Incorporated by Queen Anne, 1712, for a Master, 2 Wardens, and 24 Assistants, with a Livery of 69. It has now a Livery of 420, with a Corporate Income of £1200. It has no Trust Income, and no Hall. Formerly the Hall was at the north end of Basinghall Street. The Livery is the largest of all the Companies, the reason being the admission of members who merely wish to belong to a City Company for social purposes. The Loriners’ work was the making of spurs, stirrups, horses’ bits, etc. Their ordinances were passed and approved in 1245. They were then a Gild or Association, and as such continued till their incorporation under Queen Anne.
THE MAKERS OF PLAYING-CARDS
This Company was incorporated in 1628. At present it has a Livery of 100, with a Corporate Income of £50; no Trust Income, and no Hall.
THE MASONS
Nearly the whole of the records of the Worshipful Company of Masons prior to the year 1666 appear to have been destroyed when the Hall of the Company was burned in the Fire of London. The only documents in existence of an earlier date are the grant of arms, dated the 12th Edward IV., by which Clarencieux granted to the Craft and Fellowship of Masons a coat-of-arms, which is the same as now used by the Company, and a volume of accounts, the earliest of which is dated 1620, being the accounts of the “Master and Wardens of the Company of Free Masons within the City of London.” In the heading of the accounts the Company is so styled until the year 1655-56, from which date to the present time the accounts are headed as the accounts of “The Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Masons of the City of London.” The earliest charter now in their possession is the 29th Charles II., A.D. 1677, granted on a petition by the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Company of Masons in London, but there is nothing to show whether or not any earlier charter had been granted to them.
The number of the Livery is now 48; the Corporate Income is £550; there is no Trust Income. They had a Hall in Basinghall Street, which no longer exists. In the year 1356 (Riley, Memorials, p. 280) ordinances were passed for the regulation of the trade of masons. The ordinances show that there had been dissension between the branches of “hewers” and “light masons and settlers.” The late date of the charter does not mean that the Fraternity began their existence at that date. They already had a Livery and a Gild; they returned members to the Common Council in 1376, and they were probably even at that date an ancient body.
THE MUSICIANS
Instituted by charter granted on April 24, 9th Edward IV. (1473), and reconstituted by James I., 1604, for a Master, 2 Wardens, 20 Assistants, and 31 members. The present number of members is 50; the Corporate Income is £400; there is no Trust Income; there is no Hall.
There were always musicians or minstrels presumably, therefore the Fraternity was ancient. And, as it was absolutely necessary for musicians to act together, the Fraternity began as soon as different instruments were used at the same time. This is one of the very small Companies.