‘Monuments of Honour’: Clerks, Histories and Heroes in the London Livery Companies

Summary

In celebrating Linda Clark's contribution to the study of late medieval history, it seems fitting to write something which reflects both on the importance of archives, and on the lives of individuals in shaping our perspectives on the medieval past. This essay seeks to look at some of the ways in which the city of London guilds (or livery companies as they became known) developed a sense of their own histories, and in particular at the emergence of heroic figures within guild and civic culture, from the fourteenth to the early seventeenth centuries. In doing so, one is rightly conscious of the efforts of John Stow. His Survey of London, which first appeared in 1598, includes many references to sources, as well as statements as to how he obtained information. The City companies were, of course, one of his main subjects of study – he wanted to know in particular about their origins, the building of their Halls, and some of their celebrated members – especially those who were donors and benefactors of charities. Stow set out to gain access to the archives of the companies – above all the ‘Great Twelve’, those which had supplied the overwhelming majority of mayors and aldermen over the centuries.