List of guilds in the United Kingdom

This is a list of guilds in the United Kingdom. It includes guilds of merchants and other trades, both those relating to specific trades, and the general guilds merchant in Glasgow and Preston. No religious guilds survive, and the guilds of freemen in some towns and cities are not listed. Almost all guilds were founded by the end of the 17th century, although some went out of existence and were refounded in the 20th century.

England

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Alnwick

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Black and White Smiths[1]
Butchers[1]
Cordwainers[1]
Joiners and Shoemakers[1]
Merchants[1]
Skinners and Glovers[1]
Tanners[1]
Weavers[1]

Bristol

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Society of Merchant Venturers (1552), meets Merchant Hall[2]

Carlisle

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Butchers[1][3]
Cordwainers[1][4]
Merchants[1]
Skinners and Glovers[1]

Chester[5]

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Bakers (1462)[1]
Barber Surgeons
Brewers
Bricklayers
Butchers
Cappers and Pinners
Coopers
Cordwainers
Goldsmiths (1573)[1]
Innholders
Joiners (1578)[1]
Masons
Mercers
Merchant Drapers
Merchant Taylors
Painters (1534)[1]
Saddlers & Curriers
Skinners
Smiths
Tanners (1361)[1]
Weavers
Wet and Dry Glovers (1380)[1]
Wrights and Slaters

Cirencester

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Weavers' Company (1550s), meets Weavers' Hall[2]

Coventry

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Broad Weavers and Clothiers (1665)[1][2]
Company and Fellowship of Cappers and Feltmakers (1494); meets in Cappers' Room of old cathedral[1][2]
Drapers (1534); meets in Drapers' Hall[1][2]
Fellowship of Mercers[2]
Fullers' Guild (1438)[1][2]
Tanners' Guild[2]
Worshipful Company of Worsted Weavers (1449; refounded 1703)[2]

Durham

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Barbers and Surgeons[2]
Butchers[2]
Cordwainers[2]
Curriers[2]
Drapers[2]
Joiners[2]
Masons and Plumbers[2]
Tailors[2]

Exeter

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Incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen (1495), meets Tuckers Hall[1]

Kingston-upon-Hull

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Guild of Masters, Pilots and Seamen of Trinity House (1369)[1]

Lichfield

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Worshipful Company of Smiths (by 1601)[2]

London

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Guild of Freemen of the City of London

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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Bakers and Brewers (1342)[1]
Barber-Surgeons (1442)[1]
Bricklayers, Wallers and Plasterers (1454)[1]
Butchers (1621)[1]
Colliers, Paviors and Carriagemen (1656)[1]
Coopers (1426)[1]
Cordwainers (1566)[1]
Curriers, Felt-makers and Armourers (1546)[1]
Glovers (1436)[1]
Goldsmiths (1536)[1]
Society of Hostmen (1600)[1]
House Carpenters, Millwrights and Trunkmakers (1579)[1]
Joiners and Cabinet-makers (1589)[1]
Society of Master Mariners (1492)[1]
Masons (1581)[1]
Merchant Adventurers (1215)[1]
Milners (1578)[1]
Plumbers and Glaziers (1536)[1]
Ropemakers (1648)[1]
Saddlers (1459)[1]
Sail-makers (1663)[1]
Scriveners (1675, refounded 1974)[1]
Shipwrights (1636)[1]
Skinners (1437)[1]
Slaters and Tylers (1451)[1]
Smiths (1436)[1]
Tanners (1532)[1]
Taylors (1536)[1]
Upholsterers, Tin-plate workers and Stationers (1675)[1]
Weavers (1527)[1]

Norwich

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Barber-surgeons (1439)[2]
Guild of St George (1389; refounded)[2]

Preston

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Preston Guild (1179)[2]

Richmond, North Yorkshire

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Company of Fellmongers (refounded 1980)[1][6]
Company of Mercers, Grocers and Haberdashers[1]

Sheffield

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Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire (1624), meets Cutlers' Hall[2]

Shrewsbury

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Drapers (1462); meets Drapers' Hall[1][2]

Southwark

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Guildable Manor (880AD, 1327), meets St George the Martyr, Southwark
King's Manor, Southwark (1103, 1550), meets Inner London Crown Court
Great Liberty of Southwark (1550), meets The Boot and Flogger
Tanners of Bermondsey (1703), meets St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey and The Leather Exchange

Worcester

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Clothier's Guild (1590)[1][2]

York

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Gild of Freemen of the City of York (1953) meets Bedern Hall[7]
Guild of Building (1954), meets Bedern Hall[2][7]
Butchers Gild (1272),[2] meets Jacob's Well[8]
Company of Cordwainers (1395, refounded 1970s), meets Bedern Hall[1][7]
Merchant Adventurers (1357), meets Merchant Adventurers' Hall[2]
Company of Merchant Taylors (1386), meets Merchant Taylors' Hall[2][7]
Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers (1960)[2]
Guild of Scriveners (1478, refounded 1981)[9]
Guild of Media Arts (2015)[9]

Scotland

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Aberdeen

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Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen (1587)[1]

Arbroath

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Arbroath Guildry Incorporation (1725)[10]
Ayr Guildry (1325)[11]

Brechin

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Guildry Incorporation of Brechin (1629), meets Guildry Room of Brechin Mechanics' Institute[12]

Dundee

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Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee[1]

Edinburgh

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Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh (1505), meets Merchants' Hall[2]
Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh (1578)[2]

Elgin

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Glovers[1]
Hammermen[1]
Shoemakers[1]
Squaremen[1]
Tailors[1]
Weavers[1]

Glasgow

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Merchants House of Glasgow (1605)[1]
Trades House of Glasgow (1605)[1]

Irvine

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The Incorporated Trades of Irvine (1646)[1]

Lanark

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Guildry of Lanark (1658)[13]

Perth

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The Guildry Incorporation of Perth

Rutherglen

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The Incorporation of Tailors of Rutherglen (1657)[1]

Stirling

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Merchant Guildry of Stirling (1226)[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt Tom Hoffman, "Guilds and Related Organisations in Great Britain and Ireland: a bibliography (Part II)"
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae John Kennedy Melling, London's Guilds and Liveries, pp.6-12
  3. ^ "Carlisle Butcher's Guild: 1664-2004: minutes and guild books". The National Archives (United Kingdom). Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. ^ "A Carlisle Craft Guild". The Manchester Guardian. 9 February 1937. p. 3. “The silver plate of the Cordwainers' Guild and a figure of St. Crispin, the patron saint of the Shoemakers' Guild were on exhibition at a Freemen's Court held at the Town Hall, Carlisle, yesterday.”
  5. ^ Freemen of Chester, "Companies"
  6. ^ Fellmongers Company, "Fellmongers Company of Richmond - History and Heritage Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine"
  7. ^ a b c d "York's ancient guilds", York Press, 5 July 2011
  8. ^ "Jacob's Well". The York Butchers Gild. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  9. ^ a b "York's first modern guild reaches 100 member milestone", York Press, 20 January 2016, Retrieved 3 July 2016
  10. ^ "Arbroath Guildry", The Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland
  11. ^ "Ayr Guildry", The Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland
  12. ^ "The Guildry of Brechin", The Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland
  13. ^ "The Guildry of Lanark", The Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland