definition of exactly what makes a Livery Company ‘modern’ but it is generally accepted that the first among them was the Master Mariners who...

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New Guilds

The process of forming a new Livery Company is overseen by the Court of Aldermen (the Court). Initially the potential new company seeks to form a Guild. Having successfully achieved...

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Other Membership Classes

Livery Companies vary greatly in the range of membership classes that they maintain. Typical additional membership classes beyond that of Liverymen and Freemen and Apprentices are: Senior Freeman: A Former...

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The Role of the Liveryman

The term livery originated in the specific form of dress worn by retainers of a nobleman and then by extension to special dress to denote the status of belonging to...

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