Last Updated on 10/02/2026
Livery Companies vary significantly in how they recruit and admit their members, who are known as Freemen and Liverymen.
Freedom Admission
Prospective members can join a Livery Company through several established routes, beginning as a Freeman and later progressing to Liveryman. Admission to the Freedom of the Company may be granted...
Freedom of the City
Applicants who achieve Freedom of the Company must then obtain the Freedom of the City of London before they can progress to the Livery. The Company will provide support and...
Livery Apprentices
The class of Apprentice member of a Livery Company is largely symbolic and is intended to give a junior member the opportunity to learn about the heritage and history of...
Livery Freedom Candidate Guidance
Livery Companies vary widely in the way they welcome new members, who become Freemen and later Liverymen. A City Livery Guide containing general information on the City of London Livery...
Modern Livery Companies
There is no strict definition of what makes a Livery Company “modern”, but the convention remains that the first of them was the Master Mariners, formed in 1926 and granted...
New Guilds
The process of forming a new Livery Company is overseen by the Court of Aldermen (“the Court”). The first step for any aspiring organisation is to establish itself as a Guild. Once...
Other Membership Classes
Livery Companies vary considerably in the range of membership classes they maintain. In addition to the traditional categories of Liverymen and Freemen and Apprentices are, many Companies offer additional classes...
The Role of the Liveryman
The term livery originally referred to the distinctive clothing issued to the retainers of a noble household. Over time, the concept evolved into a form of special dress denoting membership...
