An Old City Company: A Sketch of the History and Conditions of the Skinners' Company of London

by Lewis Boyd Sebastian

The following entries in 1661–62 show that the Company were not prevented by the heavy taxes on their loyalty from giving effect to their interest in learning:—

“1661–2. Paid the royall present for the Kinge’s Ma’tie according to an order of Courte of the xxixth of August

200 00 00

Paid to the M’r and Fellows of Pembrooke Hall in Cambridge towardes the charge of their building according to an order of Courte of the viiith of Julye

66 13 04”

In 1665 came the Great Plague, followed, in 1666, by the Great Fire of London, in which the old Skinners’ Hall shared the fate of so many others of the City Halls. The Company’s valuables were saved, but the Hall itself was destroyed, and for some years after the meetings of the Company were held in other halls and buildings which had escaped the fire. Little time was lost in rebuilding. Outstanding loans were called in, land was sold, contributions were levied upon members, and by 1672 the new buildings were sufficiently completed for occupation by Sir George Waterman, the Skinner Lord Mayor of 1671–2, on whose accession to office one of the numerous pageants provided by the Company was represented. It was usual at that period for the Hall to be let to City functionaries for their term of office, and the Court Books record a number of such lettings. Mention may be made of such lettings to Sir Robert Hanson, Lord Mayor, 1672–3, and Sir Owen Buckingham, Sheriff, 1695–6. From Christmas, 1698, to Michaelmas, 1707, the East India Company had the use of the Hall, and four silver candlesticks presented by them are still in the possession of the Company. In its leading features the Hall remains as it then was, but various alterations and improvements have been made from time to time. The Great Dining Hall was improved in 1847–8, and again in 1890–1, and is now in course of decoration with historical paintings by Mr. Brangwyn, A.R.A. The famous Cedar Drawing-room, commemorated by Lord Macaulay, was fitted with a new ceiling in 1876; the Oak Parlour was restored in 1889, and a second entrance from Cloak Lane has very recently been constructed.

The more important pieces of plate in the possession of the Company were presented in the seventeenth century. The Cokayne cups, already referred to, belong to the sixteenth century, but with this important exception the plate earlier than the nineteenth century all dates from the seventeenth. Special mention may be made of the Peacock Cup, representing a silver peahen, with removable head, accompanied by three peachicks, the gift of Mary, widow of James Peacock, Master, 1638–9, presented in 1642; the Master’s Salt, bequeathed by Benjamin Albin, Master 1669–70, who had taken an active part in rescuing the Company’s plate at the time of the Great Fire: the Leopard Snuff-box, presented by Roger Kemp, Master 1680, which is always placed in front of the Master at banquets, school prize-givings, and other functions; and the Monteith Bowls, purchased with money bequeathed by Sir Richard Chiverton, Master 1654, Lord Mayor 1657.

At the Court of May 4th, 1681, “Major Manley signifyed that the Right Hono^ble the Earl of Shaftesbury would doe the Company the honour to take his ffreedome of this Socyety w^ch moc’on the Court agreed to and ordered the Master and Wardens (and certain others named), or as many of them as conveniently can, to attend his Lordship, and to acquaint him with their readiness to receive his Lordship into their Society.” And on November 30th of the same year, it was ordered that Lord Shaftesbury, Lord Herbert, and Francis Charlton, Esq., should have their freedoms presented to them in silver-gilt boxes, engraved with the Company’s arms.

In 1684–5 the Company erected in the Royal Exchange a statue of Edward III. A small model of this statue was kept by the Company, and on April 26th, 1738, “Mr. Deputy Nash was desired to get the modell of King Edward the III’ds statue repaired, and to get a handsome frame and glass case to be set up above the Master’s chair at the upper end of the Hall.” This model is still preserved in the Cedar Drawing-room.

The Company’s charters were seized on a writ of quo warranto in the reign of Charles II, and a fresh charter was granted by James II; but the seizure and the new charter were set aside by Act of Parliament, 2 Wm. and M., Sess. I, cap. 8, and the Company was restored to its previous position.