Maitland, writing in 1750, says: “They have a pleasant Hall in Lambeth Hill.”
The Company has now no Hall; its Corporate Income is about £700; its Trust Income is £136; the number of its Livery is 98.
THE BOWYERS
The making of bows, like the use of the smithy, was so ancient that there must have been a Fraternity of Bowyers in very early times. They existed as a Company by prescription, and, which is strange, they received no charter of incorporation until the year 1620, when bows and arrows were quite superseded by firearms.
Riley tells us that in the year 1871 (Memorials, p. 348) the Bowyers and the Fletchers (Makers of Arrows) entered into a friendly understanding that they would not meddle with the trade of each other, excepting four men named, who would not assent and stood out. These were brought before the mayor and explained that they had apprentices to both crafts; that they had orders in both kinds to execute; and that they asked for time, which was granted with a warning.
If bows are useless without arrows they are equally so without strings. In the year 1416 (Riley, Memorials, p. 435) the “reputable men of the trade of Stringers,” i.e. Bowstring Makers, waited on the mayor; they represented the necessity of looking after the workmanship of bowstrings, and they prayed for leave to appoint Wardens of their own with power to inspect the trade, which was granted. By these examples we perceive that there were Companies which were recognised by the City, and continued working together with authority over the trade for centuries. It is not clear whether they had the right of holding property. But they could, and did, impose penalties and fines upon evildoers in their trade.
The following is from the Royal Commission:
The Company has a charter dated the 25th May 1621, which was confirmed by another dated the 17th November 1668.
The following is an abstract of the purport of these charters:—
1. The style of this Company is the Master, Wardens, and Society of the Mystery of Bowyers of the City of London.